Please select from the list of medical conditions from the below drop-down list:

Warts

A wart is a local growth located on the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis) caused by a virus. The virus (papillomavirus) is transmitted by contact. The contact can be with a wart on someone else or one on oneself.

Warts that occur on the hands or top of the feet are called "common warts." A wart on the sole of the foot is a plantar wart, and can be quite painful. Genital (venereal) warts are located on the genitals and are transmitted by sexual contact; they are a form of a STD (sexually transmitted disease).

Common Warts

Common warts on the skin of the fingers and hands appear as little mounds of overgrown skin with a rough dry surface. They do not, as a rule, grow too deeply and they do not tend to be painful. They are usually caused by HPV types 2 and 4.

Plantar Warts

Plantar warts grow on the soles of the feet. They are different from most other warts, as they tend to be flat and cause the buildup of callus (that has to be peeled away before the plantar wart itself can be seen). Plantar warts sometimes attack blood vessels deep in the skin, and can be quite painful. They are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) type 1, are more of a problem than common warts and should be treated by a doctor.

Genital (Venereal) Warts

Except for the few patients exposed to the virus during birth, all HPV infections are acquired through sexual contact. Therefore, the only way to prevent HPV infection is by avoiding sexual contact with an infected person. Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to assure that your sexual partner is not infected with the virus. The vast majority of individuals infected with genital wart viruses do not know that they are infected. Furthermore, the viruses can exist in a dormant mode and later become infectious.

The risk for acquiring genital warts increases in proportion to the number of sexual partners one has. It also increases in proportion to the number of sexual contacts with each partner. Women can acquire multiple strains of the virus. Frequent PAP smears and gynecological examinations are important to detect any pre-cancerous stages due to viral infection.

Genital Warts At A Glance

Genital warts are caused by viruses that are transmitted through sexual contact.

Most people infected with the viruses have no related symptoms.

The viruses that cause genital warts increase a woman''s risk for cancer of the cervix.

The genital wart virus can be transmitted from mother to infant during childbirth.

There is no cure for a genital warts virus infection.