Deep Treatment for Periungual Warts

Despite common myths and childhood beliefs, warts do not come from frogs or toads. They are much more likely to come from cuts, scrapes and scratches that become virally infected. Warts can occur on almost any part of the skin and are often uncomfortable, embarrassing and sometimes painful. One of the more common warts is the periungual wart which manifests itself at the tips of fingers, toes and around nail beds.

Warts

• Warts are visible infections of the Human papillomavirus, more commonly known as HPV. When HPV gets into cuts and scrapes and burrows in, a wart results. We are exposed to HPV frequently, but our immune systems typically prevent these viruses from taking hold. Warts are more common in children because their immune systems are not developed enough to fight off HPV.

Treatment

• There is no actual cure for the HPV that causes the wart. The strategy is to remove or kill the majority of the wart where the virus lives. Naturally, this does not remove all the viruses, just most of them. The hope is that whatever remains after the removal, the body's immune system can finish the job.

  For periungual warts, as well as other forms, a common treatment is to freeze the wart cryogenically to kill most of the infected tissue. This is usually done in a doctor's office. The physician inserts a thin needle deep into the wart and injects it with cryogenic fluid, such as liquid nitrogen, which instantly freezes and kills the wart deep within. Once the dead tissue comes off, the patient keeps the area clean, bandaged and waits for the immune system to do its job and the area to heal.

Precautions and Warnings

• Warts can be transmitted by physical contact. It is possible to pass the HPV via the wart to another person or to other sites on the same person. Abrasions, trauma and even moisture make this even more possible. Moist areas like showers and restrooms may often harbor HPV and warts may be picked up from contract with fixtures in these environments.

  Deep cryogenic treatment is not the only way to address a wart. Warts can be located near critical nerve endings in fingers and toes and less invasive treatment may be necessary to prevent nerve damage. Be sure to consult a physician and explore options.