I cannot believe that in this day and age, when we have just landed on Mars, we cannot do anything to rid ourselves of what is supposed to be the most common of STDs.

I tried tea tree oil, which made it worse. I’ve been told that echinacea boosts the immune system, but don’t know if it is used specifically for warts. L M, Cheltenham.,………

If it’s any comfort, yours is not an uncommon problem. The genital papillomavirus (HPV) is a highly contagious, sexually transmitted disease. You can also pick it up from objects (medical equipment, say, or even sunbeds) which haven’t been properly disinfected.

In a recent study of 608 college women over three years, the cumulative incidence of infection was a whopping 43 per cent (N Engl J Med, 1998; 338: 423-8), with an average annual incidence of 14 per cent. Counting the women who were infected before the study started, some 60 per cent had the virus at some time during the three years it ran. The prevalence, at least in women, is thought to be from 20 to 46 per cent in a number of countries, and as high as 80 per cent in the US.

The received wisdom on the subject is that the virus lives forever once you have it, you never get rid of it. But, a study of college women conducted by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York found that the average duration of new infections was eight months. Dr Charles Lacey, a consultant genito urinary physician at St Mary’s Hospital, and Britain’s most knowledgeable source on the wart virus, says that it usually disappears within a year of the last wart appearing. Some studies have also concluded that HPV infection is transient; although it should be noted that these have been based on a small number of people who were only checked twice, and most of the studies concerned women (J Infec Dis, 1996; 173: 794-9; Br J Cancer, 1995; 72: 943-5; J Infec Dis, 1994; 169: 235-40; J Pediatrics, 1992; 121: 307-11). It’s also been postulated that the older you are, the less likely you are to be infected, possibly because you’ve acquired immunity to HPV from past exposure (Sex Transm Dis, 1996; 23: 333-41).

Although it’s called the human papillomavirus, there may be up to 60 types of viruses, and some (types 16 and 18, primarily) have been associated with cervical cancer. You are most at risk of infection if you are young, of Hispanic ethnic origin or black, have an increased number of sexual partners or high frequency of drinking while having vaginal sex, engage in anal sex or have an increased number of lifetime partners. Those who have the virus persisting for more than six months tend to be older, have the type most associated with cervical cancer, or are infected with multiple types of HPV. The fact that they have multiple types of HPV may mean that they have deficient immune responses to the disease. With some people, HPV acts similarly to the herpes genital virus, reappearing when they are under stress.

According to the New York study, those most likely to recover from infection were those who’d newly acquired it, and the longer you had the infection, the more difficult it was to lose it; some 39 per cent of patients had their infections resolved by the second half of the year they’d acquired it. The likelihood of overcoming the infection fell to 11 per cent by the next six months. The study concluded that HPV infection, in the main, is short lived abnormal lesions in the cervix often spontaneously resolve and so should simply be observed without being cut out.

Some 95 per cent of those infected with the wart virus don’t know it, because they have no physical evidence; at most only 3 per cent have visible warts and another 2-3 per cent have flat warts which aren’t visible to the naked eye (Alternative Medicine, Burton Goldberg, ed, Washington: Future Medicine Publishing, 1994). If you’re a woman with genital warts or have had an abnormal smear, it’s important for your partner to be examined, too.

If you don’t have any visible warts, your doctor can find out if you are in fact infected by applying a 3 per cent solution of vinegar (5 per cent for men), soaked in dressing gauze and applied to your genitals and anal area for about five minutes. Any white spots, apparent with a magnified hand lens or colposcope, could mean you have the wart virus. However, it’s best to have this done by a doctor knowledgeable about HPV, since white spots can also be caused by such conditions as contact dermatitis or candida infection (Contemporary Ob/Gyn, April, 1988: 157-72).

