Treating verrucas in children

Everyone has probably seen a verruca a wart on the foot and many people have had these warts at least once by the time they reach adulthood. Verrucas are also known as plantar warts, and they are a type of wart that normally develops on the ball of the foot, or on other parts of the sole that are constantly under pressure when we walk.

Having warts on the soles of one's feet can be quite painful, but if your child has a verruca you will also be worried about the pain treatment of these nasty warts causes. Although verrucas are not so common in children under three years old, these warts do appear on young children and teenagers a lot more often than they do in adults.

Verrucas are caused by a strain of Human Papillomavirus, more commonly known as HPV, and can appear anywhere on the bottom or side of the foot. Like all warts, verrucas tend to have a slightly raised appearance, but the larger part of the wart's structure is actually underneath the foot's skin. Sometimes, it is possible to see little black pips inside the wart. So, how do you go about eliminating a verruca on your child s skin? There are several options:

Expectant management AKA wait and see. Verrucas can clear up by themselves, and doctors recommend this option quite a lot if the verruca on your child's foot is not causing any pain or otherwise interfering with the functioning of the foot. If you are a parent who feels strongly about removing a verruca, just consider that if your child is not currently in pain, wart treatment is bound to change that and it may not get rid of the wart. Over the counter treatments. These often contain salicylic acid, and research shows good results with these treatments. They come in various forms, including paints and gels. Cryotherapy at a doctor's office. This option is even more effective, but the infamous liquid nitrogen many of remember from childhood does tend to hurt a bit. Surgery, in other words cutting the wart out. Under anesthesia, obviously.