By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

DUCT TAPE BELONGS IN YOUR TOOLBOX AND YOUR MEDICINE CABINET

Question: My child has a wart on her finger that won’t go away. It seems like she has had it forever. Now that she is 10, she wants something done about it. I thought kids outgrew warts. Is there any treatment for them? Does she need to go to a dermatologist?

Answer: Warts come in many shapes, sizes and locations. They are usually small, painless and are caused by a virus. Generally they are harmless, but they can be unsightly, depending on the location. Warts tend to be round and raised, but can be slightly darker than the surrounding skin. Some types of warts are actually flat and brown. Plantar warts found on the soles of the feet are only slightly raised and are painful when they become large.

While warts are most common in children and young adults, people don’t actually outgrow them. They can occur at any age. Since childhood warts often go away without treatment, it’s a common perception that they have been outgrown.

Warts can be spread to other people, but are not considered highly contagious. They can be contracted from touching a contaminated surface or the wart of another person. Warts can also be spread around your own body. This may happen when you pick at the wart, scratch it or scrape it with a razor. Preventing this kind of spread may be a good reason to get your daughter’s wart treated.

There are many home treatments for warts and over-the-counter medications. In the last few years, it was found that many warts could be cured using the handyman’s friend -- good old duct tape. This is done by applying a small piece of duct tape to the wart and leaving it in place for six days. After six days, the duct tape is removed. At that time, you should soak the wart and sand it down using an emery board or pumice stone. Then, leave it uncovered for the night and reapply the duct tape for another six day cycle. There are also over-the-counter chemicals that can be applied to a wart. These should be used specifically as directed.

You can also go to the doctor to have a wart removed. Many family doctors manage warts in their office, so seeing a dermatologist is not usually necessary. Your doctor will probably treat the wart either with chemicals or by using liquid nitrogen to freeze it, a process called cryotherapy. It often takes a few treatments, so don’t expect the wart to vanish overnight. Interestingly, one study a few years ago found that the duct-tape treatment I mentioned earlier cured a higher percentage of warts than doctor-administered cryotherapy.

As you may surmise it’s OK to try to treat a wart at home, but I do need to caution you about two things. First, watch closely for any signs of infection. If the skin becomes very red and painful after a home treatment, that’s a sign that you need to seek the advice and treatment of a physician. Also, if after two weeks you don’t see a marked improvement, you may have misdiagnosed the problem. What you are treating might not actually be a wart. Again, in this situation, you need to see your doctor for a professional diagnosis.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 110, Athens, Ohio 45701, or via e-mail to readerquestions@familymedicinenews.org. Medical information in this column is provided as an educational service only. It does not replace the judgment of your personal physician, who should be relied on to diagnose and recommend treatment for any medical conditions. Past columns are available online at www.familymedicinenews.org.