Dr. Monica Chahar, Chief Dermatologist & Director- Skin Décor, Dwarka, New Delhi

Warts are noncancerous (benign) rough bumps on the skin that develop as a result of an HPV infection that enters the skin through small cuts or abrasions. The virus is contagious and you can get warts from touching someone who has them. Warts are rather a dermatological issue and a deficiency in the body is not directly responsible for the development of warts.

While a certain deficiency does not directly cause warts, a weakened immune system may make you more susceptible to developing warts. However, some studies show that people with warts have much lower levels of vitamin D. Also, zinc has been shown to be effective in improving and clearing warts.

Nevertheless, a well-functioning immune system plays a significant role in preventing and combating HPV infections. If your immune system is compromised due to factors like stress, illness, or certain medications, you may be more susceptible to developing warts. This is because a weakened immune response may struggle to control and clear the HPV virus effectively.

Therefore, it’s crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and stress management, to support your immune system in warding off HPV and, in turn, warts.

Preventing warts

While the condition commonly affect the hands, they can also affect the feet, face, genitals and knees. Here are some dos and don’ts that you can follow to lower your chances of getting warts, and prevent them spreading to others

Do try to keep your feet covered at all times, change your socks every day, take extra care while you shave as the virus can spread easily if you cut yourself. In addition, if you have a wart in your hand, wear gloves when using shared gym equipment, make sure to wear slippers in communal changing rooms and showers and remember to cover the wart with a waterproof plaster when swimming.

Don’t ever touch other people’s warts, avoid sharing towels or other personal items with someone who has a wart, do not share shoes or socks with those having a wart and lastly, do not scratch or pick a wart as this will encourage the HPV to spread to other part of your body.

In summation, while a deficiency in the body doesn’t directly cause warts, a weakened immune system can make you more vulnerable to HPV infections, which are the primary culprits behind these common skin infections.