Warts
What is Warts ?
Common warts are small, grainy skin growths that occur most often on the fingers or hands. They’re rough to the touch and often have tiny black dots. These dots are clotted blood vessels.
Common warts are caused by a virus and are transmitted by touch. It can take 2 to 6 months for a wart to develop. The warts are usually harmless and, over time, go away on their own. But many people choose to remove them because they find them bothersome or embarrassing.
Symptoms
- Small, fleshy, grainy bumps
- Feeling rough to the touch
- A sprinkling of black dots
- Dome-shaped warts
- Flat warts
- Discoloration
- Smooth warts
- Thread- or finger-like warts
- Skin-colored, brown, grey or black warts
- Pain or tenderness
- Itching
- Bleeding
Cause
Common warts are caused by the human papillomavirus, also called HPV. There are more than 100 types of this common virus, but only a few cause warts on the hands. Some strains of HPV are spread through sexual contact. But most are spread by casual skin contact or shared objects, such as towels or washcloths. The virus usually spreads through breaks in the skin, such as hangnails or scrapes. Biting your nails also can cause warts to spread on your fingertips and around your nails. Each person’s immune system responds to HPV differently. So not everyone who comes in contact with HPV develops warts.
Risk Factors
People at higher risk of developing common warts include children and young adults. People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS or those who have had organ transplants. People with the habit of nail biting or picking at hangnails.
When to see a Doctor
See a healthcare professional for common warts if the growths hurt, bleed, burn, or itch. You’ve tried treating the warts, but they persist, spread, or come back. The growths are bothersome or interfere with activities. You’re unsure whether the growths are warts. You have many warts. You have a weak immune system. Warts show up on the face, feet, or genitals.