Surely almost every person has heard the word "wart" and, most likely, frowned in disgust at the same time, thinking about how unpleasant, and possibly dangerous, an infectious disease is. Some remember from childhood: you should never touch frogs - there will be warts. Someone authoritatively declares that "it will pass by itself" and in general, it’s like a mole and it’s not at all scary, while others are terribly afraid of catching them. There is a lot of speculation around the disease due to the fact that not everyone knows the exact cause of the pathology.
Forewarned is forearmed. Therefore, it is important to understand why people grow warts, what they are, why they are dangerous, and whether they have anything to do with frogs.
Types of warts
Warts are skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which lives and multiplies only in the epithelium and mucous membranes. Under certain conditions, the virus begins to emerge on the surface of the epithelium in the form of growths. Neoplasms can be of different sizes - both small and rather large, and colors - from pink to dark brown.
HPV has a large number of strains and this is what causes various types of warts.
flat warts (juvenile)
Such neoplasms resemble outwardly rounded spots of irregular shape. They occur in adolescents entering puberty. Their appearance is closely related to the hormonal restructuring of the young organism. They deliver a lot of unpleasant sensations - from psychological discomfort to skin itching. It is usually flat warts that itch, for other species this is uncharacteristic. Most often, skin inflammations of this type occur on the face, neck, arms and legs. They usually pass by themselves and do not require serious intervention.
Vulgar warts (common)
They are dense growths resembling nodules. This type is the most common. The fact is that they appear on the hands and fingers, palms, enabling HPV to easily move from a sick person to a healthy one. The virus enters the body through damage to the skin when touched or in the process of using household items. The main reasons for the appearance of warts on the hands lie precisely in the ease of transmission of the disease and non-compliance with basic hygiene rules.
One of the subspecies of common warts are plantar warts. They affect the lower part of the legs: feet, heels, toes. Such growths bring a lot of grief, because they are extremely painful, especially when walking.
Most often, common warts disappear completely within six months to a year, but in some cases they may not disappear even longer.
Filiform warts
Neoplasms of this type are soft and rounded. Most often, such warts appear in the elderly, in women with problematic pregnancies and during menopause, since their occurrence is associated with hormonal imbalance. First of all, areas of delicate skin are affected: face, neck, inguinal zone, armpits. The presence of folds on the body and excessive sweating also contribute to the spread of growths of the epithelium.
Unlike the previous two types, this type of skin formation requires careful monitoring and treatment under the supervision of a specialist. It is important to know that they will not go away on their own and may need to be removed.
Genital warts
A different type of wart that affects the genitals, the anus, or much less often the mouth. They are growths on the leg, having an icicle shape. With the development of the disease grow, becoming like a cauliflower.
Warts often develop into malignant tumors, so their appearance and growth should be monitored by a specialist.
Causes
Almost half of the world's population is infected with the human papillomavirus, but not every carrier is aware of this. For a long time, HPV is able not to manifest itself, while maintaining vital activity. Warts or condylomas come out at the moment when the conditions for their development become favorable, that is, with a decrease in the protective functions of the human body. Actually, weak immunity is the main reason for the appearance of genital warts and warts on different parts of the body.
Provoking factors:
- hormonal failure in the body (puberty, pregnancy, menopause);
- metabolic disease;
- unprotected intercourse;
- non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
- dry skin of the hands or, conversely, severe sweating;
- circulatory disorders;
- the presence of microdamages in the epithelium.
By the way, as practice shows, the appearance of warts has nothing to do with frogs, so we can safely say that this is just a delusion.
Diagnostics
Each type of wart is characterized by a special structure and a set of features inherent in it. This makes it possible to quickly diagnose and prescribe the right treatment.
An external examination of the neoplasm is quite enough for a dermatologist to distinguish a wart from other skin diseases (lichen planus, warty tuberculosis of the skin, etc. ). In addition, it is necessary to make sure that the growths are of good quality and to identify the degree of their oncogenicity. To do this, conduct research by PCR and biopsy. Also, to determine the strain of the virus and its concentration level, a Digene HPV test is performed. Thanks to him, a prognosis for the development of a neoplasm is built, methods of therapy are determined.
