PapillomaIs a benign neoplasm that is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and occurs in different parts of the body: on the neck, under the arms, in the bladder, on the genitals, on the vocal cords, on the eyelids, on the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose.
Causes of occurrence
The natural cause of uncomfortable growths and warts is HPV. This virus is very common - it affects around 60% of the population.
The virus spreads in the following ways:
- Sexual. . . Genital warts appear on the body through sexual intercourse.
- During birth. . . If infected during childbirth, papillomas and warts usually appear several months after the birth.
- At home. . . The infection occurs at home, in public places and in traffic.
- Under certainprocedure. . . For example, you can "pick up" HPV while epilation or shaving.
True, despite the active spread, the body can cope with HPV independently in 90% of cases.
Why are papillomas dangerous?
Small papillomas that appear on the human body do not always attract attention, but they too can be dangerous.
So, papillomas can cause the development of terrible diseases:
- Carcinoma;
- Cervical cancer (cervical cancer);
- Cervical dysplasia;
- Oral cancer;
- Throat cancer;
- Shortness of breath and signs of asthma (especially in children);
- Impotence;
- Bowen's Disease;
- Lesions of the mucous membranes.
Growths can cause psychological and aesthetic problems, but their main danger is human health problems (including precancerous diseases and cancers).
diagnosis
HPV diagnostics include at least 7 procedures:
- Clinical examination. . . An exam specialist identifies and examines all of the growths on the patient's body. If anogenital warts are found, men may be assigned a ureteroscopy, women may be assigned to see a gynecologist to examine the cervix.
- Colposcopy. . . Examination of the female genital organs with a special device - a colposcope.
- Histological examination. . . Explore the deep zones of the Malpighian layer and the development of coilocytes.
- Cytological examination. . . The classification is based on the PAP smear test, which comprises 5 classes. I - the cytological picture is normal, V - a large number of atypical cells.
- Digene test(Screening test). This procedure allows you to quickly identify elevated levels of the virus. This test is very accurate.
- PCR typing. . . You can use this procedure to identify individual types of virus. However, the method has a disadvantage: 20% of the PCR typing give an incorrect result (since the infection is short-lived).
- PCR(orPolymerase chain reaction). Allows you to identify not only HPV but other sexually transmitted diseases as well.
treatment
HPV requires attentive and careful management, and the patient must pass the necessary tests before deciding on treatment (destruction). Sometimes it may turn out that the patient does not need medical intervention - the papilloma may go away over time.
Traditional treatment
It is important to understand that there is no way to completely eradicate HPV. All that can be done is to get rid of the manifestations of the disease (in the form of papillomas, warts and other growths). They are the ones that cause cancer and precancerous lesions (not HPV). It happens that HPV lives in the body for up to 30 years without manifesting itself on the skin.
Therapy with immunomodulators and antiviral drugs is rarely prescribed. Doctors prescribe such drugs for severely oncogenic types of virus.
Official medicine offers the following methods of removing lesions:
- Operative removal. . . This is an extreme measure for papillomas and warts. Typically used when there is too much debris. Removal requires preparatory preparation of the patient, appropriate qualification of the doctor and the use of local anesthesia.
After the operation is complete, a suture is created to connect the tissue. The skin heals within 3-4 weeks, but a scar may remain.
- Electrocoagulation. . . Covers exposure to electrical shock at the injury site. It is necessary to "cauterize" the base of the affected area. The main advantage of this procedure is the accurate closure of the vessels, practically without blood. The skin is restored within 7-10 days with minimal risk of scarring.
- Laser removal (laser coagulation). . . Allows exposure to a focused laser beam. The procedure is performed without anesthesia and only takes a few minutes and leaves rough crusts (they fall off quickly and leave no traces).
Laser coagulation has minimal risk of scarring and allows you to get rid of any accumulation of warts or warts quickly. The only downside to the operation is its high cost.
- Cryodestruction (burning with nitrogen). . . To perform the procedure, you will need a drop of liquid nitrogen, which, as soon as it hits the wart, will immediately destroy its structure. Allows you to get rid of the buildup in 7-10 days.
Nitrogen cautery is considered an effective and inexpensive method, but multiple sessions may be required for large areas. The technique is actively used in private and public clinics, centers of aesthetics and health. The only negative is the risk of relapse if the specialist does not burn the growth to the end.
- Radiosurgery. . . It is carried out with special equipment. The method appeared relatively recently and allows you to quickly and painlessly remove any growths. To date, however, radiosurgery has not been accessible due to its high cost.
- Chemical destruction. . . "Strong" chemicals are used in the implementation. Substances and acids. These compounds are applied to condylomas, papillomas, or warts without special equipment. This is a cheap method, but it is relatively effective.
Important!Any intervention runs the risk of damaging adjacent tissue, which threatens the spread of the virus.
