Warts are non-hazardous neoplasms that appear as a result of infection with the human papillomavirus. Today we will talk about how to get rid of warts in various ways, including home and medical.
More than a hundred types of the virus have already been described, there are no age and sexual barriers for it, so warts appear on the body of men and women. Let's see what ways of infection and treatment methods exist.
Why do warts appear
The cause of the appearance of warts- infection with the human papillomavirus. The most common route of infection is through microdamage on the skin, after which the growth of the upper layer of the epidermis is activated, which forms a wart. The growths are painless, but from a psychological point of view, warts are an unpleasant phenomenon, because formations on the face, fingers and other visible parts of the body disfigure the appearance.
HPV infectionis a human papillomavirus that infects men and women. Some types of papillomavirus (16 and 18) are capable of provoking the growth of cancer cells, they are allocated to a high-risk group. Viruses of this group are transmitted through sexual contact. The bulk of viruses 90% are safe, a strong immune system is able to fight infection. In this case, information on medicinal and hardware methods for getting rid of warts will become irrelevant.
How is HPV transmitted?The mechanism of infection by the virus is as follows - the infection enters the organs through mucous membranes, lesions on the skin, and then migrates to the nervous tissue. Once infected, a person remains infected forever. Doctors associate changes in the state of the epithelium with the state of the nervous system - emotional shock, stressful situation and affected areas appear on the body. Many patients do not suspect that they are sick, because the infection can “doze off” and wait for favorable circumstances to manifest itself.
The virus infects many patients, but not everyone gets warts. There are risk factors:
- Direct contact with an infected person - sexual intercourse, kissing, shaking hands;
- Contact with infected objects;
- Mechanical damage to the epithelium;
- Weakened immunity.
How not to get HPV?No specific preventive measures are provided. To minimize the chances of infection, it is important to follow medical guidelines:
- Avoid contact with infected persons;
- Provide regular, complete skin care;
- Maintain immunity.
Some countries have approved a vaccine against the most dangerous human papillomaviruses - 16 and 18. Today, this is the best way to get rid of warts and protect the body from infection.
What are the types of formations
According to statistics, 85% of the total population is infected with HPV, but 60% of patients are not even aware of the problem, because they do not feel any symptoms. If infection occurs, the wart will appear when the incubation period has passed.
Common (vulgar) warts:
- General information. 65% of warts are common or vulgar warts. They appear exclusively on the body of a child of primary school age;
- Localization location. On any site, but more often on the hands;
- Shape and dimensions. It resembles a dome, sizes from 0. 5 ml to 1. 5 cm;
- Structure and color. To the touch, they resemble tough, keratinized skin, the surface is covered with villi.
To get rid of warts, it is necessary to remove the largest wart - the maternal one, after which the smaller formations disappear on their own.
Flat (or juvenile) warts:
- General information. They appear up to 25 years old;
- Localization location. Appear on the legs, arms and face;
- Shape and dimensions. Papules up to 5 mm in diameter;
- Structure and color. The surface is smooth or scaly, resembling flesh-colored nodules.
Rarely appear on the glans penis.
Plantar and palmar warts (horny warts):
- General information. This type of growth is a type of common warts, it is characterized by increased sensitivity when walking. In appearance, growths do not differ from corns. Formations appear in areas of frequent friction on the soles and palms;
- Localization location. Soles and palms;
- Shape and dimensions. Palmar and plantar wart - formation of a round shape in diameter no more than 1. 5 cm;
- Structure and color. Formations are hard to the touch, dark in color.
If you prefer to wear tight, synthetic shoes and often do heavy manual work, it is likely that soon you will have to find a way to get rid of warts.
Filiform warts (acrochords):
- General information. If the growths are damaged, the formation becomes inflamed and increases in size;
- Localization location. Formations affect the face, areas under the breast, armpits;
- Shape and dimensions. They look like a bundle of threads (5-6 pieces), the diameter of the wart is from 1 to 3 cm;
- Flesh color of education.
Genital warts or condylomas:
- General information. Warts appear on the body of adult patients and in children, and can grow into large colonies;
- Localization location. In children, they appear in the nasolabial folds, in adults, the genitals, areas under the mammary glands, armpits are affected. In rare cases, appear in the throat after oral intercourse;
- Shape and dimensions. Due to its unusual shape, it is compared to cock's comb and cauliflower. Genital warts are small and not amenable to visual diagnosis;
- Color. Pale pink in color, if rubbed, they become deep red and bleed.
This type of wart is transmitted during intimacy, causing bleeding and unpleasant discomfort.
How to get rid of the problem
If you find changes in the skin, do not rush to get rid of the warts. It is likely that after a few months the condition of the skin will return to normal. The main goal of removing the growth is to remove it so that scar tissue does not appear, therefore, it is necessary to select a method for removing the neoplasm with great care. Lesions of the skin on the face in the genital area are best treated under the supervision of a doctor.
