First, you need to understand what warts are. In fact, it is a skin disease characterized by the appearance of small formations. The size of such formations varies from 1 mm to 1 or more centimeters.
The cause of warts is viral. They can be spread from person to person by a simple handshake or by sharing items used by a sick person. The incubation period can last several months. So when you develop warts on your body, it can be very difficult to remember who "gave" them to you.
It must be said that there are different types of warts, so the attitude towards them should be extremely gentle. They can be located on the back of the hands, on the face and even on the scalp. On the feet, warts are usually found on the heels. If it is painless in the arms, it can cause a lot of discomfort in the legs. Their formation can be encouraged by foot sweat and shoe pressure.
A special place is occupied by juvenile warts that occur during adulthood. Typically, these warts are small in size and are located on the hands and face. For any type of wart, you should see a doctor to rule out any other skin conditions.
Thus, genital warts are sometimes mistaken for warts, and consultation with a venereologist and urologist is required. Any new growth on the skin should require maximum attention. It happens that a tumor on the skin is mistaken for a wart, and this is extremely dangerous, especially if you intend to remove it. In this case, you should not resort to folk remedies!
Such procedures should be performed only by a professional doctor, who must first be sure that he is dealing with a wart. It is not recommended to remove all warts, this method is used as a last resort: if the wart causes discomfort or bleeds, if the wart causes aesthetic concern, if the wart has reached a large size, if it grows.
Otherwise, it is better to treat warts. The treatment should be carried out by a doctor and you should be under his supervision during the entire treatment period. It should be said that incorrect treatment can help a wart turn into a malignant tumor. Therefore, contact only specialists.
Types of warts
Warts are most often diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but can also occur in adults. In medicine, the following types of warts are distinguished:
- Simple/vulgar.The most common type of skin tumor, 70% of cases are diagnosed in school-aged children. Most often, these types of warts appear on the hands, but they can also appear on the sides of the lips and on the neck. Simple warts are distinguished by the presence of one largest "mother" wart - if removed, smaller tumors disappear.
- Straight/young.They are rare - only up to 4% of diagnosed cases. They are located on the back of the hands, along the edges of the lips, on the head of the genital organ and on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity.
- Palmoplantar.From uncomfortable shoes, they appear in places where there is the most active pressure. The diagnosis of this type of warts is often difficult, because a specialist must distinguish the neoplasm in question from corns and calluses.
- Like a rope.It has a special appearance - a small "tail" made of thin skin, there can be many of them, and they are always arranged in a "cluster". It is most common in the armpits, neck and under the breasts/breasts.
The methods of removing warts on the body and hands directly depend on what type of tumor is detected in the patient.
It is worth knowing one more feature of warts - there is no exact description of their "appearance". For example, a plantar wart can be a small round ball with a dark center, but a simple wart is a growth on the skin with a heterogeneous structure. The easiest way to answer the question "what does a wart look like" is if it is a thread-like type - it looks like an "icicle" that does not cause pain or irritation on the skin. It is worth noting that frequent rubbing of the wart causes its inflammation and irritation - it becomes red and can cause pain.
Where do warts come from?
All this is due to the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is most often caused by direct contact with warts or the personal belongings of an infected person. Four of the several dozen types of HPV are responsible for the formation of warts on the skin.
HPV can easily be called "insidious". A person may not suspect that he has HPV for a long time.
After infection, the virus is localized in the upper layer of the epidermis and may not recognize itself for a long time. But as soon as the protective mechanisms weaken, the virus becomes active and manifests itself in the form of one or more warts.
From the moment of infection to the appearance of skin forms, it can last from a week to several months.
Locations
Which doctor to consult for warts directly depends on the location of the growth.
Depending on the variety, warts can grow all over the body, especially:
- in leg and arm, leg;
- in the armpit area, under the breasts and on its surface;
- on the face, neck and head;
- in male and female genitals;
- in the mucous membrane of the vagina, esophagus, larynx;
- in the mouth. on the tongue and inner surface of the cheeks and lips;
- on the body under the clothes.
Reasons for appearance
It is very easy to get infected with human papillomavirus (HPV).
It is enough to be in close contact with a person who has growths on the skin.
However, the disease does not appear immediately, and warts may begin to grow months or years after infection.
Factors affecting HPV activity:
- weakened immunity;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- stress;
- nutrition;
- bad habits;
- passive lifestyle.
What to do if a wart already appears
Let's go back to the survey results. Only 28% of respondents with warts consulted a doctor. It seems that the prospect of surgical removal procedures is more frightening than the wart itself. 34% of the study participants tried to remove the warts on their own, and 16% decided not to take any measures because they did not care about it.
