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 patients with their unpleasant appearance and unpleasant sensations when injured.What causes warts and is it possible to prevent their occurrence?
Causes of warts
HPV can be “obtained” in public baths or saunas, or in a manicure due to poor disinfection of equipment.
The main reason for the appearance of warts is infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), transmitted through household or sexual contact (the exceptions are keratomas formed as a result of age-related changes in the skin).The penetration of the pathogen into the body of a healthy person occurs through injured skin in one way or another, and the provoking factors can be:
- increased virus activity in the disease carrier;
- a sharp decrease in immunity in a healthy person.
From the moment of infection to the appearance of the first formations, it takes from 14 days to several years - during this period the virus does not bother the sick person at all.HPV activation occurs mainly due to:
- changes in hormonal levels due to medications, pregnancy, illness;
- 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 things.Infection routes can be different:
- use of the patient’s personal belongings – towels, underwear and bedding, combs, crockery, personal hygiene products, among others;
- touching common objects - railings, doorknobs, 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 in maternal formation).
Why do warts appear on hands?
Warts on the hands, as well as on 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– simple varieties that form close to the nail;
- plan (youth)– rounded, flat-surfaced nodules that appear on the back of the hands and on the inner surface of the limbs below the elbow (generally seen in adolescents, but can also appear in adults).
Why do warts grow on feet?
The skin on your feet needs special care, as it is much easier for the virus to enter the body if your feet are prone to sweating.
Leg warts are painful growths that can grow.They appear on the heels or forefoot due to HPV virus infection.The reasons that lead to the development of the disease are:
- decreased immunity;
- the presence of diseases that lead to a deterioration in the blood supply to the lower extremities - varicose veins, diabetes mellitus;
- wear uncomfortable, tight or low-quality shoes (made from artificial materials);
- stress;
- increased foot sweating;
- sleep disorders;
- lack of vitamins;
- dry skin.
Why do warts appear on fingers?
Warts on the fingers appear due to direct contact with a person infected with HPV or with objects they have used.This could be shaking hands, touching the subway handrail, wearing someone else's slippers, and so on.As a rule, vulgar and plantar warts are transmitted in the manner described.
Why do warts appear on the genitals?
The HPV virus, which causes the development of warts in the genital region, perineum and anus (condylomas), 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 proliferation of tissues (at this time the wart begins to grow).
Attention!Adequate treatment of pathology in the early stages allows you to return the virus to a “dormant” state and prevent the 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 through 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 other people.
Diagnosis
Wart treatment should only be carried out under the supervision of a dermatologist.
The diagnosis is made by the dermatologist based on clinical manifestations.Additional research, including DNA typing, is rarely necessary.The main signs of warts are:
- lack of skin pattern on the surface;
- presence of blackheads (clogged capillaries);
- bleeding due to injury.
During the examination, other skin pathologies are excluded.In difficult cases, it is possible to perform a biopsy followed by histological examination of the wart tissue.
Treatment
Despite the fact that today there are many ways to get rid of warts, none of them eliminate the cause of their appearance - the human papillomavirus.This is why in 30% of cases the disease returns again.
Treatment is necessary when warts:
- grow quickly or itch;
- they are often injured;
- the number of formations increases sharply.
Drug therapy
Treatment of warts with medication is carried out comprehensively.Patients are prescribed:
- agents that have a chemical effect on formations;
- cytotoxic drugs;
- agents that affect the immune system - interferons.
Folk remedies
Treatment of warts with folk remedies is usually used when it is just beginning to grow or when a single small formation needs to be removed.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 from one of the halves.The treatment is carried out twice a day.
- Garlic stain.A plate is cut from a clove of garlic according to the size of the formation, applied to the vegetation and fixed with plaster.Manipulation is carried out before bed.In the morning, remove the garlic.
- Garlic paste.The garlic is grated with a grater.A 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, secured with a bandage and wrapped in something warm.
- Garlic flatbread.The garlic is grated.Acetic acid and flour are added to the pulp, the dough is kneaded and a flat cake is made.At night, before going to bed, 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 tampon attached to a wooden stick or a special cryoapplicator.Freezing lasts 10 to 30 seconds, after which the growth turns white and dense.After an hour, a blister appears on the skin, which eventually turns into a crust.
Electrocoagulation is the removal of warts using electrical current.The formation is cut using a thin loop under high frequency current, which helps prevent 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 histology.
Electrocoagulation is based on cauterization of pathological tissues with electric current, resulting in the death of skin formations.
Laser coagulation involves laser cutting of warts.The formation is removed layer by layer under local anesthesia.A small depression remains at the site of the growth, healing after a few weeks.
Surgical wart excision 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 cosmetic thread and the biological material is sent for histological examination.A thin scar remains at the site of the wart.
These manipulations are carried out exclusively in a hospital setting.
What to do if a wart grows after removal?
Recurrence of the disease indicates the activation of the human papillomavirus in the body.If the wart reappears, it must be removed and then measures must be taken to strengthen the immune system.
You can only begin to eliminate the growth after consulting a doctor and confirming the benign nature of the wart.Otherwise, removal using conventional methods is fraught with significant health problems.