Warts

Warts are a common skin condition caused by one of many types of human papilloma virus, which infects the outer layer of skin. Common warts (verruca vulgaris) can appear on any part of the body but are more common on the fingers, hands, and arms. They are most common in people 30 years old or younger, but can occur at any age and are almost universal in the population. Other types of warts also exist, including flat warts, genital warts, laryngeal papillomas and others.

Checklist for Warts

Rating	Nutritional Supplements	Herbs
		Greater celandine
Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit. Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit. An herb is primarily supported by traditional use, or the herb or supplement has little scientific support and/or minimal health benefit.

What are the symptoms of warts? Appearance and size of warts depend on the location and the amount of irritation and trauma. Common warts are sharply demarcated, rough-surfaced, round or irregular in shape, firm, and either light gray, yellow, brown, or gray-black in color. They are small nodules ranging in size from 2–10 mm in diameter. Plantar warts (on the bottoms of the feet) are flattened and may be exquisitely tender. Flat warts, more common in children and young adults, are smooth, flat-topped yellow-brown elevations, most often seen on the face and along scratch marks. Genital warts (also called condyloma acuminata or venereal warts) are soft, moist, small pink or gray polyps that enlarge and are usually found in clusters on the anus and the warmer, moister areas of the female and male genitalia. Genital warts caused by HPV are considered a major cause of cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. All warts are contagious.

How is it treated? Conventional treatment of common warts includes over-the-counter or prescription-strength compounds such as salicylic acid and lactic acid, which are typically applied topically on a daily basis to treat the warts. A protective pad may be worn to relieve the pain of plantar warts. In some cases, doctors may recommend removal of the wart using various procedures such as freezing with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy), conventional surgery, laser surgery, or applying an electrical current to dry the wart (electrodesiccation with curettage).

Dietary changes that may be helpful: A preliminary study reported that the weekly consumption of two to four alcoholic drinks nearly doubled the risk of developing genital warts.¹ Those who consumed more than five alcoholic drinks had a more than doubled risk of developing genital warts. A case report of a 19-year-old with a urinary-tract wart found that abstinence from a high intake of pork led to a regression of the wart.²

Lifestyle changes that may be helpful: Warts can be spread by contact, and the transmission can occur between two people as well as between different parts of the body of the same person. To prevent the spread of the virus, warts should not be scratched. Genital warts are spread by sexual contact.

A study of HIV-infected and HIV-negative women found that current smokers were over five times more likely to develop genital warts than nonsmokers.³

Herbs that may be helpful: Little published research has evaluated botanical treatments for warts. Herbalists have sometimes recommended the use of greater celandine (Chelidonium majus) for the topical treatment of warts.⁴ The milky juice from the fresh plant is typically applied to the wart once daily and allowed to dry.

Are there any side effects or interactions? Refer to the individual herb for information about any side effects or interactions.

Other integrative approaches that may be helpful: Distant healing is a conscious, dedicated act of mental activity that attempts to benefit another person’s physical or emotional well-being at a distance. A controlled study found that distant healing by an experienced healer for six weeks had no effect on the number or size of warts.⁵

A controlled study found that the application of 122ºF heat from a heat pad for 30 seconds led to regression in 25 warts.⁶ After 15 weeks, none of the regressed warts had regrown.

Hypnosis is a widely recognized treatment for warts. One controlled trial found that twice-weekly hypnosis sessions resulted in greater wart disappearance than did medication, placebo, or no treatment after six weeks of therapy.⁷

References:

1. Bairati I, Sherman KJ, McKnight B, et al. Diet and genital warts: a case-control study. Sex Transm Dis 1994;21:149–54.

2. Schneider A, Morabia A, Papendick U, Kirchmayr R. Pork intake and human papillomavirus-related disease. Nutr Cancer 1990;13:209–11.

3. Feldman JG, Chirgwin K, Dehovitz JA, Minkoff H. The association of smoking and risk of condyloma acuminatum in women. Ostet Gynecol 1997;89:346–50.

4. Weiss RF. Herbal Medicine. Gothenberg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum, 1988, 337.

5. Harkness EF, Abbot NC, Ernst E. A randomized trial of distant healing for skin warts. Am J Med 2000;108:448–52.

6. Stern P, Levine N. Controlled localized heat therapy in cutaneous warts. Archives of Dermatology 1992;128:945–8.

7. Spanes NP, Williams V, Gwynn MI. Effects of hypnotic, placebo, and salicylic acid treatments on wart progression. Psychosom Med 1990;52:109–14.

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The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over-the-counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2003.