When skin growths appear, the sick are in no hurry to consult a doctor and treat them, since warts do not have acute symptoms. Sometimes neoplasms can itch. In most cases, these growths do not disturb their owners, except for their unaesthetic appearance.
There are a number of indications for contacting a specialist. First of all, it is:
- the rapid growth of the wart (a size of more than 2 cm is an indication for surgery);
- itching, tingling, burning, pain in the growth;
- sharp blackening of the neoplasm;
- triggering the inflammatory process (suppuration, the appearance of blood);
- the emergence of new formations around one growth;
- change in shape and structure.
With genital warts, additional studies are mandatory.
Effective Treatments
You can quickly get rid of warts, provided that the growth is of good quality. First of all, it is necessary to eliminate those that deprive a person of psychological comfort, cause pain or are located in places where they are easy to injure. The most commonly used for treatment are:
- Pharmacy funds. The drug method of struggle also includes immunotherapy, local topical application of acid-containing drugs, retinoic acid, the use of hormonal ointments. Necessary medicines are prescribed by a doctor.
- Folk remedies. We are talking about the use of different types of medicinal plants and fruits. For example, such folk methods are considered effective:
- Compresses from a raw onion soaked in vinegar. The vegetable is tied to the wart for several nights in a row. In order not to burn the skin around the formation, it is recommended to seal it with adhesive tape. Rubbing warts with freshly chopped potato halves helps to remove them.
- The most popular and proven method is cauterization of warts with celandine juice. The procedure should be carried out twice a day, using freshly picked grass. The juice of this plant can burn the skin, so the procedure is carried out strictly locally.
- Another effective remedy is a mixture of dandelion juices, milkweed, rowan berries, sour apples, onions, garlic, and lemon. There are no specific proportions - the amount of each ingredient is determined by eye. The resulting mixture is applied to the wart three times a day.
- They get rid of hard growths on the hands with the help of vinegar, dripping it onto the problem area. For a brighter effect, a mixture of vinegar and flour is also used - the paste-like mass must be applied to the wart, wait for it to dry and then bandage it overnight.
- For cauterization, a mixture of finely grated garlic, lemon juice and flour is often used. It also needs to be applied at night for some time.
- Horseradish juice also has a cauterizing effect. Its root is grated, mixed with salt and applied to the growth.
- operation and other methods. Do not neglect the traditional ways of getting rid of warts, which are practiced in medical institutions. First of all, this
- Cutting out a wart without damaging the adjacent tissue using a radio wave scalpel under local anesthesia. Now this procedure is used less frequently, since there is a high probability of scarring in places where warts are removed. However, if the size of the growths exceeds 2 cm, the operation is carried out without fail. The method allows you to completely remove the wart.
- Cryotherapy - the formation is frozen with liquid nitrogen, which deprives its cells of vital activity, after the event it will no longer grow.
- Electrocoagulation - cauterization of growths. Such getting rid of the problem is considered fast and effective.
Aesthetic medicine clinics also offer services for the removal of skin formations with a laser or phototherapy.
Do not forget: when warts of any kind appear, it is best to consult a doctor! More often, HPV-induced neoplasms are benign and do not require serious intervention. However, to be sure, it is better to pass the necessary tests.
Prevention
Of course, the surest way to protect yourself from the appearance of an unpleasant skin disease is to have strong immunity. Unfortunately, few people can boast of this. Therefore, to reduce the risk of infection with warts and condylomas, it is important to follow the rules of hygiene, namely:
- wash hands thoroughly, take a shower or bath regularly and teach the child to do the same, since children catch the disease more often than adults;
- do not use other people's hygiene items;
- when visiting baths, saunas, swimming pools, take personal replaceable shoes, do not lean against naked parts of the body against seating areas, walls of showers and steam rooms;
- timely treat abrasions, cuts, small wounds with disinfectants;
- exclude unprotected sexual intercourse, using barrier contraception;
- to vaccinate against the most dangerous types of HPV.