WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
A wart is a small, hard, rough lump on your skin.
Although you may get a wart anywhere on your body, they are
most common on fingers and hands. You may or may not need
treatment. Warts can be a long-term
problem.
Causes
Warts are caused by a virus
called Human Papillomavirus (PAP-ih-LOW-muh-VI-russ), or
HPV.
Signs/Symptoms
The wart may be reddish-brown,
black, gray, or the same color as your skin. Warts can grow and
spread. You may develop a number of them or find only
one.
Care
Warts sometimes go away without
treatment. You can remove some with over-the-counter medicine.
Others may need to be removed by your doctor. The two most
common procedures are electrocautery (burning the wart away)
and cryotherapy (killing the wart with frost).
Risks
Surgical removal of a wart poses
a small risk of infection. Follow your doctor's instructions to
prevent this problem.
IF YOU'RE HEADING FOR THE
DOCTOR...
What to Expect While You're
There
-
If electrocautery is planned, be sure to tell the doctor
if you wear a pacemaker for your heart
.
-
During Your Wart Removal:
-
The wart and the area around it will be cleaned.
The doctor may give you numbing medicine so you will feel
little pain.
-
In electrocautery, a tool with a thin, needle-like,
hot tip will be touched to the wart. The area around the
wart may look as though it is
""bubbling.''
-
In cryotherapy, an extremely cold fluid such as
liquid nitrogen will be applied to the wart. You may feel
a mild sting and the area may turn
white.
-
After the tissue has been killed, your doctor may
remove the dead skin and may send a sample to the lab for
tests.
-
The doctor may cover the area with a bandage and
give you instructions for taking care of the area. You
may need another treatment if the wart
reappears.
-
The treatment will take from 15 to 30
minutes.
After You Leave...
-
If there is bleeding during the first 24 hours, press
a clean tissue or cloth to the area for 10
minutes.
-
Keep the treated area clean with soap and water. You
may cover it with a small adhesive bandage to protect it
for a few days. If the bandage gets wet, change it
promptly.
-
After cryotherapy, do not apply any medicine, creams,
or lotions to the treated area.
-
A scab will form over an area treated with
electrocautery. It will drop off by itself, leaving a small
scar. Healing time is 2 to 3 weeks. If you receive
cryotherapy, a blister will form at the site. Do not pick
at the blister or try to break it open. It will break by
itself in 10 to 14 days, leaving a
scab.
Call Your Doctor If...
-
You have increasing pain, swelling, redness, or
drainage in the treated area.
-
The warts don't disappear completely, or more warts
appear.
-
The blister that forms after cryotherapy becomes
large or painful.
Seek Care Immediately If...
-
You develop a high temperature.
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