Folk remedies
Essential oils.Treat affected areas daily with a mixture of pine and lemon oils.
- Apply a mixture of patchouli and hyssop oils to the bactericidal patch, change the sticker every day.
- Eucalyptus and thyme tea tree oil is mixed in equal parts, the mixture is applied to the damaged areas twice a day. To strengthen the immune system, use essential oils of chamomile, citrus or lavender.
Medicinal herbs.Kalanchoe and aloe leaves help to get rid of warts at home. The procedure is carried out as follows:
- To soften the formation, a napkin moistened with soda solution is applied to the affected area for 10-15 minutes.
- Then a leaf of a medicinal plant is applied, having previously cleaned it to pulp, and fixed with a bandage. The procedure lasts from 3 to 7 hours, the full course is 7-10 sessions.
Celandine for warts.The most popular way to combat formations, as the plant has a powerful antibacterial effect.
- The affected areas are treated with celandine juice twice a day.
- The minimum course is two weeks, with massive epithelial lesions it may take up to two months.
- If it is impossible to find a plant, you can purchase a pharmaceutical preparation based on celandine.
Conspiracy.Another way to get rid of a wart. To carry out the ceremony, you will need a red thread 30 cm long from a natural material, such as cotton.
- When a young moon appears in the sky, go outside, touch the thread to the growths and tie a knot on it for each.
- When tying a thread, say the text: "Month, Young month, take this disease with you. "
- Then the thread is buried in the ground.
Skin diseases are a symptom of pathological internal processes, so do not limit yourself to folk recipes, it is advisable to consult a doctor, find out the cause of the disease and undergo medical treatment for warts.
Pharmacy products
Preparations for removing warts are sold in a pharmacy without a prescription, it is difficult to choose the best remedy, everything is determined by the individual characteristics of the patient. The choice of the most effective medication is best left to your doctor. According to the method of action, pharmaceutical products are presented in three groups:
- For cryotherapy;
- Necrotizing action;
- Keratolics;
If necessary, the course of therapy is supplemented with antiviral agents and immunomodulators.
Laser Removal
Doctors in many countries recommend getting rid of warts using this technique, this method is recognized as the most effective for removing:
- Outsole masses;
- Common warts;
- Flat neoplasms.
The doctor must inform the patient of all contraindications.
Features of laser exposure:
- The laser beam does not leave scars, does not cause inflammatory reactions;
- Under the influence of extreme temperatures in the affected area, pathogenic microflora perishes;
- There is no contact with the skin during the procedure, this excludes the possibility of further damage to the skin;
- The specialist controls the parameters of the laser beam - the power and degree of exposure, so the patient does not feel any discomfort, no complications arise;
- In 2 weeks the skin is completely restored - a dry crust appears, after 10-14 days it disappears on its own, a young, healthy epithelium appears under it.
The dark crust must not be torn off, the solarium and swimming pool must not be visited, disinfectants are used for treatment.
Liquid nitrogen removal
Another popular wart removal technique. For the procedure, a wooden stick with a soft cotton swab or a special cryoapplicator is used - a tube with a container where the active substance is placed. On the first visit to a specialist, possible contraindications are identified. The safest way to cauterize warts is selected:
- Soft - activates local immunity;
- Aggressive - a bubble forms under the skin, it is cut off by the hardware method along with the neoplasm.
Procedure Features:
- Pathogenic cells die under the influence of low temperature (-196 degrees), as a result, the skin becomes inflamed and immune processes are activated.
- The applicator is applied with force to the skin for 40-60 seconds, during which time the substance evaporates.
- To get rid of the wart, the specialist grabs the surface of the skin 1 ml more than the growth.
- After the procedure, the neoplasm acquires a white tint, a bubble appears, which after 2-3 days turns into a crust and disappears on its own.
Complete removal of growths using cryotherapy is carried out in 2-3 sessions with a break of one week.
Removal by electrocoagulation
This is an effective technique that cleanses the skin anywhere on the body except the heels. The procedure is carried out using an electrocoagulator. Removal of neoplasms occurs due to exposure to the affected areas of high-frequency current.
Procedure Features:
- You can cleanse your skin in one session;
- The duration of the procedure is up to one minute;
- Anesthetics must be used;
- Cauterization of blood vessels occurs, this prevents bleeding;
- Recovery period - 10 days;
- After the procedure, the affected area is treated with antiseptic drugs;
- No scars remain.
The main advantage of electrocautery is the prevention of new lesions. In some cases, the patient feels itching and burning, but the discomfort quickly disappears.
Prevention of warts
Epithelial lesions are a symptom, not a cause. If you only act on the consequence, the risk of relapse is high, therefore it is important to strengthen the immune system so that in extreme situations the body can resist infection. Now you know how to get rid of warts on various parts of the body and clear the skin forever.