Why do papillomas occur and how to treat them? Methods for eliminating papillomas

Papillomas are classified as benign neoplasms that have the form of warts protruding on the skin. Such growths not only cause cosmetic discomfort, but under certain circumstances can cause harm to human health and even become malignant.

Papilloma is a benign tumor-like formation of the skin and mucous membranes of a warty nature

Why do papillomas appear and how to get rid of them without harming your own health?

What do papillomas look like: varieties and types

Small benign formations (up to several millimeters in diameter) may appear on the skin and mucous membranes, which are popularly called "warts" and in medicine – papillomas. The growths are soft to the touch, have a slightly convex shape and hang down somewhat, and their surface is heterogeneous and varies depending on the type of papillomas.

Where papillomas can occur:

  • On the feet and hands;
  • On the face and neck;
  • On the mucous membranes of the genital organs;
  • In the nasopharynx and oral cavity;
  • In the armpit area;
  • In the urethra.

Most often, papillomas are localized and spread on the genitals.

Important!The main and only cause of papillomas is the human papillomavirus (HPV).

According to the degree of risk to human health, papillomas are divided into two types:

  1. With low level– papillomas caused by the HPV virus types 6 and 11;
  2. With a high level– neoplasms that appear under the influence of the HPV virus types 18, 31, 16, 35 and 33; the risk of developing dysplasia and cancer with such tumors is quite high.

Papillomas are a fairly common phenomenon, and they appear equally often in both men and women. With a healthy immune system and a healthy lifestyle, the papilloma virus can "live" in the human body for many years without detecting itself. But when the body weakens under the influence of certain factors, HPV begins to manifest itself externally - growths appear, redness and irritation may occur on the mucous membranes.

Important!Papillomas are not a malignant formation, but some varieties can create favorable conditions for the development of precancerous conditions and cancer.

There are many types of papillomas, depending on the type of HPV that has entered the body.

Flat warts on the face most often appear during adolescence

What the main types of papillomas look like:

  • Warts are flat– round or oval warts that rise above the skin by 1-2 mm. They are found in adolescents and young adults, which is why they are also called "juvenile warts. "
  • Warts are simple ("vulgar")– rise approximately 2-3 mm above the skin and most often occur on the feet, palms and hands, and are rough to the touch.
  • Condylomas acuminata– looks like a cockscomb or cauliflower. Most often they are located on the mucous membranes - the urethra, genitals, and in the mouth.
  • Filiform warts– most often this type is called "papillomas" and they are typical for people over 35-40 years old. They are most often localized in the armpits, on the face and neck, and under the breasts in women. The dimensions do not exceed 3-5 mm and look like round or thread-like growths.

Less common are papillomas in the urethra and bladder - usually in men and in combination with genital warts. A separate group includes papillomas in the larynx, trachea, and oral cavity, becauseSuch neoplasms cause a lot of trouble for the patient and in some cases even pose a threat to life.

Why do papillomas occur?

The cause of papillomas in humans is HPV, which, penetrating into the blood, begins to actively multiply, primarily affecting the upper layers of the skin. With strong and strong immunity, external manifestations of the virus may not be observed for quite a long time, but under favorable conditions, pathological growth of the epithelium begins.

Usually the incubation period does not exceed 2-3 months, but it happens that the latent course drags on for several years.

Bad habits and promiscuity can cause papillomas

Provoking factors for the occurrence of papillomas are:

  • Decreased immunity– under the influence of past infections, stress, long-term illnesses, lack of vitamins.
  • Bad habits– Smoking and alcohol abuse quite often causes tumor processes.
  • Promiscuity– papillomas are often transmitted sexually, and concomitant diseases of the reproductive system only enhance the development of HPV.

Indirect causes of the development of HPV can be long-term treatment with antibacterial drugs for viral and infectious diseases, and gastrointestinal pathologies.

