Papillomavirus (HPV) includes more than 100 varieties of viral infection that affect not only the skin on the hands, feet, face or chest, but also localized to the mucous membranes of the mouth and genitals. The course of treatment is selected depending on the type of pathogen and the stage of development of the virus. Find out what stage the disease, will only help the methods of laboratory diagnostics.
Ways of infection
The main ways of infection with HPV are:
- Transmission of the virus from a sick person to a healthy person;
- Infection of the child in the process of intrauterine development or through breast milk;
- Transmission of the disease during intercourse;
- Penetration of papillomavirus into the human body through skin lesions (wounds, abrasions, scratches);
- spread of infection through pet hair.
First signs of papillomavirus
Various warts and papilloma’s are the first sign that you are infected. They can be either single or group, and their size depends on what stage of development of the disease.
If there are no external symptoms, it is impossible to detect the presence of the papillomavirus during the initial examination of the patient. To detect a disease occurring in a latent form, it is possible only with the help of special methods of laboratory research:
- PCR diagnostics;
- Biopsy;
- Colposcopy;
- Histology.
The tests performed make it possible to determine the type of HPV and to select the necessary treatment, taking into account all the characteristics of the patient.
Important!
Without prior laboratory diagnostics, the use of popular means for removing papillomas may not bring the expected result and even harm human health. This particularly applies to the treatment of papillomavirus in children and future moms.
Wart or not?
In addition to growths caused by the papillomavirus, other neoplasms that have nothing to do with HPV can develop on the body. Most of them are very easily confused with different types of warts:
- Atheroma;
- Basal cell carcinoma;
- keratoma.
See also: Formations on the skin like warts, what is it?
Improper treatment of such growths becomes the reason for their transition to a neglected form and often provokes the development of skin cancer.
Warts that appear because of infection with human papillomavirus infection outwardly resemble a small tubercle of pink or flesh-colored, and in the center of the tumor, you can see its stem. Inside the papilloma, black dots are visible – these are clogged capillaries. The body of the growth is connected by the root system with blood vessels and nerve endings, and therefore, when pressed on it, there is a slight pain.
The initial stage of the appearance of papillomas
At the initial stage of development, the warts are in the form of filamentous growths, which later turn into bulky tumors. Depending on the type of virus, they can attach to the skin with a thin leg or fit snugly to the body.
The beginning wart looks like a small pink ball with a soft structure that is very easy to damage. Often small, not yet fully formed growths disappear themselves. The reason for this was the constant rubbing of papillomas with clothes.
Often, a barely noticeable wound remains in place of a fallen tumor, and many confuse it with the bite of an insect. Independent disappearance of the wart does not solve the problem with the human papillomavirus, as in this case only the outward sign of the disease disappears.
If the growth has only appeared on the skin, you should immediately visit a dermatologist who will prescribe the necessary tests and select a course of treatment depending on the type of viral infection. Efficiency in the fight against HPV is the key to quickly getting rid of the disease with the ability to prevent its recurrence.
How to remove a young wart?
The most popular method of removing young warts was the application to the skin of topical preparations:
- Ointment;
- Gels;
- Salicylic patches;
- Preparations for home cryodestruction;
- Anti-wart solutions.
In addition to medical treatment, the patient can visit the cosmetology center, where he will be offered curettage – the procedure of scraping small papillomas with the help of a special sharp instrument (curette). Basically, this technique is combined with electrocoagulation, but when removing minor tumors, it is used as an independent procedure. Before scraping warts, the patient is injected with a local anesthetic agent, which eliminates any unpleasant sensations during the operation.
The neglected stage of wart development
In the absence of due attention to the problem of papillomavirus, the warts begin to pass into the advanced stage, which complicates the subsequent treatment of the disease. Old-looking neoplasms acquire a dark shade and greatly increase in size.
If the newly formed papillomas can be easily removed with the help of local preparations, then at the advanced stage only cosmetological procedures will help to get rid of warts:
- freezing with liquid nitrogen;
- Removal by laser;
- Radio wave destruction;
- Electrocoagulation.
Under the influence of adverse conditions, old warts can be reborn into a cancerous tumor, which will be very difficult to cure.
Excision of papillomas with a scalpel
The use of cryodestruction, electrocoagulation and some medical methods of treatment is contraindicated for patients suffering from:
- Acute dermatological diseases;
- Allergic reactions to the components of drugs.
Also, the majority of medicines containing toxic components, and visits to cosmetic surgeries are not suitable for pregnant women, people with a pacemaker and young children. In this case, the only available solution is surgical intervention, during which warts at the initial or advanced stage are removed with a scalpel.
