Common warts can disturb people both at a young and at a more respectable age. Their appearance is influenced by the human papillomavirus type 2. These imperfections spoil the aesthetic appearance. If they are not removed, they can grow strongly, combine with each other and form large infected areas on the skin.
What is a wart?
Vulgar wart is a benign growth on the skin. It owes its appearance to the human papillomavirus type 2. It is transmitted through contact with infected people or a thing that a sick person has used. It is a growth of a rounded shape with pronounced edges.
Neoplasms are pink or grayish-yellow with a keratinized surface. The sizes of vulgar warts are different and can reach two centimeters. They appear in the singular and in the plural, in some places they can connect with each other, forming one large affected area. Warts should not be torn and torn off. Similar actionsprovoke their growth and spread.
The most common wart is:
- in the palm of your hand;
- on the oral mucosa;
- on the surface of the foot;
- on the skin of the face;
- kneeling.
These formations do not hurt and do not cause any discomfort to their owner, except for the damaged aesthetic appearance of the skin. Can cause anxiety, being on the edge of the nail plate or on the nail roller. A plantar wart causes a lot of inconvenience. The photo below clearly demonstrates this.
Causes of occurrence
The appearance of warts is influenced by the human papillomavirus, which penetrates through various microcracks, scratches, wounds or abrasions. If the virus has penetrated inside, then it either subsides for a certain period, falls into "hibernation", or actively multiplies. The incubation period for HPV is 2-6 months.
A he althy body is able to overcome the virus, stop its reproduction and development, but if the body's defenses are weakened, then HPV takes over and forms warts on the skin. As a rule, the papilloma virus is infected through contact with a sick person or an object that a person with warts used. Most often, infection occurs in public places: swimming pool, transport, entrance, school, gym, and so on.
The following factors influence the appearance of vulgar warts:
- Violation of the integrity of the skin, that is, the presence of wounds, cracks, abrasions, etc.
- Excessive dryness of the dermis when the epidermis beginscrack.
- Decreasing reactivity.
- Using immune-suppressing drugs such as cytostatics or immunosuppressants.
- Having HIV infection.
- Violation of generally accepted rules of personal hygiene.
- Wet environment.
- Vegetoneuroses.
These and other reasons have an impact on the occurrence of vulgar warts.
It's no secret that warts occur under the influence of various human HPVs. With a weakened immune system, it is rarely possible to suppress the activation of papillomaviruses. In the area of the epidermis where the virus has entered, epithelial hyperplasia occurs, in which the papillary layers of the skin are involved, and papillomatosis begins.
Diagnosing the problem
Before treating a disease, it is necessary to correctly diagnose the disease. To do this, it is enough to pay attention to the appearance of the formation and the place of its localization. For example, warts on the neck, arm or foot. Establishing a diagnosis and treatment does not cause any problems, and usually even an inexperienced doctor can handle it.
In some situations, additional research methods are required to clarify the diagnosis, such as:
- dermoscopy;
- biopsy with histology;
- detection of antibodies to human papillomavirus.
At home, it is not always possible to fully assess the situation, so self-medication does not always give the desired results.
Types of warts
To get rid of a wart, you need to establish what type it isapplies. There are only four of them.
- Common, or vulgar, wart. It is the most common type. It accounts for about 2/3 of the total number of warts. It appears mainly in children and adolescents. Most often, such a wart occurs on the palm, its inner and outer sides. It affects the fingers, in rare cases the face. It is compacted rough nodes on the skin. Their size reaches two centimeters. As a rule, growths appear on the skin in bulk, in several pieces, and rarely singly. The largest wart is considered maternal. When it is removed, all others disappear. The plantar wart (you could already see the photo) is a variety of the common wart. Is quite painful. Gives some discomfort when walking. Virtually indistinguishable from calluses. It is convex and concave. The main localization site is the sole of the foot and the zone of constant friction.
- Flat or juvenile warts. Often appear in the age period of 10-25 years. They are flat papules with a slight elevation on the surface. Smooth to the touch, with a flesh-yellowish tinge. Localized on the back of the hand, face, in the cervical region and on the wrist joints.
- senile warts. This is the epithelium accumulated over many years, degenerated into a benign tumor. It occurs only in old age. It is a small speck that gradually grows to 5-6 cm in diameter. The surface is covered with greasy crusts, over time it becomes more dense and cracks. Acquires darkbrown look. Growths appear on closed areas of the body, face, neck, arms and legs. Deliver some discomfort to their owner.
- Condylomas. They have a fairly specific area of location. Usually these are the genitals, anus, the entrance to the vagina, the perineum. May appear in the armpits or under the breasts in women. In children, they are located in the nasolabial folds. Reminds me of a cockscomb. Painted in flesh and pale pink. When rubbed, they turn crimson and bleed. Sometimes they occupy large areas of the skin.
To delete or not to delete?
The appearance of vulgar warts indicates certain malfunctions in the body. Despite the fact that the formations do not cause significant inconvenience, pain and are not dangerous, in some cases they need to be removed.
So, the wart needs to be removed if it:
- changes its hue;
- bleeding;
- getting wet;
- provokes the appearance of numerous daughter formations;
- is in the friction zone and interferes;
- causes aesthetic, mental and physical discomfort.