Although there is no such thing as a magic bullet for genital warts, two recent medical treatments have had some success, particularly for those like you who have persistent recurrence. Two recently approved products for home use include a 5 per cent imiquimod cream (an immune response modifier) and a 0.5 per cent podofilox (podophyllotoxin) gel, an improvement in terms of self administration on the podofilox solution.

In one study, half of the patients with multiple anogenital warts given the 5 per cent imiquimod cream had their warts completely clear up, compared with only 21 per cent with the 1 per cent imiquimod cream, and 11 per cent given a placebo cream with no active ingredients (Arch Dermatol, 1998; 134: 25-30).

In another study, 45 per cent of patients given podofilox gel in a three day cycle each week for eight weeks had a complete clearing of warts, compared with 4 per cent given the placebo. But it should be noted that nearly a third of those who responded to the podofilox gel had a recurrence within three months, although the patients in this study had more warts and had them longer than those in the imiquimod study (Arch Dermatol, 1998; 134: 33-8). Both products are available in the US, but not the UK as yet.

The Camden and Islington Department of Genitourinary Medicine uses imiquimod, but has found that results are disappointing and the drug causes side effects.

In America and Europe, doctors have used a cream or topical solution of flourouracin, a chemotherapy drug ordinarily used for skin cancer and moles caused by the sun. Nevertheless, this drug has been linked to a range of side effects, including ulceration, soreness, hair loss, sensitivity to light, miscarriage and birth defects, and even the herpes simplex virus! Injections of fluorouracil, which have also been tried, are highly toxic, and even Roche, the manufacturer in America, admits that the drug has a “narrow margin of safety”.

Remember that viruses are not necessarily evil mechanisms that hang around forever after all, the common cold is a virus. Their persistence has mostly to do with the state of your immune system. If you are chronically stressed, you are likely to suffer recurrent infection. Deficiencies in vitamins A and C and folic acid also appear to cause HPV infections to flare up again.

You’ve been given good advice in pursuing echinacea. This classic herb has been found in lab studies to increase the ability of white blood cells to fight and destroy toxic organisms that invade the body. Scientific studies have shown that echinacea can fight bacterial infections by directly stimulating the body’s ability to “eat the offending bugs” (Therapie der Genenwart, 1976; 115: 1072). As far as viruses are concerned, extracts of echinacea injected intravenously can increase blood properdin levels dramatically. Properdin helps to neutralise both bacterial and viral blood toxins, suggesting that echinacea may give the body the boost it needs to clear itself of viruses (Zhurnal Immunitatsforschung, 1958; 115: 169-76).

In America, Dr Tori Hudson, clinical director of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, has developed an anti viral, immune boosting ointment of vitamin A and the herbs thuja and lomatium. She has patients apply the ointment directly to the wart, which she finds inhibits the virus. Both herbs can also be given orally.

The amino acid lysine, which has been found to be very useful against the herpes virus, has also been used for genital warts, although most of the scientific data available examines its effectiveness against herpes. In vitro scientific studies have shown that lysine has anti viral activity, because it stops metabolism of arginine, another amino acid. We know that the herpes virus requires the synthesis of arginine rich proteins in order to replicate (Chemotherapy, 1981; 27: 209-13) and that high levels of lysine lower levels of arginine. It’s worth trying taking lysine tablets orally and applying the cream locally on the warts. London’s NutriCentre recommends 500 mg lysine capsules four times a day in acute flare ups and two times a day as maintenance, plus lysine cream applied five times a day. High concentrations of glycyrrhizic acid, a component of liquorice root, have also been shown to inactivate herpes simplex virus in in vitro studies (Experientia, 1980; 36: 304), so a cream might be useful. The NutriCentre stocks Licrogel (glycyrrhizic acid ointment), which they recommend that you apply twice a day (NutriCentre, 0171 436 5122).

Cannabis: One reader agrees with last week’s article that cannabis is an effect, and not a cause of social problems, but prolonged use will cause its own problems, and so it is better to seek out and treat the original problem. . .

