Keep warts away with hygienic habits at home and work

It was a Sunday morning when Asha (name changed), who is in her 40s, rushed to her desk to quickly type out documents for a meeting that was scheduled as the workday was about to begin at her office.
Suddenly, she discovered a rubbery growth on her finger causing her discomfort and pain and preventing her from typing. She took a closer look but it didn't explain the growth or why it was causing pain. Was it just a boil? An infection? A visit to a dermatologist revealed it was a 'viral wart'. "Viral warts turn out to be very common and is caused by an infection of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) family, usually transmitted through direct contact or through contaminated surfaces," said Dr Jobeetha Yoosuf, specialist dermatologist, Al Zahra Hospital.
Contaminated surfaces are everywhere - workstations, in the home or in public places.
Being prudent and maintaining hygiene is the key to help avoid contracting warts.
Most of us eat at our workstations and use the keyboards without properly cleaning or washing hands or sanitising the area, paving the way for accumulated dirt and contaminated surfaces.
Treatment options for warts include cryotherapy (freezing by liquid nitrogen), electrocautery (burning warts under topical or local anaesthesia), topical/external treatments like salicylic acid, imiquimod etc.
Asha first opted for cryotherapy and waited for the wart growth to disappear, but much to her disappointment, the roots were too deep and the skin quite thick for effective treatment.
After the first treatment attempt and its failure, she was recommended electrocautery, a procedure that normally entails two weeks' recovery.
The entire incident slowed Asha down, as her infected finger caused pain and discomfort. Now, she regularly cleans her keyboard, mouse and workstation before she touches the devices.
Constant use of hand sanitiser and medicated wet tissues help maintain cleanliness and reduce the risk of contracting any viral infection at home and work.
Dr Jobeetha adds that a large number of patients at dermatology out-patient clinics have viral warts affecting different parts of the body, including the hands, feet (plantar warts) and the genital area (genital warts).
Dr Hebattalh Khedr, specialist dermatologist at Medcare Rashidya Medical Centre, explains that viral warts, especially on the fingers, are very common.
"It is a viral infection that is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, especially in cases of low immunity and causes overgrowth of the skin surface with a deep root inside the skin. It causes pain or cosmetic disfigurement.
"Cases of viral warts have increased in the last few years; this may be a true increase or because cosmetic awareness has been raised so it is diagnosed more."
Dr Khedr cautions that if you have skin lesions, it is very important to see your dermatologist. Get diagnosed and treat your warts properly: don't try to pull or interfere with the lesions, as it may spread to the rest of the fingers. Early treatment is a must to avoid its spread to other sites of the body or even to other people around you.
Endorsing similar views is Dr Shailesh Uniyal, dermatologist at Zulekha Hospital, who explained that there are over 100 types of warts which are contagious. "Warts are a commonly encountered problem and its prevalence is in around 10 per cent of the population," adds Uniyal.
sandhya@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai