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You can avoid these unsightly bumps  by taking some simple precautions
Many people believe that touching a toad can give them warts. But this  is just a story.
Even though the lumps on a toad's body look like warts, they're actually glands which contain poisons to prevent predators from eating them.
Warts are contagious skin infections caused by the human papillomavirus.
They mostly affect children, but teens and adults can get them too.
It's believed 80 per cent of us will have some sort of wart at some point in our lives.
What warts look like
Different types of warts have different appearances and  grow on different parts of  the body.
Common warts are flesh-coloured, tan or white, dome-shaped bumps found on the backs of fingers, near your fingernails, toes and knees.
Plantar warts, or verrucas, grow mainly on the soles of the foot. They often look like tiny cauliflowers with small black specks inside them.
Flat, or plane, warts are smoother and smaller than common warts, and usually grow on the face or legs.
Filiform warts are long and thin, and often grow on the face, especially near the eyes or lips.
How you get warts
Like any virus, wart viruses are spread from person to person. The virus enters the skin via cuts or scratches, or by direct contact with someone who has a wart.
Once the virus gains entry into the skin, it grows very slowly, taking several months  to develop and show up on  the skin.
The virus thrives in moist places like swimming pool changing rooms.
How warts can be treated
Over-the-counter medicines. These are often liquids, pads or plasters which contain salicylic acid. This removes the dead skin cells of the wart, eventually causing the wart to fall off.
Cryotherapy. The wart is destroyed by freezing it with liquid nitrogen. A scab or blister usually forms under and around the wart, and the dead skin cells usually fall off within a week of cryotherapy.
This treatment has to be repeated every week or two for a few months before the wart virus is finally killed off.
Adhesive tape therapy. This is a controversial treatment. Some studies have shown it to be successful, but others say it is no more effective than other methods.
Place waterproof adhesive tape over the wart region and leave it on for six days. Then remove the tape, soak the wart in warm water and rub it with an emery board or pumice stone.
Air dry the area for a few hours and then reapply the tape for another week. The theory is that the tape suffocates the virus so it can't grow or multiply.
Talk to your doctor if you're unsure about what treatment will be most effective on your warts.
How to prevent warts
Some people are more likely to catch the wart virus than others. Although there is no sure way to prevent warts, there are ways to minimise your chances.
Wear flip flops or sandals in public showers, changing rooms and public swimming pools - this can protect you against warts and other skin infections like athlete's foot.
If you have a wart or warts, don't pick or scratch them otherwise you'll spread the virus to other parts of your body.
If you have a cut or scratch on your skin, clean and disinfect the area regularly - wounds are more susceptible to warts and other infections.
Change your shoes and socks daily and keep your feet clean and dry.
Cover warts with a plaster or bandage to prevent the wart virus spreading, and always dry your hands and feet thoroughly.
Treat warts as soon as possible after you notice them - it's a lot easier to get rid of them before they get too big.



Warts  and all