Warts are a benign skin formation (unlike malignant - without the formation of cancer cells), which is formed under the influence of various representatives of the human papillomavirus (HPV) family, of which there are more than a hundred. There are no gender and age barriers for warts: their prevalence is the same between the two sexes and does not depend on age.
Ways of Infection and Causes of Warts
The papillomavirus is transmitted by contact: both by direct contact with the bearer (handshake), and through contaminated household objects and the environment (in bathrooms, showers, swimming pools, etc. ). But do not shy away from an outstretched hand from a colleague or a good friend - the condition for infection is an unfavorable combination of a number of factors:
- skin cracks and microtrauma, chronic scratching. Risk group - people who, by the nature of their professional activity, are engaged in wet cleaning or hand washing: they have many microtraumas on the skin;
- weak immunity (indicator - frequent colds);
- excessive sweating of the hands and feet.
If everything has gone wrong, the first wart will appear in 1. 5-6 months - this is the incubation period for a viral infection caused by HPV.
Types and symptoms of warts
Ordinary warts (also called vulgar).
Such warts make up 2/3 of the total number of warts on the skin. It is the same, these warts are characterized by the legibility of age: they often settle in children and younger students.
A favorite place for the dislocation of warts is the hands (both the palms and the back), the fingers, sometimes (which is very unpleasant from an aesthetic point of view) the face. The appearance of a vulgar wart is very simple: a round seal lump, ranging in size from a pinhead to a small pea. The color does not stand out on the skin. Single warts are rare: usually there are several or a whole scatter. In addition, one of the warts is the largest, it is the so-called maternal wart. If you take it out, the rest will drop by itself.
Flat (juvenile) warts.
Another representative of the "young" warts that affect people aged 10 to 25. They are small flat papules that stand out only slightly on the surface of the skin, having a smooth (sometimes scaly) surface. The color is flesh, sometimes with a yellowish tinge. Most often, flat warts are found on the back of the hands, wrists, face and neck. Sometimes - on the head of the penis.
plantar warts
These warts are distinguished by increased pain, which is especially felt when walking. Outwardly, plantar warts are difficult to distinguish from corns. They can be convex or concave. Plantar warts appear in keeping with their name - on the soles of the feet, at the points of greatest friction.
Senile (seborrheic) warts.
A benign epithelial tumor formed over the years that occurs in old age is called a senile wart. Initially it is a small brown spot, which over time reaches a diameter of 5-6 cm The senile wart (also called seborrheic keratoma) has a greasy and crusty surface. Over time it thickens, its surface becomes covered with cracks and literally fills with a dark brown color. Senile warts form on closed areas of the body, but sometimes they annoy their unwitting owner on the face, neck and limbs.
Condylomas (genital warts)
These warts have a specific localization: genitals, perineum, vaginal opening and anus. They can occur in the armpits, under the female breasts, and in children - in the nasolabial folds. In appearance, they are often compared to cockscomb or cauliflower due to their lobed structure. The color of the warts is flesh or pale pink, but if you rub them they turn a crimson color and start bleeding. They form large colonies.
Warts Diagnosis
Diagnosing warts isn't difficult, this isn't rocket technology for you. It is enough to look at the clinical manifestations of these unwanted growths. Plantar warts are distinguished from banal calluses by the papillary structure of the former, genital warts with large warts, which are a sign of secondary syphilis, due to their denser consistency, broad base and moist surface of the latter.
Treatment of warts
Warts are removed both medically and mechanically. Given their viral "essence", they are fought accordingly: antiviral ointments are prescribed. This will prevent the warts from spreading to areas that have not yet developed. Among the popular methods, milky celandine juice has spread, which stands out on the cut of the plant.
Electrocoagulation (exposure to electric current + high temperature) helps to get rid of warts even in the most advanced cases.
Cryotherapy (cryodestruction with liquid nitrogen) is very suitable for the treatment of vulgar warts. This procedure is practically painless, which makes it convenient for use in children.
Plantar warts are treated in a complex way: first - by cryodestruction, then - surgically, by removing the affected tissue area under local anesthesia.
Laser therapy is also used, using different types of rays. The affected area depends on it to evaporate or coagulate.
There are usually no special problems with warts, but relapses do occur. And in about half of the cases they go away on their own, without any treatment.
As a preventive measure, you may be advised to respond promptly to the appearance of even a wart and take immediate steps to eliminate it.