WARTS
FORGET THAT OLD YARN ABOUT TOADS giving you warts. It just doesn't
happen. Rather, these unsightly, embarrassing growths are caused by the human
papillomavirus. Some 75 strains of this virus exist. Various strains can
cause common warts, plantar warts and plane warts.
Specific strains of the human papillomavirus also cause genital warts. For
information on treating gential warts, see that chapter, as treatment is
different from that for other kind of warts.
Common warts usually grow on the hands, but they can also turn up on the feet, face and neck. Plantar warts, more commonly known as verrucas, on the other hand, occur on the soles of the feet and can cause pain. Plane or flat warts grow in clumps and usually occur on the face. They're flesh-coloured and, as their name implies, flat.
Doctors sometimes deal with warts by destroying them or removing them surgically. Methods include freezing them with liquid nitrogen, vaporising them with a laser beam or manually cutting them away (though surgery is usually reserved for deep, persistent, plantar warts).
Of the herbs discussed in this chapter, only pinon blanco has been tested on humans for its ability to expel warts. On the other hand, the remaining herbs are backed by years of traditional use and anecdotal evidence of successful cures. Whether you choose drugs or herbs, know that it can take weeks of persistent, daily application of the substance to get rid of the wart. Small warts, not surprisingly, are easier to treat than large ones.
DRUG TREATMENTS
Salicylic Acid Preparations
Liquids, gels or ointments (Cuplex, Duofilm, Occlusal, Salactol, Salactac,
Verrugon); with podophyllum (Posalfilin) for plantar warts only. Function:
dissolve the wart. Side effects: localised warmth, peeling, stinging.
THE TRIED-AND-TRUE WART REMOVER
Plain old salicylic acid, available over the counter, is an inexpensive home
treatment for warts. To use it, first soak the area in water to soften the
wart. Then apply the salicylic acid - but because it is an acid, apply it
to only the wart, not to any irritated or infected skin, mucous membranes,
moles or birthmarks. (Also don't use it on warts with hair, genital warts
or facial warts.) The next morning, you can use a nail file to remove dead
skin from the wart. Then repeat the process as often as directed on the label.
Caution: if you have diabetes or a circulatory disorder, consult your doctor
before using salicylic acid on your own.
Soaking the area in water between treatments can further soften a wart. Each
morning, you can file away the dead skin with a nail file. Afterwards, wash
the file with soap and plenty of hot water.
HERBAL REMEDIES
Celandine (Chelidonium majus)
This herb is a member of the poppy family that grows in moist soil along
the edges of roads and forests. The orange-yellow sap contained in both the
roots and above-ground parts provides a remedy for warts and other skin problems.
Scientific research has focused on the ability of some of its chemical constituents
to fight viruses, bacteria, fungi, tumours and inflammation. Typical dosage:
squeeze the sap on to the wart once or twice a day until the wart disappears.
If you don't have access to the fresh plant, make a strong tea by simmering
2 teaspoons of minced, dried root in 450 millilitres of water for 10 to 15
minutes. Strain and dab on with a cotton-wool ball.
Black Birch Bark (Betula
lenta)
This bark contains antiviral compounds and salicylic acid. In other words,
it contains the same active ingredient used in many over-thecounter
wart-removal remedies, only in lower concentrations. If you have access to
these trees, remove a 3-centimetre square of the moist, inner bark and tape
it to the wart, inner side down. (Be sure to take your square from a different
tree each time; don't remove a patch that goes all the way around the tree's
circumference or you may kill the tree.) You can also buy powdered birch
bark from your health food store, add enough water to make a paste, apply
to the wart and cover with gauze. Keep the bark or powder in place for 10
minutes; if no irritation develops, leave it on for an hour the first day.
Gradually increase the time each day for a week; then switch to an overnight
treatment. You can also make a tea by simmering 2 teaspoons of chopped birch
bark in 450 millilitres of water for 15 minutes. Strain and let cool. Dab
this liquid on with a cotton-wool ball once a day.
Bloodroot
(Sanguinaria canadensis)
This herb yields a rust-coloured sap that early settlers in America used
for removing warts. It contains chemicals that both irritate skin and dissolve
tough, warty tissue. Dr Andrew Weil, author of Spontaneous Healing, says
that he's seen a bloodroot paste help get rid of warts. Typical dosage: apply
the sap from the fresh plant or a paste made from mixing the dried, powdered
root with water once or twice a day. Cover with a gauze bandage.
Pinon Blanco
(Jatropha curcas)
This Peruvian shrub has antiviral properties. In one study, sap from this
plant worked better in removing warts on humans than a placebo (a fake pill).
It worked more slowly, however, than treatment with liquid nitrogen; remember
that both pharmaceutical and herbal wart treatments can take weeks to produce
results. Apply the sap to your wart once or twice a day until the wart goes
away. If skin irritation occurs, stop using the herb.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
The stems and leaves of this common weed produce a milky latex that has worked
to rid some people of their warts. Just pick a dandelion and squeeze the
white stuff from the stem on to your wart two or three times per day until
it disappears.
White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
This tree has antiviral compounds and a reputation for removing warts. You
can buy a tincture and paint it on the wart two or three times per day. Caution:
don't use this herb internally if you're pregnant.
Pineapple (Ananas comosus)
In theory, the protein-dissolving enzyme bromelain, which is derived from
pineapples, may help soften and remove tough, warty tissue. You can try cutting
a piece of pineapple husk large enough to cover your wart and taping it over
the wart overnight. Remove in the morning and reapply each night as needed.
Banana
(Musa paradisiaca)
According to Montana herbalist Sunny Mavor, co-author of Kids, Herbs, and
Health, banana peel has helped a number of people make their warts go away
- and it's a bit less sticky than pineapple. Cut a small circle from the
peel, lay the inner surface against the wart, and tape in place. Apply fresh
peel every 24 hours until the wart disappears.