Warts revisited: your responses still come in, but one gentleman was particularly animated because we did not include his therapy. His simple solution is iodine, which should be applied after first pricking the wart with a sterilized needle so that a small amount of blood appears, and then soak the area in iodine.

Advice ranged from ‘do nothing, the warts will disappear on their own’ to aloe vera and bee propolis, to comfrey ointment, to a product called Sekebal, designed for anyone who wants to balance their metabolism. Another suggests trying a mixture of undiluted lavender and tea tree essential oils. One reader suggests a product, or system, called Transfer Factor, and specifically, Transfer Factor Plus for molluscum.

First up, someone suggests applying duct tape to the warts, which should be regularly replaced until the warts have disappeared. One gentleman’s wart went after his doctor applied liquid nitrogen. Another suggests the homoeopathic remedy Argent Nit 6C taken three times a day, and apply essential oil of lemon to the wart twice a day. Another option is tincture of blood root, which should be applied to the wart, which should clear it within six weeks. Thuja tincture was mentioned by several readers.

If you’ve got some bananas getting too ripe, rub the inside of the banana skin on the wart before going to bed and repeat until the warts have gone. At least you’ll be a-peeling (sorry).

Try tea tea oil, another reader suggests.

And, finally – leaving the best to last – find someone prepared to buy the warts from you for a pound each. It happened to one reader’s sister-in-law, and the warts mysteriously disappeared within three weeks. Trouble is, she didn’t get her money either.

* In a recent study, one third of 773 individuals involved in a road accident as a driver, bicycle rider or pedestrian experienced some level of anxiety, depression, fear of travel or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 3 to 12 months later and, in most cases, persisted. After one year, about half the group had phobic travel anxiety, nearly 60 per cent had general anxiety, and half were diagnosed with PTSD (Am J Psychiatry, 2001; 158: 1231-8).

* New research in nearly 1300 men suggests that, during a severe asthma attack, men are less likely than women to notice the symptoms of the attack. The reason for this is unclear, but it may be that men perceive less discomfort because of greater lung size and muscle strength, or because they generally develop asthma at an earlier age than women. Men also tend to only seek medical attention when symptoms are too severe to ignore, the researchers noted (Ann Emerg Med, 2001; 38: 123-8).

* What’s lurking in that paddling pool? Physicians in Canada have found the first outbreak of a new type of Pseudomonas infection called ‘hot foot syndrome’. This discovery was made when 40 children, aged 2 to 15, developed intense pain in the soles of their feet within 40 hours of using the same wading pool. A hot, red swelling began after a few hours, along with pain so severe that the children were unable to stand up. Three children were given oral cephalexin (an antibiotic) while the others were treated with cold compresses, analgesics and foot elevation. In all cases, the condition resolved within 14 days, although it recurred in three children after they revisited the same pool (N Engl J Med, 2001; 345: 335-8).

* Lemon essential oil or tea tree oil applied to the verruca beneath a banana skin is a great cure for this infection. – Sue Richards

* I once had a verruca on my finger and I treated it successfully with garlic. Just place a slice of garlic on the verruca and cover it with a plaster. This may irritate your skin a little, but the verruca will disappear after approximately three weeks. – Katrien Cocquyt

Certain allergy related, immune system defects can lead to an increased susceptibility to viral skin diseases such as herpes simplex or warts. Interestingly, these immune system abnormalities go away when your allergies improve, but recur during allergic reactions (Soter N, Baden H. Pathophysiology of Dermatologic Disease, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Inc, 1984).

Electrotherapy applying a high frequency or static ‘sparking’ of the wart has a long tradition of apparent success in alternative medicine (Dearborn FM, Diseases of the Skin, Including Exanthemata, New York, NY: American Institute of Homoeopathy, 1913: 286).

In homoeopathy, the usual treatment is to paint the wart twice daily with mother tincture or a cerate of Thuja occidentalis, while taking the same remedy in the sixth potency internally morning and night, for about two weeks (Professor W Boericke’s Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica, 9th edn, Philadelphia: Boericke & Runyon, 1927: 645).

