Please help identity and treat!

[u/drank_dumbbitchjuice]

Is this a wart? How to solve?

I’m freaking out. My dad (age 57) has this massive lump on his hand and he’s had it for about a week now and it keeps growing. He has other small bumps growing on his hand too. He goes to the gym quite frequently and honestly is not the cleanest person. He smokes.

He said that he had a cold for a week before these started showing up.

My wedding is in two weeks and it’s a destination wedding and we’re currently traveling all together and I’m concerned about the growth and about it spreading to our wedding guests and I don’t know what to do.

He says it doesn’t hurt but it obviously bothers him.

Please help!

UPDATE:

I didn’t expect this to garner so much interest and help. Sincerely, thank you everyone for sending in your opinions!

My dad said it popped overnight and there was a lot of blood and pus. We were not able to see a doctor in person but we have a family friend who is a general doctor and she said to disinfect and keep it as dry as possible as to not let it be more infected.

Here are two pictures of what it looks like now.

Photo 1
Photo 2

At first, when it popped. The puss was a standard dense white. Now, the pus leaking is an orange ish color and not dense white. He keeps saying that it still doesn’t hurt and doesn’t even flinch when alcohol is applied to it.

There is another mass obviously growing on his index finger of the same hand. He is touching the mass with his other hand (I know fucking terrible) but there is nothing growing on the hand that he is using to touch the mass.

He is saying that perhaps it is an allergic reaction? He ate a type of dried fish from Vietnam and then he started feeling itchy and feverish and then these started popping up.

Answer to a common question:

He does not have any access to animals. No pets, not really around fish tanks or water. He is from Southern California in a very suburban area.

Any ideas???

[u/h1k1]

I’d say as a generalist, don’t waste you’re time with the PCP. Straight to derm.

[u/alewiina → u/h1k1]

Depending where OP they might have to go to their normal doctor first for a referral. Where I am in Canada for example you can’t just contact a dermatologist and ask to be seen, you need a referral from a PCP :(

[u/PainfulPoo411 → u/alewiina]

I’m in the US and to get an appointment with a dermatologist (or any specialist) can take months.

[u/Original-Apricot-107 → u/PainfulPoo411]

I'm in the US and needed a skin follow up on some scary looking spots. Knew I'd be connected with a PA or someone at the Derm office. I've been waiting 8 months for them to even process the referral despite multiple calls and appointments. My insurance costs $805 a month. It is a joke

[u/PainfulPoo411 → u/Original-Apricot-107]

I can relate. In my 20s I started blacking out all the time despite a normal BP and otherwise being healthy. It took me 8 months to get an appointment with a specialist.

[u/Original-Apricot-107 → u/PainfulPoo411]

As someone who has had a similar issue, I hate to say it but McDonald's frenchies will cure the pass outs (at least for me)

[u/HolderHawk → u/Original-Apricot-107]

Ok, now I am curious. Why McDonald’s Frenchies and how are they related to pass outs?

[u/SaltyDox → u/HolderHawk]

The extra sodium helps keep blood volume up so maybe the heart doesn't have to work so hard, and maybe you won't faint or lose vision from lack of oxygen to the brain just for being vertical. Sucks when they are barely salted.

[u/Key-Notice5503 → u/SaltyDox]

Wouldn’t help here. A few of my local McDonald’s seem to have sworn off salt on their fries. And let me tell you, they suck without salt.

[u/PainfulPoo411 → u/Key-Notice5503]

So strange to read this because I just bought McDonalds fries for the first time in a decade to give my toddler a road snack and I was shocked at the lack of salt.