Children's foot warts: viral and contagious formations on the skin
Warts are a viral ailment that affects adults as well as children. At the base there is a virus but it is important to prevent them by paying attention to simple rules of hygiene. This is because warts are very contagious and therefore you have to be careful in humid environments such as swimming pools and gyms where the virus proliferates. Find out what are the rules of hygiene more suitable for children of all ages, watching this video!
Contagion and symptoms of warts on children's feet
There are more than a hundred serotypes of this virus: some cause warts on the feet and hands, others on the sole of the foot, others on the genitals (warts), others on the face and legs. Contagion occurs with contact with warts of others or with one's own or with infected places, for example the marble of swimming pools; therefore with human or indirect contact through environments or objects. It is also easy for children to walk without slippers or take a shower in bathing beaches or swimming pools, where both humidity and heat are high. They have to get used to washing their hands often and carefully and if they scratch or cut, they need to wash the wounds and disinfect them, because they can cause various infections and very often also warts. The incubation period is from 1 to 8 months. They appear as wrinkled and irregular papules, sometimes similar to calluses. They are often located on the hands, pint of the foot, knees and elbows. Obviously, if the wart is in the plantar area, the baby feels pain when walking. Often one or more black points (broken blood vessels) are noted inside the wart. Acuminate warts affect the genitals and especially the mucous areas (glans, vagina, anus), sometimes even the oral cavity. They can multiply and increase in volume.
See also
Topical or surgical therapies to remove warts in children
Often the body autoimmunizes itself against them and therefore they tend to heal independently, even if sometimes, after a long time. However, this does not apply to warts. If you have pain, as in the case of plantar warts, if their rapid multiplication occurs or they can be a cause of contagion for others, when they are located in uncovered areas, treatment becomes indispensable. And anyway, since it is a viral infection, it is always good to treat it. Since warts often reappear even after treatments, especially if they are children, it is advisable not to choose invasive therapies and to opt for the treatment based on keratolytics, which can be done at home, with the doctor's prescription and his advice to parents on how to carry out the treatment.
See also: Practical ideas for keeping the house tidy with children!
Warts can be eliminated with a topical treatment with substances that kill the cells infected by the virus or with electrocoagulation or with laser or cryotherapy (freezing with liquid nitrogen). With the laser there is the possibility that scars will remain. Only rarely does the doctor resort to treatment with the Co2 laser, since local anesthesia or sedation is required to perform it. This choice would then require more delicate wound dressings with possible complications of infection and pain. The choice and the way in which to intervene on this problem must also be made taking into account the age of the child, the type of wart from which it is affected and the area of the body in which it was formed. Another useful substance for eliminating warts is salicylic acid, which is also used to relieve the manifestations of acne and for corns and calluses. It is suitable for any age and is very effective for various skin imperfections, caused by little melanin or to give the skin a smoother and more silky appearance. If the warts are resistant and rather large and if they are children with immune system deficiencies, immunostimulants can be used. If local application of anti-warp patches or preparations is chosen, the treatment involves accurate and constant dressings. The part of the body with the wart must be immersed in hot water; after drying it well, apply a medicated plaster or cover it with the prescribed solution, wait for it to dry and apply a normal plaster. The patches should be removed in the morning. The treatment, usually painless, must be repeated every 24 hours, gently removing the crumbling skin with sterile scissors. Antiverruche solutions contain retinoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, elastic collodion. A white color appears on the medicated part.
Types of plantar warts: vulgar or flat
There are two clinical forms of warts: vulgar warts and flat warts. Common warts occur mostly on the soles of the feet and the back of the hands. They are often hyperkeratotic papules, of the color of the healthy complexion, sometimes with dark spots due to rupture of the capillaries by viruses. They can also be more than one and take on stripe or curly shapes. They do not give pain, except those of the sole of the foot, called orthotics. The flat wart usually affects children and adolescents and is small, round or polygonal, slightly wrinkled, painless, pink or light brown on the face, neck, hands, sometimes also on the arms, legs and shoulders. Sometimes they show up on scars or cracks caused by scratching. Warts on children's hands, arms, or knees are almost always in clusters. On the face they are much thinner, but they occur frequently. Plantar warts are flat thickenings on the soles of the feet. They may look like calluses, which however are very rare in children, They are much more difficult to cure, since the area is subject to trauma and continuous contact with shoes and the ground.
Some patients are particularly sensitive to the Papilloma virus for constitutional factors or immunosuppression, as is the case for any virus infection. Trauma can also favor them. In addition to small wounds, nail biting, that is nail biting, can also be triggers. Beware, therefore, of this possible cause of warts, such as scratches on hands and feet that are often underestimated and not treated properly. The diagnosis is quite obvious; it can be done by the child's pediatrician or in more complicated cases by the dermatologist. Sometimes someone mistakes warts for skin tags, but these are skin bumps typical of adults and not children, and leeks are also referred to in jargon as six treats of viral infections. However, not all children are affected equally by these viral infections. In fact, one factor to consider is the level of their immune system. It must also be said that warts, even those that are not painful, can be annoying or create psychological complexes, especially if they are preteens and if they appear on the face. In this case, even for their contagiousness, it is good to ask for a doctor's intervention.
