I have a pupil age about 10 who has over the past few months developed a problem with warts on the hand. The first one was on the knuckle where the little finger joins the palm (on the upper surface I mean). This has now developed into a very large thing with several points on it. Another then developed on another knuckle.

Now there are some developing on pupil's thumb. I'm a bit concerned about this. While on the knuckle they are nowhere near the piano keys so I'm not worried about cross infection. But I think the one on the thumb is in danger of touching piano keys.

I haven't investigated any medical websites yet, but I just wondered whether anyone else had experienced such things. I haven't spoken to parents or to child because I think it's nothing to do with me. However, I'm wondering whether to have some antiseptic wipes around to wipe the keys between pupils.

Has anyone else encountered this? Advice and suggestions welcome!!

(Years ago my son had a wart on the hand and we attended our doctor's wart clinic (what a name!) and after 3 visits my son's wart was cured, so I'm at a loss as to why these parents are not taking their child to the clinic.)

Can you ask your own doctor if warts are infectious? And if he says yes, then I think you'd probably have grounds for having a quiet word with the parents - if they are infectious at all, then it's not fair of them leaving you open to the possibility of infection.......unfortunately I am completely medically ignorant so I have no idea myself .....

Hmmm... My sister had one on her hand ages ago, and used seperate towels until she got rid of it. She just bought some stuff that sort of dissolved it.

I'm pretty sure they are infectious.

That is, if they are warts your pupil has, although I can't see them being anything else! I wipe my piano keys anyway with antibacterial wipes. Hopefully this isn't bad for the keys, but they seem OK.

It's a wonder the pupil isn't having them treated. It might be worth asking the parents. If it's possibly contagious I think it is your business.

About a year ago one of my young pupils came in, sat down, shook her long hair (which wasn't tied back), scratched her head and announced..."I've got the nits!" I'm sure her mum would have been mortified if she'd known lol! I didn't play any duets with her that lesson...

Edit _______

Back again! I just googled it and found this :

NEVER touch a wart on another person.


DO NOT touch, shave, or pick at a wart on yourself (or anyone else).


ALWAYS wear shoes or sandals in public locker rooms, shower areas, and around pool facilities.


BE SURE that bathing areas are thoroughly cleaned if someone at your home has warts.


DO NOT share bath towels with anyone with warts. A person with warts should only use towels once. Wash the towels between uses.


With that in mind, I think you're right to be concerned about the piano keys.

Both my kids, plus several of their friends, have had warts over the last couple of years. Allegedly the GPs' current guidelines say that it is just as effective to not treat them, as it is to treat them. Apparently there are more chances of complications, scarring, infection etc if they are treated, whereas if left alone they clear up eventually, and save the child missing school / parents missing work, and (cynically) save the NHS money on wart clinics.

Actually my kids' both cleared up nicely after about 3-6 months, despite going through a patch where they seemed to be multiplying at an alarming rate , then suddenly one day we noticed they were gone.....

Also, allegedly, they are not that infectious. Most of us carry the virus around in us, and usually something else like a cold triggers it to activate. So they have all carried on swimming etc on the say-so of their GPs (except for one poor kid who missed swimming for about 6 months because his mum was embarrassed about them ).

We have also been advised that verrucas should not be treated...whatever next - head lice are normal and should be encouraged???

Not sure if this helps you, just my experience, and disenchantment with the NHS generally . I would talk to your GP....and then perhaps mention it to the child and ask if her parents have asked anyone's advice?

My son had warts on his knees. He had them for 2 years. A consultant at the hospital told us not to treat them as then the child builds up an immunity. I have to say, he doesn't have warts now (4-5 years later!!!). My daughter has one on her thumb and one on her knee. She doesn't play the piano (violin... so it's her own instrument). Hers are clearing up quickly in comparison!!!!!! Maybe antiseptic wipes are a good idea....To ask her to stop lessons could mean she was off for a LONG time.

I had warts on my hands when I was about 6 and had them treated- only way to do it, as they kept multiplying!

My son has warts on his hands, I have taken him to the doctors on a couple of occasions and they refuse to treat them unless they are painful, even more alarming is he has had them a year or so now, I have tried many treatments, but non have been successful. I have however noticed they are starting to shrink of their own accord, so hopefully they are on there way out. They are infectious, they are exactly the same virus as verrucas, but I do believe your skin needs to be damaged before you can contract the virus and I have also read that you need close (hand to hand) contact.

Years and years ago, my grandad had warts on his hands. He'd tried everything to get rid of them and nothing worked.

A family friend came over one day (an old lady) and rubbed half a potato on them, then buried the potato in the back garden...they cleared up within the week

The HPV human papillomavirus is the main cause and it comes in a multitude of different forms. They are contagious and skin-to-skin contact - even on undamaged skin - can result in contracting the virus, but it can take months before any warts develop while some people never develop them at all.

Quite a large number of the population carry the virus, but not everyone develops warts.

This stirs faint memories of "Tom Sawyer", which I haven't read for a good few years. The old cures are often the best!!

I have a student with lots of them too, but I teach her in her own house so no one else uses her instrument.

I had them when I was a child and my mum wiped lemon juice on them...they went away! No scars and never had one again.

Does he have eczema or any other similar chronic skin ailment? If so, he'll be prone to boils and warts but these won't be infectious (as it's due to a bacteria that's on everyone's skin but for eczematous kids, it can cause boils, warts and other lovely infections). If this is the case, the parents probably won't take him to the GP as they've undoubtedly seen this many times and at least in my experience as a mum of eczematous children, there's not much the GP or indeed the dermatologist can do.

Another old wives' tale is to buy them - ask if you can buy the wart - hand over a penny - and they will disappear.

My daughter had both warts and verrucas for several years when she was a child and they cleared up after we visited a chiropodist privately, who prescribed a homeopathic remedy.

I've heard the same thing about banana skins!

I used to have warts when I was in primary school at the end of my fingers just between the where the finger bends and the nails. I found that chlorine cured mine. I went swimming a lot during the summer holidays and found my warts started to disappear. Towards the end I used luke warm chlorine steriliser you can get from boots that you use to sterilise baby bottles. This cured mine in the end.

Hope this helps.

I can't answer your original question but can tell you how I got rid of my daughters (perhaps you can give the parent some advice?!).

Put a dab of (organic) apple cider vinegar on cotton wool, place over wart and put a plaster over the top. Keep the plaster on - change when necessary adding more of the potion... After a week or so the wart will go completely black. Once this happens remove the plaster and after a few days it will fall off.

It worked for my daughter, my husband and the kids of a friend of mine!

Doctors just send you away...

If you go to your local pharmacy, they'll give you something called 'Bazooka'. Our son had warts when he was about 4/5 and we used this to get rid of them. Never came back!

...the warts I mean, not our son!


Steve

Thank you all for your replies. Some interesting "cures"!!

I can feel a New Year Resolution coming on - I'll have to pluck up courage to confront parents I think.

My grandad used to cure warts by growling at them. Seriously!

Weeellllll, I might have a go, but I think I might find that harder to explain to the parents than asking them to do something about the warts in the first place!