Chicken warts in children

1. What chicken warts look like in children
2. Why does it occur
3. Treatment methods
   1. Folk remedies
   2. Medicines
   3. Removing growths

Chicken warts in children are neoplasms on the skin of the feet, similar to calluses and affecting both boys and girls equally often. They differ from other types of growths in that they have a flat surface and are more difficult to remove. However, there are many ways to get rid of them, among which special mention should be made of traditional and medical ones, including physiotherapy.

What do chicken warts look like in children?

Photos of chicken warts in children

Chicken warts in children affect the soles of the feet, but can also appear in the toes.

The neoplasm looks like a small round spot, the size of which can reach 0.5-1 cm. It almost does not rise above the skin. Most often, these growths, on the contrary, are even pressed into it, which causes unpleasant sensations.

A chicken wart in a child has a pale pink, flesh-colored or whitish color, but it is rarely the same shade; black and yellow inclusions are often found inside.

A neoplasm can be recognized by wrinkled skin in the affected area, which loses its smoothness and elasticity, becomes flaccid and thin. Upon careful examination of the affected surface, you can see the stratum corneum, consisting of dead epithelial cells. Often clogged capillaries are visible here, which give the skin a pink tint.

Chicken warts in children are characterized by a dense base, which is usually not visible from the outside. The roots go to a depth of at least 0.5 cm, which makes it quite difficult to get rid of them completely, and therefore, after elimination, there is a possibility of formations reappearing in the same place.

On average, up to 5 chicken warts can coexist on the soles of children's feet, but they almost never unite and do not spread to other parts of the body.

In children with chicken wart, the skin on the foot usually peels and cracks, so most often its integrity is compromised, which is associated with constant mechanical impact on it. With excessive mechanical impact on the surface, severe pain occurs, which becomes more acute when running.

1. Read more about the types of warts in children

Why does a neoplasm occur?

Chicken wart in children appears due to the activity of the papilloma virus, but for this it must be in the body for more than 3-6 months, this is the minimum duration of the incubation period. The more time passes after HPV penetrates inside, the faster the formation begins to grow. But after a few months, this process slows down and then stops altogether.

Infection can occur under the following circumstances:

1. At the doctor. The most common cause of HPV transmission is the use of poorly sterilized instruments by an otolaryngologist or any other specialist. This can also happen during various surgical operations. The virus penetrates inside along with infected saliva, blood, and lymph, which causes the appearance of chicken warts in children.
2. At school or kindergarten. A child can become a carrier of HPV as a result of contact with a sick person, and it does not have to be direct, it is enough to use the things of an infected person. The likelihood of this is especially high in the presence of open wounds on the surface and in case of increased sweating.
3. In public swimming pools. If a child is involved in swimming, then the risk of becoming a carrier of HPV is very high. This is even more possible if the rules for water treatment are ignored and there is a lack of sanitary cleaning in the premises. If children walk barefoot on the floor, it will be much more difficult to protect themselves from the virus.
4. At home. The appearance of a chicken wart in a child is possible if he lives under the same roof with an HPV carrier. It is endangered when using personal items of a sick person - washcloths, slippers, toothbrushes, etc. The virus is very tenacious in humid conditions and can remain outside the body for months; it is easily transmitted even with a small amount of blood and saliva.

However, HPV infection in itself is not dangerous; the threat is posed by factors that provoke its activation and the growth of warts in children. First of all, these include vitamin deficiency, in which the immune system is not able to normally fight pathogenic microorganisms, as a result of which the pathogen attacks healthy cells and provokes the appearance of formations.

Failure to comply with personal hygiene rules and excessive sweating of the feet also contribute to the development of chicken warts in a child. There is also a risk of this in the case of rare replacement of hosiery, as well as insufficiently frequent treatment of shoes.

This can also happen due to various diseases, among which gastroenterological problems are the most dangerous. No less harmful are otolaryngological pathologies - chronic pharyngitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis.

