Papillomas are classified as benign neoplasms that take the form of warts protruding on the skin. Such growths not only cause cosmetic problems, but under certain circumstances can also be harmful to health and even become malignant.
Why do papillomas appear and how to get rid of them without harming your own health?
What do papillomas look like: varieties and types
Small benign formations (up to several millimeters in diameter) can appear on the skin and mucous membranes, which are popularly called "warts" and in medicine are called papillomas. The growths are soft to the touch, have a slightly convex shape and hang down slightly, their surface is heterogeneous and varies depending on the type of papillomas.
Where papillomas can appear:
- On the feet and hands;
- On the face and neck;
- On the mucous membranes of the genital organs;
- In the nasopharynx and oral cavity;
- In the armpit area;
- In the urethra.
Most often, papillomas are localized and spread on the genitals.
Important!The main and only cause of papillomas is the human papilloma virus (HPV).
Depending on the degree of danger to human health, papillomas are divided into two types:
- With low level– Papillomas caused by HPV viruses types 6 and 11;
- With a high level– Neoplasms that occur under the influence of HPV virus types 18, 31, 16, 35 and 33; The risk of developing dysplasia and cancer with such tumors is quite high.
Papillomas are a fairly common phenomenon and occur equally often in men and women. With a healthy immune system and a healthy lifestyle, the papilloma virus can "live" in the human body for many years without detecting itself. However, when the body weakens under the influence of certain factors, HPV begins to manifest itself externally - growths appear, Redness and irritation may occur on the mucous membranes.
Important!Papillomas are not a malignant formation, but some varieties can create favorable conditions for the development of precancerous lesions and cancer.
There are many types of papillomas, depending on the type of HPV that has entered the body.
What the main types of papillomas look like:
- Warts are flat– round or oval warts that protrude 1-2 mm above the skin. They occur in teenagers and young adults and are therefore also called "teenage warts".
- Warts are simple ("vulgar")– protrude about 2-3 mm above the skin, occur most commonly on the feet, palms and hands and are rough to the touch.
- Condylomas acuminata– looks like a cockscomb or cauliflower. Most often they are located on the mucous membranes - the urethra, genitals and in the mouth.
- Thread warts– Most often, this type is called "papillomas" and is typical for people over 35-40 years old. They are most often localized in the armpits, face and neck, and in women under the breasts. The dimensions do not exceed 3-5 mmand look like round or thread-like growths.
Papillomas in the urethra and bladder are less common - usually in men and in combination with genital warts. A separate group includes papillomas in the larynx, trachea and oral cavity, because such neoplasms cause great problems to the patient and in some cases even pose a threat to life.
Why do papillomas appear?
The cause of papillomas in humans is HPV, which, penetrating into the blood, begins to actively multiply and primarily affects the upper layers of the skin. With strong and strong immunity, external manifestations of the virus may not be observed for a long time, but under favorable conditions, pathological growth of the epithelium begins.
Usually the incubation period is no more than 2-3 months, but it happens that the latent course drags on for several years.
Provoking factors for the appearance of papillomas are:
- Decreased immunity– under the influence of previous infections, stress, long-term illnesses, vitamin deficiency.
- Bad habits– Smoking and alcohol abuse often cause tumor processes.
- promiscuity– Papillomas are often sexually transmitted, and concomitant diseases of the reproductive system only promote the development of HPV.
Indirect causes of the development of HPV can be long-term treatment with antibacterial drugs for viral and infectious diseases, as well as gastrointestinal diseases.
Important!HPV infection occurs through sexual contact in 50% of cases. Therefore, doctors consider any person who is actively sexually active to be at risk.
Papillomas often appear in adolescence and young adulthood, which coincides with the onset of sexual activity. Young people are more likely to have unprotected sex and change sexual partners. In this case, HPV can enter the body through vaginal, oral and anal routes.
The provoking factors for the appearance of papillomas in women are: general weakening of the immune system (in long-term illnesses, frequent stress), taking oral contraceptives and menstrual irregularities.
In men, papillomas appear as a result of promiscuous and active sexual life, refusal of condoms, addiction to nicotine and alcohol.
How can you get infected:
- Sexually- the most common route of infection. Using a condom does not eliminate the risk of infection, especially if the growths are localized in the perineum or anus.
- During pregnancy and birth– If a mother is infected with the HPV virus, it is passed to the child at birth or through breast milk.
- Using everyday means– when using general hygiene products in violation of hygiene standards.
Self-infection with the papilloma virus often occurs in places with high humidity - on beaches, in swimming pools, saunas. Infection occurs when there is minor damage to the skin or when the mucous membrane comes into contact with a source of HPV.
Penetrating into the body, the virus finds the most favorable habitat for itself, but is more often localized in those parts of the body that are most often exposed to microtrauma. The virus becomes infectious immediately after entering the human body. HPV does not spread to other organs, but it is quite difficult to get rid of it and it is almost impossible to completely eliminate the virus.
How to get rid of papillomas
Usually, papillomas do not require treatment if they do not cause cosmetic discomfort and are not subject to constant trauma. Some rashes may disappear completely on their own as a person's immune strength increases, but they recur with any triggering factor.
Treatment of papillomas is necessary only in the case of large growths and in the presence of risk factors for their degeneration into malignant tumors.
Treatment at home is best done after consulting a doctor - most often the removal of papillomas is carried out by a dermatologist; for growths in the genital area, a dermatovenereologist (for men), a gynecologist (for women).
