Role of Homoeopathic Medicine in Treatment of Warts

ABSTRACT
Warts are raised bumps on your skin caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Warts have plagued humans for thousands of years. Although warts generally aren’t dangerous, they are ugly, potentially embarrassing, and contagious. They can also be painful. Warts are very common, with most people being infected at some point in their lives. In homoeopathy, warts are included under miasm sycosis. Although warts are local diseases, they are treated with an internal remedy which is based on a comprehensive understanding of the patient.

KEYWORDS: Warts, cauliflower-like growth, viruses.

ABBREVIATIONS: HPV- human papilloma virus

INTRODUCTION
As we know, the skin is the mirror of the soul! This understanding forms the basis of homoeopathic management of skin disorders. In modern sciences, a wart is a small growth with a rough texture that can appear anywhere on the body. It can look like a solid blister or a small cauliflower. HPV viruses cause the excessive and rapid growth of keratin, which is a hard protein on the top layer of the skin The estimated current rate of non-genital warts among the general population is 1–13%. They are more common among young people. The estimated rate of genital warts in sexually active women is 12%.
Pathophysiology: Common warts have a characteristic appearance under the microscope. They have thickening of the stratum corneum (hyperkeratosis), thickening of the stratum spinosum (acanthosis), thickening of the stratum granulosum, rete ridge elongation, and large blood vessels at the dermo-epidermal junction.
Types of warts include common warts, flat warts, pigmented warts, plantar warts, filiform wart, genital warts.

Homoeopathy has a wide command on treating dermatological disorder like warts. In homoeopathy, cauliflower-like growth (wart) is nothing but the sycotic miasm (condyloma) which is overgrowth. In the homoeopathic system, warts are classified under one-sided disease, i.e., diseases which have very few expressions in terms of symptoms. Under this, it is further categorized under external-local maladies.

Common Homoeopathic Medicines for Warts:
1. Calcarea carbonica: Calcarea carbonica is indicated in warts which may be fleshy, horny, painful, and offensive. The patient is usually chilly, lazy and indolent, and fearsome
2. Causticum: Causticum is indicated in old, pedunculated warts, suppurating with great sensitivity to touch. Hard, horny warts that bleed easily. Deep burns and their effects. The patient is sympathetic and anxious
3. Dulcamara: Dulcamara is indicated in flat and hard warts located on backs of hands and face. Also indicated in Homeopathic management of large warts. The patient is worse in cold, damp weather, or humidity
4. Natrum muriaticum: Warts on palms and fingers. The patient is sensitive, sentimental, reserved, and resentful. They also have marked craving for salt
5. Nitric acid: Nitric acid in large, fissured warts that itch and sting or bleed upon washing. This remedy is also indicated for people who are anxious about health and worry about cancer. Often useful for warts that have a horny wall surrounding a central depression or the more common plantar wart
6. Thuja occidentalis: The most common homoeopathic remedy for various kinds of warts. Thuja is indicated in isolated, jagged warts that smell or bleed easily or mosaic warts on the sole of the foot. It is commonly needed for genital warts.

According to the Location of the Warts :-
LOCATION………………..MEDICINES
NOSE………………………..CAUST. Nit-ac. THUJ.
FACE…………………………Calc. CAUST. DULC. Kali-c. lyc. Nit-ac. Sep. sulph. Thuj.
CHIN………………………..Lyc. THUJ.
LIPS………………………….Cast. kali-s. NIT-AC. thuj.
AROUND MOUTH…….Cund. Psor.
BACK………………………..Nit-ac. sil. thuj.
UPPER LIMBS…………..Ars. bov. CALC. carb-an. Caust. dulc. kali-c. lyc. merc. NAT-C. nat-m. Nat-s. Nit-ac. petr. phos. rhus-t. SEP. Sil. Sulph. thuj.
HAND………………………Anac. Ant-c. BAR-C. berb. bov. bufo CALC. CAUST. DULC. ferr-ma. ferr-pic. Ferr. Fl-ac. kali-c. kali-chl. Lach. Lyc. Nat-c. Nat-m. NIT-AC. Ph-ac. phos. Psor. Rhus-t. Sep. sil. SULPH. THUJ.
PALM……………………….Anac. berb. Dulc. nat-c. Nat-m. ruta
PALM – (FLAT)………….Dulc. nat-m. ruta
PALM – (PAINFUL ON PRESSURE)……Nat-m.
FINGERS………………….Ambr. Bar-c. berb. Calc. carb-an. Caust. Dulc. Ferr. Fl-ac. LAC-C. lach. lyc. Nat-m. Nit-ac. petr. psor. ran-b. Rhus-t. sang. sars. Sep.sulph. Thuj.

According to the Character of Warts :–
CHARACTER………………………………MEDICINES
BLEEDING………………………………….CAUST. cinnb. hep. lyc. nat-c. Nit-ac. ph-ac. Rhus-t. staph. THUJ.
BLEEDING – FROM WASHING……..Nit-ac.
BLEED EASILY, LARGE JAGGED…….Caust. Nit-ac.
CRACKED, RAGGED, WITH FURFURACEOUS AREOLA…….. Lyc.
FLAT, SMOOTH, SORE………………….Ruta
FLAT……………………………………………Acet-ac. berb. Caust. DULC. fl-ac. lach. ruta Sep. Thuj.
ITCHING……………………………………..Euphr. Kali-c. Nit-ac. phos. psor. Sep. thuj.
PAINFUL……………………………………..Am-c. Bov. Calc. Caust. hep. kali-c. kali-s. lach. lyc. nat-c. nat-m. Nit-ac. petr. phos. rhus-t. ruta sabin. sep. sil. sulph. Thuj.
PEDUNCULATED………………………….CAUST. Dulc. Lyc. Med. NIT-AC. ph-ac. Rhus-t. sab. sil. Staph. Thuj.
SUPPURATING…………………………….Ars. Bov. Calc. Caust. Hep. Nat-c. Sil. Thuj.

CONCLUSION
Constitutional medicine is although the best way to cure and eradicate tendency to warts. But the therapeutic approach is also immensely useful especially in busy clinical practice and when there is a paucity of symptoms. Here is a short index provided for rapid and easy selection of the medicines as per the location of warts and their character and provide a gentle and permanent solution to the problem of warts.

REFERENCE
W. Boericke Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory comprising of the characteristics and guiding symptoms of all remedies. New York:
Kent J.T. Repertory of the homoeopathic material medica. New Delhi: B.Jain Publishers Pvt. (P) Ltd.; 2013.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com
https://www.healthline.com/health/skin/warts