My two children are keen swimmers and inevitably picked up verrucas from the changing rooms. Now the whole family is affected, despite taking precautions to prevent their spread. Medications from the chemist don't seem to be working – what else can we do?

Verrucas or plantar warts are caused by a highly contagious strain of human papilloma virus that normally lives on the skin. When the skin becomes rubbed or damaged, the virus invades, causing skin cells to rapidly multiply and form raised bumps that are painful to walk on. If left alone most verrucas eventually disappear, but here are some suggestions to speed them on their way.

Boosting immunity is the first step as this will help fight the verruca virus and prevent re-infection. Increase foods rich in Vitamin C, a potent antiviral, including peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, kiwi fruit, citrus and berries. Garlic is another strong antiviral; try using at least one clove per person a day in cooking. Sulphur-based amino acids are also important for the treatment and prevention of warts and promotion of healthy skin, so also include plenty of eggs, leeks, onions, cruciferous veg and asparagus. It is also worth supplementing with antioxidants ACE plus Zinc and Selenium, all of which help to promote skin repair, normalise the skin and increase immunity against viruses.

There are various topical applications that may help. Try taping a piece of banana skin, which contains a virus- attacking enzyme, pulp side up to the affected area, changing every 2 days. Alternatively apply garlic paste to the verruca only, avoiding surrounding skin, and cover for 24 hours; blisters then form and the verruca may disappear in a few days. Easier (and more fragrant!) to apply is lemon essential oil, also worth a try, and Thuja herbal tincture works well in some cases.

Verrucas may be successfully treated with homeopathy. Try Causticum or Thuja in a 6c potency daily for a month, or for best and speediest results seek constitutional treatment from a registered practitioner – see the Society of Homeopaths www.homeopathy-soh.org for a practitioner near you.

Stella New RSHom MBANT is a registered homeopath and nutritional therapist based in West Sussex, and technical consultant for Xynergy Health Products. Prior to her training she spent many years as an expedition leader, taking groups into some of the most challenging parts of the world, where she was inspired by the use of natural remedies for treating all manner of ailments.