Important!Under no circumstances should you cut out, scratch or squeeze tumors yourself!
Therapy for papilloma is comprehensive: first, drugs to strengthen immunity and antiviral agents are prescribed. Usually this is enough for the growths to disappear on their own.
However, if papillomas interfere with a person's normal life or the doctor considers that the virus poses a threat to the patient's health and life, surgical removal of papillomas is suggested.
Take note!It is impossible to completely get rid of the papilloma virus, but you can remove papillomas at home or in the clinic, thereby preventing the dangerous development of the disease.
An infected person needs to take preventive measures to prevent the appearance of growths, maintain a healthy lifestyle and strengthen immunity.
Treatment in the clinic
Treatment in the clinic includes the removal of papilloma by surgical methods, and the method of elimination is selected by the doctor based on the type of tumor and according to diagnostic procedures.
If the tumor diameter is more than 1 cm or if cancer is suspected, removal of the tumor is usually recommended. During the operation, the growths and some of the surrounding tissue are removed and then cosmetic stitches are applied.
Surgical methods for removing papillomas:
- Laser removal.The most accessible and common method is to remove the growth with a laser after anesthesia with an anesthetic. The procedure takes around 20-30 seconds per tumor. After cauterization, a crust remains on the skin that cannot be removed - after a few days it falls off on its own. In this way, it is proposed to remove papillomas on the neck, face, armpits and under the mammary glands, where the skin is very sensitive and easily injured.
- Radiosurgical treatment.In principle, this method is similar to laser excision, but its special advantage is that radio wave therapy is not so dangerous for the human eye and therefore is preferable when removing papillomas on the eyelid and face.
- Cryodestruction– Cold cauterization with cotton wool soaked in liquid nitrogen (liquid nitrogen has a temperature of minus 15 degrees). The frozen growth falls off on its own after a few days. The procedure does not require anesthesia, but it is not recommended to perform it on the face, because treatment with liquid nitrogen can cause temporary redness of the skin.
- Electrocoagulation– an outdated method using an electric knife that burns out tumors with high-frequency currents.
- Excision with a scalpel– a previously common method for removing papillomas, which is now no longer used in almost any clinic due to the high risk of skin injuries.
The excised growth is sent for histology to rule out the presence of malignant cells.
Treatment does not end after the operation - the doctor prescribes immunomodulatory and antiviral drugs to the patient and gives recommendations for carrying out medical procedures at home.
To strengthen immunity, it is recommended to take vitamin complexes, immunomodulators, diet, walks in the fresh air and hardening.
After surgical removal, there are usually no recurrences; Recurrence of growths at the excision site may occur if the area has not been completely cleaned.
Home treatment
Some types of papillomas can be eliminated at home using folk and pharmacy remedies.
Removal of papillomas at home can be done using pharmaceutical products that have caustic properties.
These drugs are compounds of alkalis and acids, that is, they eliminate papillomas by burning tissue on the skin. Therefore, before cauterizing a papilloma at home, it is advisable to consult a doctor and use such products with caution so as not to harm the skin, especially if the growths are on the face or neck.
Removal of papillomas at home should be carried out according to three basic rules:
- You cannot remove genital warts on your genitals yourself.
- It is impossible to remove growths of an unknown nature with signs of bleeding, inflammation or excessive growth.
- You cannot remove tumors on the face - a scar or a scar may remain that the doctor cannot remove later.
How to get rid of papillomas at home:
- Garlic.Cut off a piece of garlic and apply fresh juice to the growth, securing it with an adhesive plaster. Repeat this twice daily for 2-4 weeks.
- Celandine juice.Cut the stem of the celandine and apply to the new growth in the place where the juice is released. You can carry out the procedure 2-3 times a day for 14 to 30 days. This method allows you to quickly and painlessly remove papillomas on the face at home.
- laundry soap.Lather the skin at the growth sites several times a day. Treatment is not effective for old and multiple tumors.
- Castor oil.The area around the papillomas is lubricated 1-2 times a day for 1-1. 5 months.
- Vinegar.You can mix 70% vinegar and glycerin in equal proportions and apply to the growths three to four times a day. Or use regular 5% vinegar to lubricate the papilloma every day.
You can remove papillomas on the eyelid at home with Kalanchoe or aloe juice, while using antiviral eye medications. However, if the growth is located near the mucous membrane of the eye and in the eyelid, it is better not to carry out the treatment at home; You need to consult an ophthalmologist or dermatologist.
The most gentle way to remove armpit papillomas at home is to use regular egg white: the egg white is applied to the papilloma in a thick layer and left in this state for several hours, after which another layer is applied on top. Within a few days after repeating the procedure every day, small papillomas dry up and fall off on their own.
Traditional medicine offers many options for removing papillomas at home. However, it should be borne in mind that different methods are effective for different types and types of growths. Therefore, each method is purely individual and it is advisable to use it after consulting a doctor.
Important!Various nutritional supplements against papillomas, monastery tea, tea against parasites and papillomas - do not help in the treatment of papillomas!
It is almost impossible to avoid HPV infection - even with strict adherence to the rules of personal hygiene, avoiding casual sex and visiting public places of consumption, there is no guarantee that the virus will not enter the body through contact with previously infected household itemsBody gets touched by an already infected person.
Therefore, the main preventive measure against the appearance of papillomas can only be considered to be strengthening immunity, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding stress and infectious diseases, taking vitamins and eliminating bad habits.