Warts are flat, keratinized, benign growths caused by the human papillomavirus.This fairly common disease occurs most often in children and adolescents and is an epidermal tumor that is a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter.
Warts can affect the skin of the hands, feet, and face, as well as the mucous membranes and genitals.The disease is highly contagious: it spreads quickly and can be passed from one person to another.When injured, warts become painful and may change color and shape.In addition, this tumor causes some psychological discomfort and is a cosmetic defect.Improper treatment can lead to the formation of rough scars and scars.In some cases, warts can develop into malignant tumors.
The causes and pathogenesis of warts
Warts are caused by filterable viruses.It cannot be examined under a microscope or "trapped" by bacterial filters.These viruses include human papillomavirus (HPV).Anyone can become infected, but some people are more susceptible than others.To date, more than 120 human papillomaviruses have been studied.It is well known that the causes of warts are type 2 and 4 viruses.These types of viruses are particularly associated with the appearance of warts on the hands.
Regular use of saunas, swimming pools, public beaches or gyms may lead to HPV infection.Furthermore, a person would not feel safe if his professional activities involved regular contact with fresh meat or fish.
You can become infected through contact with someone who has the virus and through household sharing of household items with infected people.Warts spread particularly quickly among children (kindergartens, schools, sports departments, etc.).Predisposing factors are thought to be maceration (a natural swelling of the epidermis that occurs in people in certain occupations) or minor skin damage.The incubation period can last from 5-6 to 16 weeks.Typically, human papillomavirus infection is asymptomatic and often goes unnoticed by patients.
But what are the common causes of warts on fingers?There is no doubt that the human fingers are the most damaged parts of the body, and viruses spread very quickly and easily through the fingers, leading to the appearance of warts.Contact with someone who has the virus (essentially the cause of warts) occurs through shaking hands or touching handrails or railings in public places.An interesting fact is that people infected with this virus may not even know it exists.He discovered this when the warts appeared.In addition, warts are often caused by reduced immunity.Practice shows that even if a person manages to strengthen immunity, the warts do not disappear anywhere, since the virus continues to live in the blood, causing them to reappear.
Types of warts
In dermatology, it is customary to distinguish between common warts, plantar warts, senile warts, and flat (juvenile) warts.Each type of wart has its own characteristics.
Ordinary type
Common warts resemble uninflamed nodules in appearance, are small in size and dense.Common warts are flat or hemispherical in shape and may be slightly darker or the same color as normal skin.Most often, these warts are found on the hands, palms, face, and other skin areas.In most cases, these tumors are painless.The exception is warts located in the nail area.They can be very painful and difficult to treat.Usually, the appearance of such warts occurs in childhood.
Causes of common warts
What are the causes of common warts in children?It's simple: Warts can be caused by ordinary scratches or abrasions, through which the human papillomavirus (HPV) enters the skin.After the virus invades the body, it begins to multiply actively, mainly in the basal layer of the skin, causing the first warts to appear a month or two later.It is important to note that the presence of warts may not be a necessary symptom of this virus in children.If your child has a strong immune system, he may not suffer from the extremely serious disease of wart after wart.The virus simply lives in the body and does not manifest itself in any way.
If we have found out the causes of common warts, now we should talk about the symptomatic characteristics of common warts.As you know, these warts usually appear on the tops of the hands or feet.Common warts are round in shape and no more than 10 mm in size.An important feature of this type of wart is its multiplicity: the appearance of one wart affects the formation of another, and their number will only increase in the future.
Another interesting fact is that the cause of the appearance of vulgar type warts is the warts themselves.This means that in addition to one common wart, a second wart often appears.The latter are often called "kissing" warts.
plantar type
Plantar warts may appear in adults and children.Because plantar warts are not immediately noticeable, they are difficult to treat.This tumor is located in areas where pressure is greatest.They interfere with walking, are very painful, and can grow to the size of an egg.Sometimes patients mistake keratotic plantar warts for calluses or skin abrasions.Warts differ from calluses in the presence of papillary growths.
