Surely almost all people have heard the word "wart" and, most likely, frowned in disgust at the same time, thinking about how unpleasant, and perhaps dangerous, an infectious disease is. Some remember from childhood: you should never touch frogs - there will be warts. Someone authoritatively declares that it "will pass by itself" and in general it is like a mole and it is not scary at all, while others are terribly afraid of catching them. There is a lot of speculation about the disease due to the fact that not everyone knows the exact cause of the pathology.
Forewarned is forearmed. Therefore, it is important to understand why people grow warts, what they are, why they are dangerous, and if they have anything to do with frogs.
Types of warts
Warts are skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which lives and multiplies only in the epithelium and mucous membranes. Under certain conditions, the virus begins to emerge on the surface of the epithelium in the form of growths. Neoplasms can be of different sizes - both small and quite large, and in colors - from pink to dark brown.
HPV has a large number of strains and this is what causes various types of warts.
flat warts (juvenile)
Such neoplasms resemble outwardly rounded spots of irregular shape. They occur in adolescents entering puberty. Their appearance is closely related to the hormonal restructuring of the young organism. They offer many unpleasant sensations, from psychological discomfort to itchy skin. It is usually flat warts that itch, for other species this is not characteristic. Most often, skin inflammations of this type occur on the face, neck, arms and legs. They usually pass on their own and do not require serious intervention.
Vulgar (common) warts
They are dense, nodule-like growths. This type is the most common. The fact is that they appear on the hands and fingers, on the palms of the hands, allowing HPV to easily switch from a sick person to a healthy one. The virus enters the body due to skin damage when touched or while using household items. The main reasons for the appearance of warts on the hands lie precisely in the ease of transmission of the disease and failure to comply with basic hygiene rules.
One of the common wart subspecies are plantar warts. They affect the lower legs: feet, heels, toes. Such growths bring a lot of pain, because they are extremely painful, especially when walking.
Most often, common warts disappear completely within six months to a year, but in some cases they may not disappear even longer.
Filiform warts
Neoplasms of this type are soft and rounded. Most often, such warts appear in the elderly, in women with problem pregnancies and during menopause, since their appearance is associated with a hormonal imbalance. First of all, the areas of delicate skin are affected: face, neck, groin area, armpits. The presence of folds on the body and excessive sweating also contribute to the spread of growths of the epithelium.
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 much less often the mouth. They are growths on the leg, shaped like an icicle. With the development of the disease it grows, becoming like a cauliflower.
Warts often turn into malignant tumors, so their appearance and growth should be monitored by a specialist.
Causes
Almost half of the world's population is infected with the human papillomavirus, but not all carriers are aware of it. For a long time, HPV is able to not manifest itself, while maintaining vital activity. Warts or condylomas come out at the moment when the conditions for their development become favorable, that is, with a decrease in the protective functions of the human body. In fact, weak immunity is the main reason for the appearance of warts and genital warts on different parts of the body.
Provocative factors:
- hormonal failure in the body (puberty, pregnancy, menopause);
- metabolic disease;
- unprotected relationships;
- non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
- dry skin of the hands or, conversely, heavy sweating;
- circulatory disorders;
- the presence of micro-damage in the epithelium.
By the way, as practice shows, the appearance of warts has nothing to do with frogs, so we can safely say that this is just an illusion.
Diagnostics
Each type of wart is characterized by a special structure and a set of features inherent in it. This allows you to quickly diagnose and prescribe the right treatment.
An external examination of the neoplasm is enough for a dermatologist to distinguish a wart from other skin diseases (lichen planus, warty tuberculosis of the skin, etc. ). In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the growths are of good quality and to identify the degree of their oncogenicity. To do this, conduct research using PCR and biopsy. In addition, a Digene HPV test is performed to determine the virus strain and its concentration level. Thanks to him, a prognosis for the development of a neoplasm is built, the methods of therapy are determined.
When skin growths appear, the sick are in no hurry to consult doctors and treat them, since warts have no acute symptoms. Sometimes the tumors can itch. In most cases, these growths do not bother their owners, except for their unsightly appearance.
There are a number of directions for contacting a specialist. First of all it is:
- rapid growth of the wart (a size greater than 2 cm is an indication for surgical intervention);
- itching, tingling, burning, pain in growth;
- strong blackening of the neoplasm;
- triggering the inflammatory process (suppuration, the appearance of blood);
- the emergence of new formations around a growth;
- change of shape and structure.
With genital warts, further studies are required.
Effective treatments
You can quickly get rid of warts, provided that the growth is of good quality. First of all, it is necessary to eliminate those that deprive a person of psychological well-being, cause pain or are in places where they are easy to hurt. The most commonly used for treatment are:
- Pharmacy funds. The method of drug fight also includes immunotherapy, local topical application of acid-containing drugs, retinoic acid, the use of hormonal ointments. The necessary drugs are prescribed by a doctor.
- Folk remedies. We are talking about the use of different types of medicinal plants and fruits. For example, such folk methods are considered effective:
- Compress from a raw onion soaked in vinegar. The vegetable is bound to the wart for several nights in a row. In order not to burn the skin around the formation, it is recommended to seal it with adhesive tape. Rubbing the warts with freshly chopped potato halves helps remove them.
- The most popular and proven method is cauterization of warts with celandine juice. The procedure should be done twice a day, using freshly harvested grass. 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, milkweed, rowan berries, sour apples, onions, garlic and lemon juices. There are no specific proportions - the amount of each ingredient is determined by the eye. The resulting mixture is applied to the wart three times a day.
- They get rid of hard growths on the hands with the help of vinegar, causing it to drip onto the problem area. For a brighter effect, a mixture of vinegar and flour is also used - the pasty mass must be applied to the wart, wait for it to dry, and then bandage it overnight.
- A mixture of finely grated garlic, lemon juice and flour is often used for cauterization. It also needs to be applied at night for some time.
- Horseradish juice also has a cauterizing effect. Its root is grated, mixed with salt and applied to the growth.
- operation and other methods. Do not neglect the traditional ways of getting rid of warts, which are practiced in medical institutions. First of all this
- Cut a wart without damaging adjacent tissue using a radio wave scalpel under local anesthesia. Now this procedure is used less frequently, as there is a high probability of scarring in the places where warts are removed. However, if the size of the growths exceeds 2 cm, the operation is carried out without fail. The method allows you to completely remove the wart.
- Cryotherapy - the formation is frozen with liquid nitrogen, which deprives its cells of vital activity, after the event it will no longer grow.
- Electrocoagulation - cauterization of growths. Such elimination of the problem is considered to be quick and effective.
Aesthetic medicine clinics also offer services for the removal of skin formations with laser or phototherapy.
Do not forget: when warts of any kind appear, it is best to consult a doctor! More often than not, HPV-induced malignancies are benign and do not require serious intervention. However, to be safe, it is best to pass the necessary tests.
Prevention
Of course, the surest way to protect yourself from the appearance of an unpleasant skin disease is to have strong immunity. Unfortunately, few people can boast of it. Therefore, to reduce the risk of infection with warts and condylomas, it is important to follow the rules of hygiene, namely:
- wash your hands thoroughly, take a shower or bath regularly and teach the child to do the same, as children contract the disease more often than adults;
- do not use other people's hygiene items;
- when visiting baths, saunas, swimming pools, wear replaceable personal shoes, do not lean against bare body parts against seats, walls of showers and steam rooms;
- promptly treat abrasions, cuts, small wounds with disinfectants;
- exclude unprotected sexual intercourse, using barrier contraception;
- vaccinating against the most dangerous types of HPV.