Warts are caused by HPV or human papilloma virus. Although warts can present in different ways they typically appear as small lumps on the skin. They can feel firm and rough and usually are skin coloured but may appear darker on black or brown skin.
Warts can appear on palms, knuckles, fingers and knees.
Verruca is a type of wart that appears on the soles of the feet and may be flat with black dots due to pressure.
In children, 50 % of warts disappear within 6 months even without treatment, and 90 % are gone in 2 years. In adults, they can be longer lasting.
Warts do not usually cause any symptoms or health problems, but some people can get itching, pain or irritation.
If warts and verrucas cause any symptoms, they can be treated with creams, sprays and plasters. It should be noted that these are not suitable to be used on the face.
Topical salicylic acid is the first line treatment. This comes in different strengths and higher dose of 50 % should be used for verrucas on feet.
Duct tape is useful in children. This can be applied to the wart all day or just at night 6 days out of 7. It has no significant side effects. Topical treatments can be used with duct tape.
For verrucas on feet, rubbing the wart down can help medication work better. Reducing sweat can also help and this can be achieved by wearing cotton socks, topical aluminium chloride, avoiding trainers, and using cork insoles to absorb sweat.
If these treatments do not work, the next step is cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is a procedure that uses liquid nitrogen to freeze a wart or verruca so it falls off a few weeks later. There is light freeze and hard freeze depending on how much an individual can tolerate. Hard freeze can cause scarring and temporary numbness.
Cryotherapy should be avoided in very young children as it is painful and can lead to blistering for several days.
It should be noted that cryotherapy does not kill HPV, and it causes skin damage which boosts the immune system to heal better. This effect is more rapid when applied weekly or 2 weekly. But it can leave scars and pale marks.
Wartner or Histofreezer for wart and verruca may be available over the counter in some pharmacies.
If conventional treatments do not work, it is recommended to see a dermatologist or podiatrist for further treatment. The other treatment options include surgery, curettage, topical retinoid, photodynamic therapy, and laser treatment.
Since warts and verrucas are caused by a virus they can be spread to other people from contaminated surfaces or through close skin contact. Warts and verrucas may not develop immediately after an exposure to the virus and it could take months for them to appear.
Washing hands after touching warts or verrucas, covering them with a plaster when swimming, and changing socks daily can help prevent the spread of the virus.
It is best to avoid sharing towels, socks and shoes if there is a wart or verruca present on the skin. Scratching or picking the wart and walking barefoot in public places should also be avoided.
The general advice is to see a doctor in person if a wart or verruca looks unusual and keeps coming back, if it is very large or symptomatic, and if there are warts on the face or genitals.
For those people who are obese or overweight, losing weight has many health benefits. It can reduce the risk of developing health conditions such as hypertension or high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Small and simple lifestyle changes such as healthy eating and drinking, regular physical exercise and avoiding sedentary lifestyle can help lose weight.
Losing weight can be challenging for some people due to various personal and medical reasons. Joining a local wight loss programme or weight loss groups and attending an exercise on prescription programme can be quite beneficial.
Sometimes unintentional weight gain could be related to thyroid disease or hormonal imbalances, and so it is a good idea to see a doctor in person for an assessment and routine blood tests.
If the weight gain is related to diabetes, PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea, it is better to see a specialist for further tests and treatments.
When it comes to weight loss there is no single rule that applies to everyone, and different people lose weight in different ways and speed.
The general advice is to reduce energy intake by 600 calories a day to lose 0.5 to 1 kg of weight a week. This means that men need to consume around 1,900 calories a day, and women around 1,400 calories a day.
To achieve this, fast food, processed food, sugary drinks and alcohol should be replaced with healthy, balanced diet. Healthy diet contains plenty of fruit and vegetables, milk and dairy products, some meat, fish and eggs, and meals based on potatoes, bread, rice and pasta.
Foods containing high levels of salt should be avoided as these can contribute to weight gain.
Diets that involve fasting or cutting out entire food groups are not recommended as these do not work and can cause further health problems. Very low calorie diet can lead to weight loss, but this type of diet is not suitable for everyone.
Regular physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
In terms of medical treatment, there are three commonly prescribed medications used for weight management, and these are orlistat, semaglutide and liraglutide.
Orlistat works by preventing around a third of the fat from the food eaten from being absorbed. This helps to avoid gaining weight and lose weight.
Liraglutide or Sexanda and semaglutide or Wegovy work by slowing down digestion and reducing appetite. Orlistat is taken daily as a capsule. Liraglutide is taken once a day as an injection, and semaglutide is taken once a week as an injection.
If conventional measures and treatments do not work, weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery can be considered for some people with severe obesity.
Ozempic is a brand name for a medication called Semaglutide.
Semaglutide was originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes. Ozempic or Semaglutide mimics a naturally occurring hormone called GLP-1. GLP-1 regulates blood sugar levels in the body by increasing insulin secretion. This helps type 2 diabetes control.
Ozempic also slows down digestion and reduces appetite. These effects have been useful in some people to lose weight.
In UK, Ozempic is available on the NHS for type 2 diabetes treatment. It is not available on the NHS for weight loss. But it is sometimes prescribed off-label for weight management.
In UK and US, Wegovy is approved for weight loss in people with obesity. Wegovy is another brand name for Semaglutide. Wegovy differs from Ozempic as it contains a higher dose of Semaglutide.
In UK, there are currently 3 medications approved for weight loss. Wegovy or Semaglutide, Orlistat, and Saxenda or Liraglutide. Wegovy and Saxenda are given as an injection, and Orlistat is taken orally.
It should be noted that GPs or family doctors may not be able to prescribe these medicines. And a referral to a specialist weight management clinic may be required first.
Ozempic is given as an injection once every week. Regular follow ups may be required for up months. Ozempic may not be suitable if there is history of kidney or liver disease and in pregnancy or breastfeeding.