Possible factors for the appearance of chicken warts in children include hormonal imbalance, which is especially characteristic of adolescents.

This problem can also be caused by living in poor environmental conditions, in particular in places where the air is heavily polluted.

Often such difficulties are faced by a child suffering from stressful situations.

One of the most important factors that provoke the appearance of chicken warts in children is poor nutrition. Under this rises a diet poor in fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, which also lacks lean fish and meat. All this sooner or later leads to a lack of certain beneficial substances necessary to maintain immunity. When its level decreases, the body becomes less protected against attacks by the papilloma virus.

1. See also routes of infection and causes of papillomas in children

Methods for treating chicken wart in a child

Before treating a wart in a child, it is necessary to consult with a pediatrician and other specialists; they are required to give permission to use certain medical or folk remedies. Both of these types can be used simultaneously during the same course of therapy, ideally this should help improve results and speed them up.

Folk remedies

Since a child’s chicken wart is always located on the foot, the most convenient and effective way to eliminate it is to use special baths. To prepare them, you can use, for example, soda, which should be poured into warm water in a ratio of 1:10 and left for 20 minutes. After this time, you need to lower your feet into the solution so that the problem area is completely covered with it. You need to keep your feet here for at least 20 minutes, after which they need to be rinsed with clean water and wiped dry. It is recommended to repeat such procedures at least 3 times a week.

Instead of baking soda, you can use sea salt to remove warts in children, but it should be finely ground so that it can easily break down in water. When mixing these components, the proportions should be 1:10, and after combining them, the product should be allowed to stand for about 15 minutes. Then you need to lower your feet into it and wait another 20 minutes. For successful treatment, it is enough to do this 2-3 times a week, and in total the course should last 10-15 days.

In order to remove warts in children, it would be a good idea to rub problem areas with one of the following essential oils - sea buckthorn, castor, burdock, tea tree, eucalyptus. To do this, it is best to use a piece of gauze, after which the compress should be left here for 15 minutes, after putting warm socks on your feet. Ideally, it is recommended to repeat this every day until the problem is completely resolved, but there is a minimum frequency of such surface treatments - 3 times a day.

Lemon juice is quite effective in removing warts in children, but it should be squeezed out before use, otherwise it will lose its beneficial properties. The finished product must be wiped 3-5 times a day with a cotton pad. This should be done for 10-14 days, after which you need to wait about 2 weeks.

To combat chicken warts in children, you can use the juice of aloe, celandine, garlic and onion, but if the skin is sensitive and has open wounds, you need to dilute it 50% with water.

Green tea made from 3 tbsp also works great for removing chicken warts. l. leaves of this shrub and 600 ml of water. The product should be allowed to stand for about an hour, then the composition should be filtered and a cotton pad should be moistened in the resulting liquid. It is recommended to wipe the growths for 1-2 minutes three times a day. The optimal duration of such treatment ranges from 10 to 14 days.

One of the most popular treatments for chicken warts in children is considered to be a decoction of wormwood, prepared from 3 tbsp. l. this dried herb and 400 ml of boiling water. The components should be mixed and kept covered for about an hour, after which the mixture should be strained. Then you need to moisten a cotton swab in the resulting liquid and carefully treat the problem areas, after washing your hands. It is best to perform such manipulations 2 times a day, but the product can be prepared a little in advance.

Medicines

In the photo are preparations for chicken warts in children

First of all, to remove warts in children, it is necessary to get rid of the external manifestations of the papilloma virus, which usually cause severe discomfort to the child. To do this, you can use various solutions, among which Feresol is very effective. You can buy it for only 50 rubles. (23 UAH), and you don’t need a recipe for this.

More expensive and just as useful is Collomak at a price of 600 rubles. (250 UAH), it is best to use it once a day for a week.

Verrukacid, sold together with a pipette in darkened bottles, is also ideal for removing chicken warts in children; its price is approximately 150 rubles. (70 UAH). To eliminate them, 2-3 treatments of the affected surface for 2-3 minutes are usually sufficient, possibly with breaks.

