Warts are benign neoplasms with little aesthetics that appear on the skin when infected with the human papillomavirus. Entering the upper layers of the epidermis, the virus provokes the spread of its cells, resulting in the appearance of warts of various shapes, sizes and colors.
Human virus papyrus infects about 80% of people on the planet, and not every patient knows about its diagnosis, as HPV in most cases is asymptomatic.
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 commonly, their appearance does not depend on the age or sex 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 pinkish-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, clusters of neoplasms may appear in the affected area.
Flat warts
Neoplasms of this species occur most often in children and adolescents, hence their second name is juvenile warts. They are flesh-colored or light brown knots, oval or round, with a smooth surface, slightly raised above the skin. Mainly localized 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, hence it got its name. It is an approximate growth with a keratinized layer of skin or a set 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 crush the healthy tissue around it, causing great discomfort.
Hanging warts
The peculiarity of this species is the presence of a close articulation with the surface of the skin, the so-called "feet". Hanging warts can be elongated, round or irregular, pink or reddish in color. Such warts are located on the neck, face, armpits, under the breast in women. Often, the appearance of multiple hanging warts signals a sharp decrease in the body's immune status.
Senile warts
Warts of this type are more likely to affect the skin of older people. They are also called seborrheic warts or keratomas. They develop due to age-related changes and a 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 uncomfortable and painful type of neoplasm. Their causative agent is the human papilloma virus 6 and 11. Genital warts affect the skin adjacent to the mucosa: on the lips and eyelids; in the genital area, urethra, anus.
Genital warts have a structure of nodular growths, which are often compared to cauliflower or bark. Warts are attached to the surface of the skin by means of a thin "foot". Due to the localization in areas of the body that are sensitive to mechanical irritation, there is a high degree of damage to the warts and adjacent tissues, infection and the development of an inflammatory process with the formation of exudative or purulent discharge.
Causes of warts
Increased activity of the human papilloma virus in the body provokes the appearance of warts. Infection occurs through contact and daily life: through 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;
- reduced immunity;
- hormonal disruption, improper metabolism;
- excessive sweating;
- skin trauma and microtrauma;
- wearing clothes and shoes made of unnatural materials.
If the disease is asymptomatic, it can only be diagnosed by laboratory means.
Warts in adults
The appearance of papillomas or warts is possible 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 hormonal levels, pregnancy and child nutrition. Due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure, women are also more susceptible to the appearance of genital warts, in particular, genital warts, which increase the risk of developing cervical cancer.
In men, warts appear only in the event of a sharp decline in immunity, which does not happen so often with strong sex. At the same time, men are extremely rarely carriers of HPV types 16 and 18, which provoke the development of oncological diseases.
Warts in children
Warts are a common occurrence in children and adolescents, as their immunity is not fully formed, as a result of which they become easily infected with papillomaviruses. An important role is played by the fact that children attending kindergartens and schools, as a rule, are increasing stressful conditions, which negatively affects the body's defenses. In addition to the method of infection with the family in contact, intrauterine infection from the mother is also possible.
Most often, children develop vulgar, juvenile or plantar warts, while juvenile warts disappear spontaneously at the age of 14-18 years.
Treatment of Warts
When treating warts, it should be understood that it is impossible to completely eliminate the pathogen from the body - the human papilloma virus. Once in the body, it stays in it forever, but healthy immunity is able to keep it under control and minimize manifestations of its vital activity.
The fact that warts appear indicates a decline in the body's immune status, therefore, measures to strengthen the immune system should be included in HPV therapy. With a reduced body defense response, even with successful wart removal, there is a high probability of recurrence. However, in people with strong immunity, the warts may go away on their own.
Therapy should be chosen by a competent physician after a thorough examination. Self-medication is unacceptable, as a layman cannot distinguish a wart from a malignant neoplasm. The issue of removing awartis also decided by a specialist - a damaged neoplasm 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 for her low trauma; 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 the wart place, a habit remains, which disappears after about a month.
- Electrocoagulation (unplugging). The warts are removed with a thin metal loop using a high frequency current. This method is characterized by the absence of bleeding and additional tissue disinfection. Neoplasm tissues remain intact, so they can be sent for histological examination. Traces of manipulation disappear within a week.
- Surgical incision. This method is used only in extreme cases, when the neoplasms are very large or grouped in a single conglomerate. Under local anesthesia, the wart is removed with a scalpel as in conventional surgery. The removed material is sent for histological examination. The presence of scars at the incision site depends on the skill of the surgeon applying the sutures.
- A chemical attack method that uses various acids or alkalis. This method is more 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 next to it.
Medications for the treatment of warts
Local remedies are used to treat warts, but their effectiveness depends on the age of the neoplasm - the fresher the wart, the more likely it is that the patient's immunity will be removed.
Before using local remedies, you should consult a dermatologist and get tested to confirm the nature of the neoplasms, as exposure to the medication can cause degeneration of the lesion cells in the malignant ones.
Non-traditional methods of treating warts
Traditional medicine recipes use the following to fight warts:
- garlic;
- hark;
- celandine;
- spurge;
- pelin;
- vaj liri.
Traditional medicine is a good addition to the main therapy after consulting your doctor.
Prevention of warts
The best prevention of warts is the usual observance of the rules of personal hygiene: timely washing of hands, use of personal manicure accessories, towels, washcloths, shoes. You should not go barefoot to the pool, shared showers, baths and saunas. Also, when staying in hotels, it is worth bringing antiseptic agents for bath treatment. In parallel, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system and take care of the general state of health.