Important!HPV infection occurs through sexual contact in 50% of cases. Therefore, doctors consider any person who is actively sexually active to be at risk.

Papillomas often occur in adolescence and young adulthood, which coincides with the onset of sexual activity. Young people are more likely to have unprotected sex and change sexual partners. In this case, HPV can enter the body through the vaginal, oral and anal routes.

In women, provoking factors for the appearance of papillomas are: general weakening of the immune system (with long-term illnesses, frequent stress), the use of oral contraceptives, and menstrual irregularities.

In men, papillomas occur as a result of promiscuous and active sexual life, refusal of condoms, nicotine and alcohol addiction.

How can you become infected:

  • Sexually- the most common route of infection. Using a condom does not eliminate the risk of infection, especially if the growths are localized in the perineum or anus.
  • During pregnancy and childbirth– if a mother is infected with the HPV virus, it will pass to the child during delivery or through the mother’s milk.
  • By everyday means– when using general hygiene products, in violation of sanitary standards.

Self-infection with the papilloma virus often occurs in places with high humidity - on beaches, in swimming pools, saunas. With minor damage to the skin or when the mucous membrane comes into contact with a source of HPV, infection occurs.

Penetrating into the body, the virus finds the most favorable habitat for itself, but is more often localized in those parts of the body that are most often subject to microtrauma. The virus becomes infectious immediately after entering the human body. HPV does not spread to other organs, but it is quite difficult to get rid of it and it is almost impossible to completely eliminate the virus.

How to get rid of papillomas

Usually, papillomas do not require treatment if they do not cause cosmetic discomfort and are not subject to constant injury. Some rashes may disappear completely on their own when a person’s immune strength increases, but with any provoking factor they appear again.

It is necessary to treat papillomas only in cases of large growths of growths and in the presence of risk factors for their degeneration into malignant tumors.

Before starting treatment for papillomas, you must consult and be examined by a specialist.

Treatment at home is best carried out after consultation with a doctor - most often, the removal of papillomas is dealt with by a dermatologist; if growths are located in the genital area, a dermatovenerologist (for men), a gynecologist (for women).

Important!Under no circumstances should you cut out, scratch, or squeeze out tumors yourself!

Therapy for papilloma is carried out in a comprehensive manner - first, medications that enhance immunity and antiviral agents are prescribed. Usually this is enough for the growths to disappear on their own.

But if papillomas interfere with a person’s normal life or the doctor believes that the virus poses a danger to the health and life of the patient, surgical removal of the papillomas is proposed.

Note!It is impossible to completely get rid of the papilloma virus, but you can remove papillomas at home or in the clinic, thereby preventing the dangerous development of the disease.

An infected person will need to take preventive measures to prevent the appearance of growths, adhere to a healthy lifestyle, and boost immunity.

Treatment in the clinic

Treatment in the clinic involves the removal of papilloma by surgical methods, and the method of elimination is chosen by the doctor based on the type of tumor and after diagnostic procedures.

It is usually recommended to remove the growth if the diameter of the tumor is more than 1 cm or if cancer is suspected. During the operation, the growths and a certain amount of surrounding tissue are removed, after which cosmetic stitches are applied.

Papillomas can be treated clinically, for example by removing them with a laser

Surgical methods for removing papilloma:

  • Laser removal.The most accessible and common method consists of removing the growth with a laser after anesthesia with an anesthetic. The procedure takes approximately 20-30 seconds per tumor. After cauterization, a crust remains on the skin that cannot be removed - after a few days it will fall off on its own. In this way, it is proposed to remove papillomas on the neck, face, armpits, under the mammary glands, where the skin is very delicate and is easily injured.
  • Radiosurgical treatment.According to the principle of implementation, this method is similar to laser excision, but its distinctive advantage is that radio wave therapy is not so dangerous for human eyes, and therefore is preferable when removing papillomas on the eyelid and face.
  • Cryodestruction– cold cauterization using cotton wool soaked in liquid nitrogen (liquid nitrogen has a temperature of minus 15 degrees). The frozen growth falls off on its own after a few days. The procedure does not require anesthesia, but it is not recommended to be performed on the face, becauseLiquid nitrogen treatment may cause temporary redness of the skin.
  • Electrocoagulation– an outdated method using an electric knife that burns out tumors using high-frequency currents.
  • Excision with a scalpel– a previously common method of removing papillomas, now not used in almost any clinic due to the high risk of skin trauma.

