What Causes Warts & Corns?
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Cause-Warts
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HPV (human papillomavirus) causes warts. The virus enters the skin through breaks or openings and via skin to skin contact or other direct body contact with the virus, including through sharing towels and bathing areas. The wart can take on many forms--flat, fleshy and protruding, deep and penetrating. Warts can be hard or scratchy to the touch.
Treatment-Warts
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Seek treatment for warts if they spread or cause concern regarding your appearance, but common warts do not need a doctor's attention and often do not necessarily require treatment at all. The body can fight them off on its own over time.
Treatment can be undertaken at home, with over the counter medicinal measures (usually a form of salicylic acid). Painful, quickly spreading or resistant warts can be treated by a physician or dermatologist. Treating warts as soon as you notice them can reduce the likelihood of them spreading to others (or to other areas of your own body) and you may need to treat them several times before they stop reappearing. Doctors may use other chemical treatments, freeze warts or use a form of surgery to remove them.
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Prevention-Warts
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Certain forms of warts are more easily spread, such as those which occur in the genital region. According to the Mayo Clinic, the chances of catching other warts (called common warts) are small.
People with warts should not share common personal hygiene items with others (nail clippers, razors) if they are used on or near the affected areas. Avoid touching or picking at a wart, as this potentially exposes or spreads virus. As with any virus, good hand washing practices cut down on the chances of transmission.
Corns-Cause
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Corns form from hardened skin, much like a callus. According to the Mayo Clinic, they may appear as a hard center with a covering of inflamed skin that is painful to the touch. They form most often on the foot when shoes fit improperly and press or rub against the foot. They may form when shoes are too loose or too snug.
Prevention, Treatment-Corns
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Treat corns by addressing the cause. Seek proper fitting shoes or change the type of socks you wear. A doctor can assess if the condition is the result of a foot deformity.
A similar treatment, salicylic acid, is used to improve warts and corns. Patches containing the acid may be found over the counter or prescribed through a doctor. A physician can also help reduce the size of the corn by trimming the skin. At home, you can soak the affected foot and gently wear away the corn with a pumice stone. Pads made of mole skin offer temporary relief from pain and pressure.
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