Accidental damage to a wart can result in an infectious skin lesion and stimulate the development of papillomavirus. In addition, there is a chance of infecting all family members, work colleagues, people from the immediate environment, etc. with the virus. There is a small risk of the degeneration of a benign formation into a malignant one.
In medicine, there have been cases when warts disappeared on their own. At the sameRemoving the neoplasm does not rid the body of the human papillomavirus. And if immunity remains low, then there is a possibility that warts will occur again and again, including on new, previously uninfected areas.
Pharmacy remedies for warts
Warts can be removed by yourself, using chemicals sold in pharmacies. These include:
- "Super celandine". It is a solution of alkali from sodium and potassium hydroxide. "Super-celandine" is considered the most effective remedy for these formations. It should not be used on the genitals, face, décolleté and neck, or on sensitive skin.
- Verrukacid. The active ingredient is a compound of phenol and metacresol.
- "Solcoderm". The drug, which includes four acids: acetic, nitric, lactic and oxalic.
- Cryopharma. It is a balloon filled with gases. Inside it is maintained at a temperature of about 60 ºС. Enough for five applications. Effective for early warts.
- Wartner Cryo. Gives good results in the fight against common and plantar warts. Contains dimethyl ether and propane. Able to freeze the skin up to -40 ºС.
- Salicylic acid. Apply with an applicator to the wart several times a day or apply the salicylic patch "Urgocor corn" and "Mozolin".
- Galmanin. Available in powder form. Contains salicylic acid & zinc oxide. Apply a thin layer on a cleanepidermis once a day.
All of these drugs must be used with care and can cause burns. Therefore, before treating the wart, he althy skin should be protected with a patch or oily cream. Before using pharmacy products, the wart is steamed and wiped dry.
Traditional medicine
The root of the wart must be removed along with the neoplasm. Only in this case, you can be sure that the wart will not reappear. Such success can be achieved in a variety of ways, including resorting to the secrets of traditional medicine. If the wart has reached a large size, then it is better to consult a doctor to remove it, you can try to remove small ones yourself using the following methods:
- Freshly squeezed celandine juice. They lubricate the warts 1-3 times a day every day. The growths disappear after a few weeks.
- Lotions of mountain ash. Collect fresh berries and make gruel out of them. Apply overnight on the wart.
- Garlic juice. Several times a day, the wart is smeared with garlic and sealed with a band-aid. The duration of treatment is a month.
Folk recipes advise treating the wart with chalk. Someone pulls the formation with a thread at the base. This is the most dangerous way that can provoke the growth of new ones. In some cases, the process of degeneration of the wart into a malignant formation may begin. There are people who remove growths with the help of conspiracies and at the same time have a positive result.
Physiotherapy methods
Vulgar warts can be removed with physiotherapy methods such as:
- Laser photocoagulation. Here, the laser light causes the wart tissue to vaporize. After the procedure, the problem area is treated with 5% potassium permanganate for ten days.
- Electrocoagulation. Cauterization of warts occurs under the influence of an electric current and is called thermal destruction. After this event, the problem area is treated with an antiseptic.
- Cryotherapy. Nitrogen cauterization of warts is the most gentle method. The process of freezing with liquid nitrogen takes place at a temperature of -190 to -196 °C. This procedure not only removes the neoplasm, but also leads to the death of HPV.
- Medicinal electrophoresis with zinc. The drug is injected into the problem area under the influence of current. Electrophoresis with zinc s alts has a cauterizing effect and is accompanied by minor pain. Zinc sulfate or chloride is characterized by astringent and disinfectant properties.
- Ultrasound therapy. Prevents further spread of dermal cells. The impact goes directly to the wart, while he althy skin is not affected. Course - 6-10 procedures.
- Alkaline baths. Soften the upper keratinized tissue, which subsequently leads to the complete disappearance of the wart.
Also, vulgar warts can be removed with a surgical scalpel. Basically, this method is used to excise large neoplasms. After removal, traces often remain on the skin in the form of scars andscars. In addition, during the operation, there is a possibility of bleeding. After this method, warts on the skin may reappear if the formation tissue is not completely excised. There is a possibility of secondary penetration of papillomavirus into the blood.
Wart after cauterization
The result after removing the wart is not always happy, as some procedures have a number of side effects. Cauterization with liquid nitrogen in some cases causes pain. Clients say that after the procedure, wounds do not heal very well and quite often scars and scars remain at the site of the wart, mainly in people with sensitive dermis. In individuals with dark skin, the procedure causes pigmentation.
Freezing tissues with nitrogen often leads to sad consequences (swelling, reddening of the skin, hemorrhagic blisters), especially if the procedure was long enough. This occurs when large areas of skin with multiple warts are treated.
When you find a dangerous wart or formation that causes discomfort, you should carefully diagnose them, choose the best removal method and a good specialist.
When pathologies of the epidermis are formed, experts recommend lubricating this sore spot with herbal infusions of chamomile and calendula and applying a special burn cream.
Prevention
So that imperfections in the form of vulgar warts do not bother, you should follow the basic rules of hygiene:
- wash hands after visiting public places;
- put shoes on your feet in the pool;
- disinfect all wounds, abrasions;
- do not use the thing of a person with warts, and after contact with him, wash your hands.
Good immunity and hygiene are the main factors that prevent warts from appearing on the skin.
