WART REMOVAL

Photo: Rubbing Echinacea on a wart could help to remove it.

WART AN ORDEAL

Ian.
I wondered if you knew of any remedies for getting rid of warts? I have three on my left hand and find them very embarrassing. I have tried a couple of the over the counter remedies but none of them seem to work. D.S. by e-mail

Reply.
Hand warts are very common and are caused by a virus called The Human Papilloma virus (HPV). This virus is not just responsible for hand warts. It is the cause of all warts. Hand warts make up a few strains of the wart virus. There are over 80 different strains of the warts virus and therefore warts can be found anywhere on the body. HPV is contagious and can be passed from one person to another, without the carrier of the virus actually having any hand warts or any other type of warts. The virus can lay dormant in the body for months without any warts surfacing. This makes HPV one of the fastest spreading viruses known today.

Getting rid of warts can be a bit of a trial and error. Here are a few ideas.

Warning: Even though these ideas appear harmless be very careful, as there could be side affects. Consult your doctor if you have and doubts. Never use any products with bleach in them

SIMPLE REMEDIES TO TRY

Lime juice: Drink diluted lime juice for a week or two.

Potato skin: Rub potato skin over the wart for a few weeks. Eventually the wart will drop off.

Sticky tape: Any form of sticky tape will do including sellotape or plasters. The tape is bound around the wart to cut off the air supply. Keep changing the tape until the wart disappears.

Clear nail varnish: This is also to cut off the air supply. Someone I knew used super glue to do it but this could prove to be a bit difficult to get off. I stuck my fingers together the other week with the stuff and it took a day washing in soapy water to get them unstuck!

Apple cider vinegar: Take the little cotton bit off a cotton bud and roll it into a ball. Soak it in the apple cider vinegar, apply it to your wart and tape it on. The first two days you might notice that your wart gets really big, but don’t worry- this happens to everyone because the vinegar is soaking in your wart. Normal white vinegar could be just as effective.

Raw garlic: Cut a section of garlic in half and rub it on the warts. After a couple of weeks they should disappear.

Witch hazel: Rub into the wart a couple of times a day until it disappears.

Banana skin: Rub in the same as above

Vitamin A and E: Increase these vitamins in your diet, this is said to help.

Dandelion’s milk: The white liquid that comes from the stem is rubbed on the wart a few times.

Tea tree oil: Rub oil on wart two times a day within a week or so it will be gone. Use good quality 100% tea tree oil.

Echinacea. Health shops stock this plant extract. Use as per the instructions on the bottle. The plant is said to increase your immune system and comes highly recommended by those who try it.

Power of thought: People can cure their ailments with the power of positive thinking. This might be just as effective as any of the remedies I have just mentioned.

Household.