Warts are benign skin growths that appear on various parts of the body.They occur in both children and adults and cause a lot of inconvenience to those who are sick with their unpleasant appearance and unpleasant sensations in case of injury.What causes warts and is it possible to prevent their appearance?
Causes of warts
HPV can be "earned" in public toilets or saunas or from a manicurist due to poor disinfection of equipment.
The main reason for the appearance of warts lies in human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, transmitted through domestic or sexual contact (with the exception of keratomas formed due to age-related skin changes).Penetration of the pathogen into the body of a healthy person occurs through injured skin in one way or another, and provoking factors can be:
- increased activity of the virus in the carrier of the disease;
- a sharp decrease in immunity in a healthy person.
From the moment of infection until the appearance of the first formations, from 14 days to several years pass - during this period the virus does not bother the sick person at all.HPV activation occurs mainly due to:
- changes in hormone levels due to medications, pregnancy, diseases;
- stress;
- deterioration of general health due to illness;
- prolonged exposure to cold;
- overwork.
Why do warts appear on the body?
Warts (papillomas) on the body occur as a result of contact with a person carrying the human papilloma virus or his belongings.The routes of infection can be different:
- use of the patient's personal belongings: towels, underwear and bed linen, combs, dishes, personal hygiene products and so on;
- touching common objects: railings, door handles, elevator buttons;
- visit swimming pools, saunas and baths (especially without rubber slippers);
- unprotected sexual contact with an infected person;
- clean crowded places;
- autoinfection (the appearance of warts on the body is caused by frequent trauma to the maternal formation).
Why do warts appear on the hands?
Warts on the hands, as well as other parts of the body, are caused by HPV infection.The cause of the appearance of warts is physical contact with an infected person or his things (for example, infection can occur as a result of shaking hands).In this case, the following types of warts may develop:
- simple (vulgar)– painless growths with a keratinized surface that appear on the hands and fingers (their size increases over time);
- periungual– variety of simple ones that form near the nail;
- flat (youth)– rounded nodules with a flat surface that appear on the back of the hands and on the internal surface of the limbs below the elbow (usually seen in adolescents, but can also appear in adults).
Why do warts grow on feet?
The skin of the feet must be treated with special care, since it is much easier for the virus to enter the body if the feet are prone to sweating.
Warts on the legs are painful growths that can grow.They appear on the heels or forefoot due to infection with the HPV virus.The reasons leading to the development of the disease are:
- decreased immunity;
- the presence of diseases leading to deterioration of blood supply to the lower extremities - varicose veins, diabetes mellitus;
- wearing uncomfortable, narrow or poor-quality shoes (made of artificial materials);
- stress;
- increased sweating of the feet;
- sleep disorders;
- lack of vitamins;
- dry skin.
Why do warts appear on fingers?
Warts on the fingers appear due to direct contact with an HPV-infected person or objects he or she has used.This could be shaking hands, touching the subway handrail, wearing someone else's bathroom slippers, and so on.As a rule, vulgar and plantar warts are transmitted in the described way.
Why do warts appear on the genitals?
The HPV virus, which causes the development of warts in the genital area, perineum and anus (warts), is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse.Without proper treatment, the number of genital warts increases due to constant trauma, which, in turn, causes the formations to become cauliflower-like.
How does a wart start to grow?
When activated in the human body, the human papillomavirus attacks skin cells, which is accompanied by their excessive division and tissue proliferation (at this time the wart begins to grow).
Attention!Adequate treatment of pathology in the initial stages allows you to return the virus to a "dormant" state and prevent further spread of formations throughout the body.
Are warts dangerous?
Warts are benign formations that are not capable of causing serious harm to human health.However, they still need to be treated.This is explained:
- high degree of contagiousness of the formations and, consequently, their rapid spread on the skin;
- the risk of secondary infections due to accidental injury to the growths;
- risk of malignancy (transformation into a cancerous tumor);
- danger of infecting others.
Diagnostics
Treatment of warts should be carried out only under the supervision of a dermatologist.
The diagnosis is made by a dermatologist based on clinical manifestations.Further research, including DNA typing, is rarely needed.The main signs of warts are:
- lack of skin pattern on the surface;
- presence of blackheads (blocked capillaries);
- bleeding due to injury.
During the examination, other skin pathologies are excluded.In difficult cases, a biopsy can be performed followed by histological examination of the wart tissue.
Treatment
Although today there are many ways to get rid of warts, none of them eliminates the cause of their appearance - the human papillomavirus.This is why in 30% of cases the disease recurs.
Treatment is necessary when warts:
- grow rapidly or itch;
- they are often injured;
- the number of formations increases significantly.
Drug therapy
Treatment of warts with drugs is carried out comprehensively.Patients are prescribed:
- agents that have a chemical effect on formations;
- cytotoxic drugs;
- agents affecting the immune system - interferons.
Folk remedies
Treatment of warts with folk remedies is usually used when it has just started to grow or when it is necessary to remove a single small formation.In the vast majority of cases, the following recipes are used for this purpose.
- Garlic.Cut a fresh garlic clove in half and rub the wart with a cut of one of the halves.The treatment is carried out twice a day.
- Garlic Patch.A plate is cut from a clove of garlic according to the size of the formation, applied to the growth and fixed with a plaster.Manipulation is performed before going to sleep.In the morning, remove the garlic.
- Garlic paste.Garlic is grated using a grater.One teaspoon of gruel is mixed with a similar amount of melted lard and four teaspoons of vinegar.The finished product is placed on a piece of bandage, applied to the surface of the previously steamed formation, covered with polyethylene, fixed with a plaster and wrapped in something warm.
- Garlic focaccia.The garlic is grated.Acetic acid and flour are added to the pulp, the dough is kneaded and a focaccia is prepared.In the evening, before bedtime, the cake is applied to the wart, covered with polyethylene and fixed with a plaster.
Other methods
There are other, more effective ways to remove warts.These include:
- cryodestruction;
- electrocoagulation;
- laser coagulation;
- surgical excision.
Cryodestruction is a procedure that involves freezing warts with liquid nitrogen.The substance is applied to the surface of the formation using a swab attached to a wooden stick or a special cryoapplicator.Freezing lasts 10-30 seconds, after which the growth turns white and becomes dense.After an hour, a blister appears on the skin, which eventually turns into a scab.
Electrocoagulation is the removal of warts using an electric current.The formation is stopped using a thin ring under high-frequency current, which helps to avoid bleeding and disinfect the tissue.The procedure is performed under local anesthesia.A scab forms at the site of the wart and falls off after seven days.If cancer is suspected, the cut tissues are sent for histological examination.
Electrocoagulation is based on cauterization of pathological tissues with electric current, as a result of which skin formations die.
Laser coagulation involves laser cutting of warts.The formation is removed layer by layer under local anesthesia.At the site of the growth a small depression remains, which heals after a few weeks.
Surgical excision of warts is used to remove large or fused warts.The growths are cut with a scalpel under local anesthesia.After removal, the edges of the wound are sutured with a cosmetic suture and the biological material is sent for histological examination.A thin scar remains at the site of the wart.
These manipulations are performed exclusively in a hospital setting.
What to do if a wart grows after removal?
Relapse of the disease indicates the activation of the human papillomavirus in the body.If the wart reappears, it should be removed and then measures should be taken to strengthen the immune system.
You can start eliminating the growth only after visiting a doctor and confirming the benign nature of the wart.Otherwise, removal by conventional methods is fraught with significant health problems.