The excised growth is sent for histology to exclude the presence of malignant cells.

Treatment does not end after the operation - the doctor prescribes immunomodulatory and antiviral drugs to the patient, and gives recommendations for carrying out medical procedures at home.

To increase immunity, it is recommended to take vitamin complexes, immunomodulators, diet, walks in the fresh air, and hardening.

After surgical removal, relapses usually do not occur; reappearance of growths at the excision site may occur if the area was not completely cleaned out.

Treatment at home

Some types of papillomas can be eliminated at home using folk and pharmacy remedies.

Removal of papillomas at home can be done using pharmaceutical products that have cauterizing properties.

These drugs are compounds of alkalis and acids, that is, they eliminate papillomas by burning tissue on the skin. Therefore, before cauterizing a papilloma at home, it is advisable to consult a doctor and use such products with caution so as not to harm the skin, especially if the growths are located on the face or neck.

Removing papillomas at home should be carried out in compliance with three basic rules:

  1. You cannot remove genital warts on your genitals yourself.
  2. It is impossible to remove growths of an unknown nature with signs of bleeding, inflammation, or excessive growth.
  3. You cannot remove tumors on the face - a scar or a scar may remain, which the doctor will not be able to remove later.

How to get rid of papillomas at home:

  • Garlic.Cut off a piece of garlic and apply fresh juice to the growth, secure with an adhesive plaster. Repeat twice a day for 2-4 weeks.
  • Celandine juice.Make a cut from the stem of the celandine and apply the place where the juice is released to the new growth. You can do the procedure 2-3 times a day, from 14 to 30 days. This method allows you to quickly and painlessly remove papillomas on the face at home.
  • Laundry soap.Lather the skin several times a day in the area where there are growths. Treatment is not effective for old and multiple tumors.
  • Castor oil.The area around the papillomas is lubricated 1-2 times a day for 1-1. 5 months.
  • Vinegar.You can mix 70% vinegar and glycerin in equal proportions and spread it on the growths three or four times a day. Or use regular 5% vinegar to lubricate the papilloma every day.

You can remove papilloma on the eyelid at home using Kalanchoe or aloe juice, while simultaneously using antiviral ophthalmic drugs. But if the growth is located close to the mucous membrane of the eye and inside the eyelid, it is better not to do home treatment; you need to consult an ophthalmologist or dermatologist.

Celandine juice is an effective remedy for treating papillomas at home

The most gentle method for removing armpit papillomas at home is to use regular egg white: the white is applied to the papilloma in a thick layer and left in this state for several hours, after which another layer is applied on top. Within several days of daily repetition of the procedure, small papillomas dry out and fall off on their own.

Traditional medicine offers a lot of ways to remove papillomas at home, but it should be borne in mind that different methods will be effective for different types and varieties of growths, so each method is purely individual, and it is advisable to use it after consultation with a doctor.

Important!Various dietary supplements for papillomas, monastery tea, tea for parasites and papillomas - do not help in the treatment of papillomas!

It is almost impossible to avoid HPV infection - even with strict adherence to the rules of personal hygiene, avoiding casual sex and visiting public places of use, there is no guarantee that the virus will not enter the body through contact with household items that have previously been touched by an already infected person.

Therefore, the main preventative measure for the occurrence of papillomas can only be considered to be increasing immunity, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding stress and infectious diseases, taking vitamins and getting rid of bad habits.