Common wart virus children

For larger, painful warts or for those that don't respond to over-the-counter treatment, a dermatologist can offer additional options. Commonly, these include prescription antiviral creams, prescription therapies that irritate and eliminate warts, and medications that stimulate the immune system or disrupt the wart's skin cell growth. Rarely, stubborn warts require minor surgery to cut away the tissue or laser surgery to remove the wart.

If you are an adult who never had problems with warts but they suddenly begin to develop, see your doctor and ask to be screened for an immune system disorder. Adults usually don't have new-onset, common warts. But if numerous warts begin to appear, the immune system may be malfunctioning. In that case, a prompt evaluation is recommended.

By Shawn Bishop. Its bumps: Start as very small spots about the size of a pinhead. Grow over a few weeks. They can be as large as a pea or pencil eraser. Are soft and smooth and may have a small dent in the center. Can get infected with bacteria if kids scratch or pick at them. Can appear alone or in groups, or rows.

Most people get between 1 and 20 bumps. Can show up almost anywhere on the skin except for the palms and soles. In kids, they're most often on the trunk, arms, and face. What Causes Molluscum? Who Gets Molluscum? Molluscum most often happens in healthy kids between 1 and 12 years old.

But it also happens in: athletes who have close contact, such as wrestlers, or athletes who share equipment, such as gymnasts people with health problems treated with long-term steroid medicine use How Is Molluscum Diagnosed?

Can Molluscum Be Prevented? Skip to Main Content. Print Share Download. While having warts can be annoying—even embarrassing—they are often treatable and not harmful.

What are the risk factors for developing viral warts? How are viral warts diagnosed? How are viral warts treated at home? Salicylic acid: This can generally be found as a liquid, on pads or as a tape, and is applied directly to the wart nightly.

These are available over-the-counter and are a good starting point for treatment; treatment can take several months. Cryotherapy: These over-the-counter sprays, which freeze off the warts, are milder forms of the liquid nitrogen therapies you will find at the dermatologist. Although generally harmless, warts can be bothersome, both for cosmetic and physical reasons.

Answering the questions below will help you understand more about possible treatment options for warts. However, if you are not sure that something is a wart, ask your doctor for advice and do not try to treat it at home.

The wart is the same color as my child's skin. The wart is a different color than my child's skin. To continue reading this article, you must log in. Already a member? Login ». As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Thanks for visiting.