Medication
Before deciding on self-treatment, the patient should consult a specialist so that he can prescribe medication suitable for home use.
It is important to remember that you cannot trim even harmless looking warts yourself, as the causes of their appearance are unknown. This may even accelerate their growth and increase the risk of HPV degeneration into oncological tumors. If papillomas appear on mucous membranes (eyes, nose or throat), the investigation of the cause and treatment should be carried out under the supervision of the attending physician.
There are the following popular ways to get rid of papillomas:
- duct tape. . . Removal of warts can be carried out using adhesive tapes purchased at the pharmacy and impregnated with a special composition. This composition has a destructive effect on the papilloma for some time, then it comes off with an adhesive tape. To relieve pain, the strips are usually moistened with warm water before tearing them off.
- Freeze- This is one of the most common ways to get rid of papillomas. The use of freezing drugs is indicated, as a rule, for the elimination of neoplasms with localization in the genital area or in other places, and such treatment is possible without anesthesia. You can buy a special drug yourself in a pharmacy, and the procedure requires strict adherence to the instructions. After a week of therapy, there is no longer any trace of papillomas.
- Pharmacy preparation with phenol, intended for the treatment of warts and papillomas. It is highly effective - skin neoplasms are eliminated after just one application, but the procedure is accompanied by pain, since a wound remains on the site of the papilloma, which takes time to heal.
- Gel with celandine extractwhose effectiveness is confirmed by the Ministry of Health. Differs in the absence of pain during destruction.
There are several situations associated with the appearance of growths that require the destruction of neoplasms. Depending on the location of the papilloma, the urgency of its removal, and whether this is the first appearance of HPV, various methods of treating papillomas can be used.
Also, the need to consult a specialist is due to the fact that when papillomas appear, taking drugs independently carries the risk of developing papillomatous skin defects, as a result of which the growths appear in all places throughout the body. In this case, their treatment will take longer.
Home remedies
Often, any self-treatment at home is accompanied by the use of folk remedies. In addition to other methods of therapy, after consulting a doctor, it is possible to use traditional medicine. They are especially useful during pregnancy and immunosuppression.
The effectiveness of folk remedies that increase the human body's resistance to infection is high. Some can be taken with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.
of vegetable origin
To prevent the later appearance of papillomas, you can use herbal infusions daily(Lemon balm, nettle, plantain, horsetail, dill, St. John's wort and others) or juice from red potato tubers.
Of the herbal remedies used to remove neoplasms, it is worth highlighting celandine. It is allowed to use its juice, leaves or apothecary infusion. With regular use, papillomas dry out, then they simply fall off.
Astrology gives its idea of how papillomas can be removed- It represents HPV as a viral disease in the form of skin formations and can only be removed when the moon is waning, regardless of how papillomas develop. In this case, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system with herbal teas. Complete elimination of growths requires administration for at least 3 months.
Non-vegetable origin
In addition to the use of herbal products, the following non-herbal products are also highly effective:
- Treating HPV with an Egg- This is one of the most effective and well-known methods of getting rid of papillomavirus. It consists in the fact that papillomas that have just appeared on the body are smeared with egg white, and each next layer is applied only after the previous one has dried. In a few days after the protein is very dry, there will simply be no papillomas left. This is quite an effective and easy treatment for neoplasms on the body.
- Alcohol tincture- You need to mix in 0. 1 liter of alcohol, 2 grams of boric acid, 2. 5 grams of iodine and the same amount of acetylsalicylic acid. It is forbidden to smear papillomas localized on the eyelids or on mucous membranes with this mixture. Instead of this recipe, you can use ammonia or make balls of vinegar and flour (there are the same restrictions on using this tool).
- castor oilIs a painless treatment for skin lesions. The effectiveness of the oil is due to the presence of acid in its composition, which destroys neoplasms.
- Kerosene and green walnut ointment- to treat papillomaviruses in the form of warts, including genital warts. To do this, young nuts must be ground, then they are filled with kerosene in a ratio of 2 to 1. After the mixture has been infused in a dark place for 3 weeks, it can be used to lubricate papillomas. This is a pretty effective way to get rid of neoplasms.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. . . You need to drizzle apple cider vinegar on a clean towel or cotton swab, and then moisten the papilloma three times a day. After a few days, the growth changes color. The duration of the course is several weeks, after which the neoplasm disappears. To make this procedure safer, it is recommended that you dilute the vinegar with a little water before treating the affected area.
Even proponents of conservative treatment admit the use of non-medicinal drugs, which completely reject the possibility of self-medication. In fact, it is a fairly controversial question whether it is possible to get rid of HPV using only traditional medicine.
Both non-traditional and drug treatment can be successful, but only in the right combination and on the recommendation of a specialist.