Inexpensive salicylic ointment, sold for 30 rubles, helps well with chicken warts. (13 UAH). Instead, you can treat problem areas with Oxolin with the same drying and antiviral effect. To provide it, this should be done at least 2 times a day, applying the composition to clean, dry skin and leaving until absorbed. On average, such treatment lasts 2 weeks.

For external treatment to remove warts in children, Lapis pencil is also often used; it is quite cheap - 120 rubles. (50 UAH). The product has cauterizing and bactericidal properties and helps within about 2 weeks after the start of treatment. But to do this, you must strictly follow the instructions - lubricate the affected areas at least 3 times a day until the formations dry out. On average, this takes from 7 to 12 days.

In removing warts in children, vitamin and mineral complexes, designed to increase the activity of the immune system in the fight against the papilloma virus, will not be superfluous. To do this, the child can take a course of Supervita, Vitaton or Pikovita Forte. On average, their cost is 170 rubles. (80 UAH), therapy usually lasts 2-4 weeks.

In addition to them, it is worth taking antiviral drugs suitable for children. These include Kagocel worth 500 rubles. (240 UAH) and its analog Lykopid, sold at a price of 250 rubles. (120 UAH). Both of these medications, depending on what is chosen, should be taken for 5-7 days.

When treating chicken warts in children, immunostimulants, for example, Immunoflazide, will help enhance the effect of vitamin-mineral complexes and antiviral drugs. It is sold in the form of syrup at a price of 380 rubles. (180 UAH) and does not require a doctor’s prescription. It is recommended to take it for 10-15 days. If necessary, this medicine can be replaced with Amiksin IC or Tsitovir-3 tablets.

Removing growths

If severe pain occurs and there is no effect from therapeutic treatment of the formations, surgical removal of warts in children becomes relevant. The growth is excised with a scalpel under local anesthesia, after which the wound is covered with a sterile bandage and plaster. However, this method requires recovery and special skin care after completion of the procedure, and therefore physiotherapeutic methods are more preferable here.

Here are the techniques for removing chicken warts in children:

1. Electrocoagulation. The essence of this technique is to apply electric current to the affected area. It can be either low- or high-frequency, depending on the state of the build-up. As a result, the problem cells die off, which stimulates the process of tissue repair. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia for 15-30 minutes. The price of electrocoagulation is 590 rubles (250 hryvnia).
2. Radiocoagulation. During such removal of chicken warts in children, a safe knife is used, which guarantees excision of the formation without significantly compromising the integrity of the tissue. Thanks to the gentle effects of radio waves, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of various complications - blood poisoning, inflammation, skin irritation. The price of radio destruction is 3,000 rubles (1,200 hryvnia).
3. Laser therapy. To remove chicken warts in children, in this case, a special beam with safe parameters is used, which eliminates the risk of violating the integrity of blood vessels and causing bleeding. Thanks to the heating of the tissues, the formation eventually disintegrates and moves away from the skin. This is one of the most effective techniques in terms of protection against relapse, which is almost impossible here. The price of laser therapy is 2900 rubles (1300 hryvnia).
4. Cryodestruction. The success of this method is due to the pronounced effect of cold cauterization of the formation. To remove warts in children, liquid nitrogen is applied to problem areas, which dries them out. After a while, not a trace remains of the growths, but there is a small chance that the tumor will reappear. The price of cryodestruction is 360 rubles (150 hryvnia).

How to treat chicken warts in a child - watch the video:

Chicken warts appear quite often in children and, unlike genital warts, do not pose a particular threat to health. But since if they are present on the child’s foot, the child almost always experiences severe discomfort, it is not recommended to delay treatment of these formations. In this case, you should seek help as soon as possible from a pediatrician and other specialists who will refer you for diagnostics, interpret the examination results and select the most effective drugs to solve the problem.

1. Related article: Visiting an immunologist when treating warts