Undoubtedly, almost everyone has heard the word "wart" and most likely raised their eyebrows at the same time with hatred, wondering how unpleasant and perhaps dangerous an infectious disease is. Some people remember from childhood: you should never touch frogs - there will be warts. Someone declares that he will "pass over" in a credible way, and in general, he is like a mole and is not afraid at all, while others are very afraid to catch them. There are many hypotheses around the disease because not everyone knows the exact cause of the pathology.
Notified in advance. Therefore, it is important to understand why people grow warts, what they are, why they are dangerous, and whether they have contact with frogs.
Types of warts
Warts are skin growths caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) that live and multiply only in the epithelium and mucous membranes. Under certain conditions, the virus begins to appear in the form of growths on the surface of the epithelium. Neoplasms can be of different sizes - both small and large enough and in color - from pink to dark brown.
HPV has many strains that cause different types of warts.
straight warts (juveniles)
Such neoplasms resemble irregularly shaped outer round spots. They occur in adolescents. Their appearance is closely linked with the hormonal reconstruction of the young organism. They cause a lot of unpleasant feelings - from psychological distress to itchy skin. Itchy warts are usually itchy, which is not typical for other species. This type of skin inflammation most often occurs on the face, neck, arms and legs. They usually go away on their own and do not require serious intervention.
Vulgar warts (common)
They are dense growths resembling knots. This species is the most common. The fact is that they appear on the hands and fingers, palms, and allow HPV to be easily transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person. The virus enters the skin when it comes in contact with the body or when using household items. The main reasons for the appearance of warts on the hands are the ease of transmission of the disease and failure to follow basic hygiene rules.
One of the subtypes of common warts is plantar warts. They affect the lower part of the feet: feet, ankles, toes. Such growths are very sad, because they are very painful, especially when walking.
Often, common warts disappear completely in six months to a year, but in some cases they may not go away for longer.
Filiform warts
These types of neoplasms are soft and round. Such warts are often seen in the elderly, women with problematic pregnancies and during menopause, because their occurrence is associated with hormonal imbalances. First, areas of delicate skin are affected: face, neck, groin, armpits. The presence of wrinkles in the body and excessive sweating also contribute to the spread of epithelial growth.
Unlike the previous two types, this type of skin formation requires careful monitoring and treatment under the supervision of a specialist. It is important to know that they will not go away on their own and may need to be removed.
Genital warts
A different type of wart that affects the genitals, anus or less often the mouth. They are growths on the feet, they have the shape of a glacier. With the development of the disease becomes like cauliflower.
Warts often turn into malignant tumors, so their appearance and growth should be monitored by a specialist.
Reasons
Almost half of the world's population is infected with human papillomavirus, but not everyone is aware of it. For a long time, HPV has not been able to maintain its vital functions. Warts or condyloma occur when the conditions for their development are favorable, ie with a decrease in the protective functions of the human body. In fact, poor immunity is the main reason for the appearance of genital warts and warts in different parts of the body.
Motivating factors:
- hormonal failure in the body (puberty, pregnancy, menopause);
- metabolic disease;
- unprotected sex;
- non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
- dry skin on the hands or, conversely, severe sweating;
- circulatory disorders;
- presence of microdamages in the epithelium.
By the way, as practice shows, the appearance of warts has nothing to do with frogs, so we can say with confidence that this is just a hoax.
Diagnostics
Each type of wart is characterized by a specific structure and a set of characteristics. This allows you to quickly diagnose and prescribe the right treatment.
External examination of the neoplasm is enough for a dermatologist to distinguish warts from other skin diseases (lichen planus, warty tuberculosis of the skin, etc. ). In addition, it is necessary to ensure the quality of growths and determine the degree of oncogenicity. To do this, perform an examination with PCR and biopsy. Digene HPV testing is also performed to determine the strain of the virus and its level of concentration. Thanks to it, a prognosis is made for the development of a neoplasm, and methods of therapy are determined.
When skin growths appear, patients do not rush to see a doctor and seek treatment, because there are no acute symptoms of warts. Sometimes neoplasms can cause itching. In most cases, these growths do not bother the owners, except for the non-aesthetic appearance.
There are a number of signs to contact a specialist. First of all, it is:
- rapid growth of the wart (size more than 2 cm is an indication for surgery);
- itching, tingling, burning, pain in growth;
- acute darkening of the neoplasm;
- triggering of the inflammatory process (pus, appearance of blood);
- emergence of new formations around a growth;
- change in shape and structure.
Additional research on genital warts is mandatory.
Effective Treatments
You can get rid of warts quickly, provided that the growth is of good quality. First of all, it is necessary to eliminate those that deprive a person of psychological comfort, cause pain or are easily damaged. The most commonly used for treatment are:
- Pharmacy funds. Drug control methods include immunotherapy, topical application of acidic drugs, retinoic acid, the use of hormonal ointments. Necessary medications are prescribed by a doctor.
- Folk remedies. We are talking about the use of different types of herbs and fruits. For example, such folk methods are considered effective:
- Compresses of raw onions soaked in vinegar. The vegetables are covered with warts for several nights in a row. It is recommended to cover the skin around the formation with adhesive tape to prevent burns. Rubbing the warts with freshly chopped potato halves helps to remove them.
- The most popular and proven method is to burn warts with celandine juice. The procedure should be performed twice a day using freshly harvested herbs. The juice of this plant can burn the skin, so the procedure is carried out strictly locally.
- Another effective remedy is a mixture of dandelion juices, milk thistle, rowan berries, sour apples, onions, garlic and lemon. There are no special ratios - the amount of each ingredient is determined by eye. As a result, the mixture is applied to the wart three times a day.
- By dripping on the problem area, they get rid of the hard growths on the hands with the help of vinegar. A mixture of vinegar and flour is also used for a brighter effect - a paste-like mass should be applied, wait for it to dry, and then wrap overnight.
- A mixture of finely chopped garlic, lemon juice and flour is often used for catering. It is necessary to apply for a while at night.
- Horseradish juice also has a cauterizing effect. The root is rubbed, mixed with salt and allowed to grow.
- operation and other methods. Do not neglect the traditional methods of getting rid of warts used in medical institutions. First of all, this
- Cutting the wart without damaging the adjacent tissue using a radio wave scalpel under local anesthesia. Now this procedure is less used, because there is a high probability of scarring where the warts are removed. However, if the size of the growths is more than 2 cm, the operation must be performed. The method allows you to completely eliminate warts.
- Cryotherapy - the formation is frozen with liquid nitrogen, which deprives the cells of vital activity, they will no longer grow after the event.
- Electrocoagulation - growth catheterization. Getting rid of the problem is considered quick and effective.
Aesthetic medicine clinics also offer services to remove skin formations with laser or phototherapy.
Remember: it is better to see a doctor when any warts appear! More often, HPV-induced neoplasms are benign and do not require serious intervention. But it is better to pass the necessary tests to be sure.
Prevention
Of course, the surest way to prevent the appearance of an unpleasant skin disease is to have strong immunity. Unfortunately, few people can boast of that. Therefore, it is important to follow the rules of hygiene to reduce the risk of infection with warts and condyloma, namely:
- wash your hands thoroughly, take a shower or bath regularly, and teach your child to do the same, because children get sick more often than adults;
- do not use other people's hygiene products;
- when visiting baths, saunas, swimming pools, wear personal interchangeable shoes, do not lean on bare parts of the body against the walls of seats, showers and steam rooms;
- timely treat abrasions, cuts, small wounds with disinfectants;
- exclude unprotected sex using barrier contraception;
- Vaccinate against the most dangerous types of HPV.