Types of flat warts
Juvenile flat warts are epidermal tumors that are small and yellow or light pink in color.Most often, these warts appear on the patient's forehead, chin, or cheeks, as well as on the neck and hands (usually on the back).There are two types of juvenile warts - filiform warts and flat papillomas, located on the mucosa
Types of age warts
Senile warts affect men and women over the age of 40.Pathological processes occur in closed areas of the skin: abdomen, back and chest.Senile warts are flat and covered with characteristic scales.If the scales are removed, papillary growths become visible.
Diagnosis of warts
Diagnosing warts is not particularly difficult for an experienced dermatologist.Such tumors have characteristic external signs, making it difficult to confuse them with other tumors.However, common warts must be distinguished from skin diseases such as keratomas, moles, tuberculous lesions, verrucous basal cell carcinoma, polyps, calluses, and skin cancer.
To confirm the differential diagnosis, patients may undergo additional blood tests for human papillomavirus (HPV).This study was conducted using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.
wart treatment
You should definitely consult your doctor before starting treatment.Only an expert can make the correct differential diagnosis and administer appropriate treatment.There are many "grandma's remedies" for treating warts, but trying it yourself is not only unwise, but also very dangerous to your health, as warts are not just a cosmetic blemish, but a very serious disease.
The purpose of treatment for various warts is to remove them.The method of wart destruction is chosen individually taking into account the location and nature of the pathological process.Often, warts are multiple in nature, but usually only one "parent" tumor needs to be removed and all the others will disappear on their own over time.Warts that fail to respond to conservative treatments will be eliminated.
Basic ways to get rid of warts
There are many advanced methods that can be used to get rid of warts.The most effective of these are:
- Freezing damage.This method is based on applying liquid nitrogen or dry ice directly to the wart.Damaged areas of skin are frozen and then rejected.When exposed to extremely low temperatures, the virus dies completely and the warts are destroyed.This method is painless and post-operative scars are almost invisible.If the wart is large or the patient has a very high sensitivity threshold, the doctor may decide to use local anesthesia.After surgery, a black scab will form at the wart site and should not be removed under any circumstances.After 4-5 weeks it will be rejected on its own.If the wart is large, re-treat the affected area after 3-4 weeks.
- Electrocoagulation.This method involves using an electric current to burn away the tumor.Electrocoagulation is used in hard-to-reach areas and can be used to remove warts on mucous membranes.Disadvantages include a relatively large number of contraindications: violation of general physical conditions, individual intolerance to anesthetics, inflammatory skin diseases, etc.
- Laser destroys warts.This is the most advanced method for removing any type of wart.The operation lasts only a few minutes.The wound heals quickly after surgery and does not require special care.After the surgery, the warts left no trace.There is no age limit; this method can also be used to treat warts in young children.
- Surgery to remove warts.It is used less and less, except to remove particularly large warts.This method is quite painful and involves a lot of bleeding. Postoperative wounds often do not heal well and leave scars.
- X-ray exposure.This method is used to treat plantar warts.
However, warts can be treated not only surgically but also with medications.Nowadays, for the treatment of various types of warts, there are a variety of topical drugs that can destroy the structure of warts to achieve the purpose of local treatment.Warts are usually treated with the help of special ointments, which eliminate them quickly and painlessly.
Treating warts begins by destroying the growth that has formed on the surface of the skin.Medications corresponding to pharmacotherapy can be divided into several groups:
- necrosis;
- Keratolytics (a variety of medications that help treat warts by melting them).
- Cryotherapy components.
- Various antiviral drugs.
- Medications that can boost immunity.
Treating warts with the above treatments may not produce immediate results.Repeated applications of the medication may be needed to get rid of the warts.However, in many other cases, it is not necessary to treat warts at all - they will disappear on their own after a while.
According to statistics, spontaneous healing occurs no more than 2 months (accounting for about 20-22% of all cases) or 3 months (accounting for 30% of cases) after the first wart appears.If we are talking about older warts, then self-healing is most likely to occur after 2 years (this is 50% of cases).Adults are least likely to respond to self-treatment.Medication or surgery can help treat warts in adults.
Treatment of warts can be complicated by their unpredictable behavior.The reason treatment is so complicated may be that you see your doctor later, when the warts have increased in size, changed shape or color.Often, a second wart appears quickly near one, and then the number increases, which also complicates treatment.
Wart treatment, if done correctly, will result in the complete disappearance of the wart or its gradual disappearance.At the same time, you don’t have to be afraid of new warts.