It's difficult for children to avoid the dreaded verruca. Raisingkids.co.uk's medical expert, Dr Malcolm McKenzie, tells us the easy steps to prevention and treatment.

Raisingkids member's problem
My daughter's caught a verruca from the pool the school uses for weekly swimming class. How can I treat it and how can I stop it happening again?

Dr McKenzie's advice
Verrucae are brown warts that come in a variety of sizes, appear on the soles of feet, and are a viral skin infection. Verrucae are contagious and are usually transmitted in places where damp conditions are prominent, like swimming pools, showers and changing rooms.

Although contagious, verrucae are not serious. But they can be very painful, especially when walking. They clear up spontaneously, via the body's immune system, but if they don't, particularly if they are causing discomfort, it is best to visit your GP.

They can be treated using a number of different methods. Lotions, ointments and adhesive plasters that contain strong chemicals to destroy the virus are available. Keep in mind, however, that these can take several weeks to eradicate the infection completely. More immediately effective is removal under local anaesthetic, either by freezing or electrical treatments, and the treatment can usually be completed in one appointment.

To prevent infection, taking precautions in communal areas can be a wise step. Keep feet clean and avoid going barefoot in changing rooms. Once caught and treated, however, it would be unusual, although not unheard of, for another to appear as the body will have had time to build up immunity to the virus that causes verrucae.

If verrucae do return, initially covering it up with a plaster can sometimes do the trick. If this doesn't work, however, don't be tempted to treat the verruca at home without medical advice. The lotions and ointments used to treat verrucae contain powerful chemicals and, applied incorrectly, can burn the surrounding skin while leaving he verruca intact. This can also make the verruca subsequently more difficult to treat. If the infection doesn't clear of its own accord, please seek proper medical advice.