Is My House Infected With Warts? - By: Peter Wishnie

Do you have a painful lump or bump on your feet? Before you go to the drugstore and buy some over the counter medication, my advice is to-STOP! You might be buying the wrong thing because that lump could be a wart. Warts are viruses and are highly contagious.

Some people tend to get warts more easily than others. We are all a little different on how our immune system recognizes such nasty invaders, thus some people will never get a wart from the locker room no matter what and others will get warts every football season. If your child has warts, your house does not turn into a wart heaven, but proper precautions should be made. Since everyone is susceptible to warts there is a chance that more family members will get infected. Try not to walk around barefoot and clean bathtubs and floors often.

What do you do if your child gets a wart? Most warts will subside over time. If they are painful or begin to be multiply or spread on the foot, see your podiatric physician. There is a variety of treatments. Just as we all recognize viruses a little differently, we also respond to treatments a little differently. What works with one individual does not always work on the next. The best treatment for a particular individual is discovered through trial and error.

If the wart is not painful and you are not going to seek treatment, avoid picking or touching it. This may aggrevate it and causes it to get bigger or spread to other parts of your body.

If you or your child continuously gets warts, make sure to avoid walking barefoot. Change socks and shoes daily. Keep feet clean and dry, and pay attention to any changes that occur on your feet.

Self treatment of warts is not advised because of the risk of the wart spreading and improper use of over the counter treatments. If your child has a wart, you should spray his shoes with Lysol and clean the bath tub with Lysol or scrub it with Comet. Most of the time warts do not need to be removed. Chemical treatment is usually effective. Other treatments include laser removal, cryotherapy (freezing) and even oral medication.

If you feel you or your child needs treatment for warts, contact a trained physician, such as a podiatrist, to address your health concern.

About the Author

Dr. Peter Wishnie is a podiatrist who specializes in foot and ankle surgery in Central NJ. Their goals are to educate the public on the care of their feet and ankles and to get them functioning as quickly as possible. They are dedicated to foot and ankle health. For more foot health tips, get a Free copy of their book, "Got Feet," by visiting their website: http://podiatristnj.blogspot.com/

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Peter-Wishnie/43468

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