Common warts are small, grainy skin growths.
Most often they occur on your fingers or hands. Rough to the touch, common warts also often feature a pattern of tiny black dots, which are small, clotted blood vessels.
Common warts are caused by a virus and are transmitted by touch.
Common warts are usually harmless and eventually disappear on their own. But many people choose to remove them because they find them bothersome or embarrassing.
Symptoms
Common warts may be like this:
- Small, fleshy, grainy bumps
- Flesh-colored, white, pink or tan
- Rough to the touch
- Sprinkled with black pinpoints, which are small, clotted blood vessels
When to see a doctor
See your doctor for common warts if:
- The growths are painful or change in appearance or color
- You've tried treating the warts, but they persist, spread or recur
- The growths are bothersome and interfere with activities
- You aren't sure whether the growths are warts
- You are an adult and numerous warts begin to appear, which may indicate the immune system is malfunctioning
Causes
Common warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus is quite common and has more than 150 types, but only a few cause warts on your hands. Most forms, however, are spread by casual skin contact or through shared objects, such as towels or washcloths. The virus usually spreads through breaks in your skin, such as a hangnail or a scrape. Biting your nails also can cause warts to spread on your fingertips and around your nails.
Each person's immune system responds to the HPV virus differently, so not everyone who comes in contact with HPV develops warts.
People at higher risk of developing common warts include:
- Children and young adults
- People with weakened immune systems
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-warts/symptoms-causes/syc-20371125
