Warts are benign neoplasms with little aesthetics that appear on the skin when infected with human papillomavirus. Entering the upper layers of the epidermis, the virus provokes the proliferation of its cells, which leads to the appearance of warts of various shapes, sizes and colors.
The human papillomavirus infects about 80% of the world's people, and not every patient is aware of its diagnosis, as HPV is asymptomatic in most cases.Types of warts
There are different types of warts depending on the location on the body, color, size, shape and type of pathogen.
Common or vulgar warts
Most often, their appearance does not depend on the age or gender of the patient. They are located on the hands, between the fingers, on the back of the palms (rarely on the palms themselves). Vulgar warts are irregular or round in shape and due to their body-pink color are usually not very noticeable on the skin. The size varies from 1 to 3 mm, with prolonged infection and lack of treatment at the affected site, groups of neoplasms may appear.
Flat warts
Neoplasms of this type are more common in children and adolescents, which is why their middle name is juvenile warts. They are nodules of flesh or light brown, oval or round, with a smooth surface that rises slightly above the skin. It is located mainly on the skin of the face, neck, arms and upper body.
Plantar warts
This type of wart appears exclusively on the skin of the feet, which is why it got its name. This is a rough growth with a stratum corneum or a group of such growths. The skin around the plantar warts loses its natural color and becomes gray-yellow. The surface of the wart becomes hard and begins to press on the healthy tissue around it, causing severe discomfort.
Hanging warts
The peculiarity of this species is the presence of close articulation with the surface of the skin, the so-called "feet". Hanging warts can be oblong, round or irregular, pink or reddish in color. Such warts are localized on the neck, face, armpits, under the breasts in women. Often the appearance of multiple hanging warts signals a sharp decline in the body's immune status.
Senile warts
Warts of this type are more likely to affect the skin of the elderly. They are also called seborrheic warts or keratomas. They develop due to age-related changes and deterioration of metabolism by epidermal cells, often capturing the upper part of the hair follicles. Keratomas have a round shape, well-defined borders, localized on the scalp or face. The size varies from a few millimeters to 4-5 cm.
Genital warts
Genital warts or warts are the most unpleasant and painful type of tumor. They are caused by human papillomavirus types 6 and 11. Genital warts affect the skin adjacent to the mucous membranes: the lips and eyelids; in the genital area, urethra, anus.
Genital warts have the structure of nodular growths, often compared to cauliflower or rooster. Warts are connected to the surface of the skin by a thin "leg". Due to localization in areas of the body that are susceptible to mechanical irritation, there is a high degree of injury to genital warts and adjacent tissues, infection and the development of an inflammatory process with the formation of exudative or purulent discharge.
Causes of warts
The increased activity of the human papilloma virus in the body provokes the appearance of warts. Infection occurs through contact and daily use: by touching, shaking hands, common objects and in public places, if personal hygiene is not observed. Genital warts are sexually transmitted.
The virus enters its active form if factors such as:
- severe or chronic stress;
- transmitted infectious diseases;
- decreased immunity;
- hormonal disorders, abnormal metabolism;
- excessive sweating;
- trauma and microtrauma of the skin;
- wearing clothes and shoes made of unnatural materials.
If the disease is asymptomatic, it can only be diagnosed by laboratory means.
Warts in adults
Papillomas or warts can occur at any age. In this case, gender does not play a special role - both men and women are susceptible to HPV. At the same time, the risk of developing warts in women is higher, as their immunity is often weakened due to hormone levels, pregnancy and child nutrition. Due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure, women are also more susceptible to the appearance of genital warts, especially genital warts, which increase the risk of developing cervical cancer.
In men, warts appear only in the case of a sharp decrease in immunity, which does not happen so often in the stronger sex. At the same time, men are extremely rare carriers of HPV types 16 and 18, which provoke the development of cancer.
Warts in children
Warts are common in children and adolescents because their immunity is not fully formed, as a result of which they are easily infected with papillomaviruses. An important role is played by the fact that children attending kindergartens and schools, as a rule, are in increased stress, which negatively affects the body's defenses. In addition to the contact-household method of infection, intrauterine infection from the mother is also possible.
Most often, children develop vulgar, juvenile or plantar warts, while juvenile warts disappear on their own by the age of 14-18.
Warts Treatment
When treating warts, it must be understood that it is impossible to completely eliminate the pathogen from the body - the human papilloma virus. Once in the body, it remains in it forever, but a healthy immune system is able to keep it under control and minimize the manifestations of its vital activity.
The very fact of the appearance of warts shows a decrease in the body's immune status, which is why HPV therapy should include measures to strengthen the immune system. With a reduced protective reaction of the body, even with the successful removal of warts, there is a high probability of recurrence. However, in people with strong immunity, warts can disappear on their own.
Therapy should be selected by a competent physician after a thorough examination. Self-medication is unacceptable because the layman cannot distinguish a wart from a malignant neoplasm. The issue of removingwartsis also decided by a specialist - the injured tumor can degenerate from benign to malignant.
There are the following ways to get rid of warts.
- Cryodestruction (freezing with liquid nitrogen). This method is especially effective for common warts. The neoplasm is exposed to liquid nitrogen for 10-30 seconds. This method is good because of its low risk of injury; it takes 1 to 5 sessions to completely remove the wart.
- Laser coagulation (laser removal). The neoplasm is removed in parts under local anesthesia. In place of the wart remains a furrow, which disappears after about a month.
- Electrocoagulation (current removal). The wart is removed with a thin metal contour using high frequency current. This method is characterized by no bleeding and additional tissue disinfection. The tissues of the neoplasm remain intact, so they can be sent for histological examination. Traces of manipulation disappear within a week.
- Surgical excision. This method is used only in extreme cases when the neoplasms are too large or are grouped in one conglomerate. Under local anesthesia, the wart is removed with a scalpel, as in conventional surgery. The extracted material is sent for histological examination. The presence of scars at the incision site depends on the skills of the surgeon who applied the sutures.
- A chemical attack method that uses different acids or bases. This method is the most painful, traumatic and dangerous, as the risk of secondary tissue infection at the site of exposure is extremely high. When deciding to use it, it is worth remembering that you can only act on the wart itself without affecting the skin near it.
Medicines for the treatment of warts
Topical drugs are used to treat warts, but their effectiveness depends on the age of the tumor - the fresher the wart, the more likely it is to remove the patient's immunity.
Before using topical medications, you should consult a dermatologist and take tests to determine the nature of the growths, as exposure to medications can cause wart cells to degenerate into malignant.
Non-traditional methods for dealing with warts
Using recipes for traditional medicine:
- garlic;
- bow;
- celandine;
- broadcast;
- wormwood;
- linseed oil.
Traditional medicine is a good addition to the basic therapy after consultation with your doctor.
Wart Prevention
The best prevention of the appearance of warts is the usual observance of the rules of personal hygiene: timely washing of hands, use of personal accessories for manicure, towels, towels, shoes. You should not go barefoot in the pool, shared showers, baths and saunas. Also, when staying in hotels, it is worth taking antiseptics to treat baths. In parallel, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system and take care of general health.