In African medicine, the extract of the round leafed mistletoe (Viscum rotundifolium) is widely used, usually with success, as a topical wart remedy (von Koenen E, Heil-und Giftpflan-zen in Suedwestafrika, Windhoek:

Akademischer Verlag, 1977: 114). Similar tinctures of mistletoe, using Viscum capense and Viscum pauciflora, also have reported success.

Practitioners of Chinese medicine make a plaster of the dark plum Prunus mume (Wu mei) to treat warts. After softening the plant in hot water, you remove the excess growth, then apply the plaster to the area and bind it with gauze. The dressing must be changed every 24 hours (Bensky D, Gamble A. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, revised edn, Seattle, WA: Eastland Press Inc, 1993: 379-80).

Another folk medicine popular in Hawaii applies Carica papaya (pawpaw) to skin growths or skin diseases after splitting the young fruit in half (Pacif Sci, 1950; 4: 167).

In Western traditional medicine, practitioners take the fresh yellow milky juice (not the tincture) of Chelidonium majus (the greater celandine) and apply it topically to the wart, allowing it to dry and leaving it for as long as possible. This procedure should be carried out daily for two or three weeks (US Dispensatory, 25: 1623; Br Herbal Pharmacopoeia, 1976; Part I: 51).

Fresh celandine juice has been reported to contain an alkaloid that inhibits and can kill the wart virus, but this is lost in the alcohol based tincture (Weiss RF, Herbal Medicine, translated from German, Gothenburg: Ab Arcanum, 1988: 337).

Very small quantities of the liquid extract of the dried rhizome of Podophyllum peltatum (mayapple root) can be applied topically to remove anal warts. However, this must be done strictly under qualified professional care only (Br Herbal Pharmacopoeia, 1976; Part I: 165). Podophyllum resin is highly toxic to cells and may damage the embryo in a pregnant woman. Qualified professional supervision is essential.

Not long ago, many country districts all over Europe boasted a wart charmer who could magic away warts by rubbing them with potato peel, green fig slices or other food, which was then buried in the garden.

Another favourite was to cut an onion in half, scoop out the middle and fill the hollow with sea salt. You’d then paint your wart daily with the juice that collected there; when the juice eventually disappeared, so would the wart.

These methods all could be classified as perfect examples of guided visualization, which has proven beneficial effects on the immune system.

!AHarald Gaier

Harald Gaier is a registered naturopath, homoeopath and osteopath.

Recently, however, I developed a wart on the palm of my left hand and, after wondering how to remove it, struck upon the idea of using colloidal silver. I soaked the absorbent part of a waterproof plaster with colloidal silver and stuck it over the wart just before going to bed I figured it would be most convenient to apply while sleeping as the plaster would not get in the way of my daytime activities. I did this every night and, after a week, it was possible to see the wart shrinking. It finally disappeared after about three weeks and has not returned since.

Subsequently, I found a small cyst like growth on the skin of my lower abdomen. At first, I thought that this was some kind of bacterial infection which had created a pus filled capsule and tried piercing it with a sterilised needle to drain it off. I very quickly realised that it actually was a kind of soft, rubbery, fleshy growth. I repeated the colloidal silver procedure and, after two weeks, I enjoyed the same magic results. In my experience, this therapy clearly has a useful therapeutic effect, even possibly for problems such as genital warts. Perhaps the colloidal silver could be incorporated into some simple emollient base for easy application.

I have found that tea tree oil is very effective with spots and eruptions produced by bacteria and also for mosquito bites. Thus, perhaps it is tea tree for bacteria and colloidal silver for viruses?

I wonder if colloidal silver applied topically might be useful for skin cancer (malignant melanoma). Perhaps some doctor reading this might be interested in trying it out, or write in with any experiences in using it. NF, Wilmslow…..