Warts

Warts refer to hard, dry growths in the skin. They are capable of spreading, but are usually harmless.

They often disappear spontaneously. These small benign tumours of the skin re most common in childhood, but after infancy.

Warts come in various shapes and sizes. Common warts are raised cauliflower-like lesions which occur most frequently on the hands. They may be scattered or grouped. These warts usually resolve spontaneously eventually. Some warts are thread like and others flat.

Symptoms of Warts

Warts usually appear as rough elevation in the skin. These elevations occur more frequently on the fingers, elbows, knees, face and scalp. They usually appear as small raised painless lesion with a rough dry surface. Where there is pressure as on the soles of the feet, the may be hardly raised, but tend to be painful. They flourish in the moist areas of the body.

When warts occur on the feet, they are known as verrucae. They are particularly catching. They are most easily spread in swimming baths and a bathroom because the moist, warm atmospheres are these places is just right for this infection to be passed form person to person. Some swimming baths hold foot inspections and will not allow in any patient with a verrucae. Others insist that special ‘verrucae-socks’ are worn if a verrucae is present.

Causes of Warts

Warts are mainly caused by virus infection. Viruses usually penetrate the skin via small abrasions. Warts are unpredictably contagious and the patient may infect himself in different places. Thus for instance, he may get wart on the lips, if he sucks a wart on the finger. Infection can also spread from one member of the family with a wart to other members. Constitutional factors also appear to be at the root of the troubles. These factors lead to some defects in the proper development of the skin surface in certain areas.

Treatment of Warts

It is important to treat a simple wart as soon as it appears, otherwise it may spread. Dietary measures can be helpful in treating this condition. To begin with, the patient should be kept on all fruit diet for about two or three days. During this period, he should take three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits such as grapes, orange, apple, pineapple, mango, pear and papaya. The warm-water enema should be taken to cleanse the bowels during this period and afterwards, if necessary.

After the all-fruit diet, the patient may gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet of natural foods consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, fruit and vegetables. The emphasis should be on fresh fruits and raw vegetable salad. Further short periods of all-fruit diet at monthly intervals may be necessary until the skin condition improves.

The patient should avoid tea, coffee, flesh foods, white flour, sugar and all products made from them. He should also avoid all refined foods, tinned and frozen foods, as well as spices, condiments and pickles.

Certain home remedies have been found beneficial in the treatment of warts. The most important of these is the use of castor oil (arandi). This oil should be applied generously over the affected parts every night. The treatment should be continued for several months.

Milky juice of the figs (anjeer) is another valuable remedy. This juice should be extracted from the fresh, barely ripe fruits and applied on warts several times a day. The treatment should be continued for two weeks.

Raw potatoes (alu) have been found beneficial in the treatment of warts. A potato should be cut and rubbed on the affected area several times daily. This should be continued for at least two weeks. It will bring good results.

Onions (piyaz) are also valuable in warts. They are irritating to the skin and they stimulate the circulation of the blood. Warts sometimes disappear when rubbed with cut onions.

The herb Indian squill (jungli piyaz) is useful in removing warts. A powder of the bulb of this herb should be applied locally over the affected area, with beneficial results.

The herb dandelion (kukrandha) is another valuable remedy for warts. The milk from the cut end of dandelion should be applied over the affected are two or three times daily.

The herb marigold (saldbarh) has been found beneficial in the treatment of warts. The juices of the leaves of this plant can be applied beneficial over warts. The sap from the stem has also been found beneficial in the removal of warts.

The oil extracted from the shell of the cashewnut (kaju) being acrid, vesicant and rubefacient, has proved useful in warts. It should be applied externally over the affected area in treating this condition.