Why you need to get rid of warts
For those who are still unsure whether to remove warts, it is important to know the following.
- First, warts are contagious. For this, direct contact with the wart or its carrier's personal hygiene products is sufficient.
- Second, warts tend to "conquer territories", that is, spread to healthy areas of the skin. This process is called autoinoculation.
It is clear that it is easier to treat warts in the early stages of the disease, which will save time, effort and money in the future. Moreover, you can buy products for self-removal of warts in pharmacies.
When to consult a doctor
- if the wart quickly changes shape, color or all together;
- if the wart has an uneven color;
- if the boundaries of the wart are blurred (in this case, it is probably not a wart);
- if the wart hurts or constantly hurts (this increases the risk of it turning into something more serious);
- if the number of warts increases gradually;
- if the wart bleeds or itches;
- if a wart has formed in the genital area.
Which doctor treats warts in children and adults
If growths appear anywhere on the body, you should contact a dermatologist - a doctor who specializes in the treatment of skin diseases.
- It is he who conducts the examination and decides whether additional diagnostics (blood test, PCR test, biopsy) are necessary.
- In some doubtful cases, when the wart has signs of malignancy, a dermatologist may recommend a consultation with an oncologist or dermato-oncologist.
- In most cases, the doctor decides to remove the wart, after which its tissue is sent for histological examination to make sure that there are no signs of malignancy.
- In women, warts on the mammary glands can lead to breast cancer and require examination by a mammologist.
Removal of warts
Removal of warts is a radical method and is carried out in several ways. Warts can be removed with a laser. In addition, cryotherapy and electrocoagulation methods are used. You can effectively remove warts using homeopathic medicines. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses.
When choosing a method to remove a wart, the doctor is usually guided by the location of the wart on the body. So laser removal can leave scars. Scar formation is sometimes observed after using the Surgitron device. Therefore, the method of wart removal should be chosen by the doctor: depending on the location of the warts.
Cryotherapy and electrocoagulation are gentle ways to remove warts. Electrocoagulation is performed using a special device that uses high-frequency current. As a result of the use of this device, the temperature of the tissue rises and the wart is destroyed, as a result, the virus dies.
Cryotherapy is also cauterization, but with liquid nitrogen. The procedure is quite painless and leaves no scars. Speaking about these two methods, it should be noted that their use eliminates contact with blood, which is extremely important. You can only trust a doctor who has experience in this field to remove warts.
After removing the warts, you should think about how not to get this infection again.Under no circumstances should warts be plucked or tied at the root with a thread so that they fall off by themselves! Such unreasonable behavior can lead to serious health problems - for example, the resulting wound can become infected and blood flow can be disturbed due to compression of the base of the tumor.
A dermatologist or cosmetologist will tell you how to get rid of warts on the hands of children and adults, what procedures will help you forget about tumors on the body and face - you can contact any of these specialists. There are three main ways to get rid of warts:
- Laser therapy.Typically, this method is used to remove warts in the most sensitive and painful places, or the patient wants to avoid scars. Laser removal of warts on the face is the optimal solution, because this procedure is painless, does not require a long recovery period, and does not leave any scars on the skin after it.
- Cryodestruction.This involves the use of liquid nitrogen, which literally burns the tumor without leaving a scar on the skin, although in some cases a small scar is possible. After removing warts with liquid nitrogen, the patient should not stay in direct sunlight, in the future, a small whitish spot may remain at the site of the procedure.
- Drug therapy.It is used in conjunction with the above methods. There are many drugs that have a local effect and help to destroy warts faster. The most effective remedy for warts is celandine extract, which is applied topically to the growth. You should not use the celandine plant yourself to treat warts - if its juice gets on healthy skin, it causes serious burns.
Getting rid of this type of skin tumor should be comprehensive. It is not enough to visit a doctor and find out what causes warts on your fingers or face, you must follow all the prescriptions and recommendations of a specialist. Even with proper treatment, relapses of the disease are recorded quite often - in 40-50% of cases, warts reappear.
You can find more information about what warts are, which doctor to see to treat plantar warts, and what the term "general therapy for human papillomavirus" means on the pages of our website.
Is it possible to remove warts yourself?
Warts can be removed at home by yourself, but only after being diagnosed by a specialist.
There are special burning pharmaceutical products that can eliminate the growth after the first use. They have a cauterizing and necrotic effect.
Such drugs are toxic and can cause tissue burns around the wart, so they should be used with caution. It is not recommended to remove warts at home, especially in places with thin and sensitive skin (face, neck, mammary glands and genitals). You should also ensure that the wart is completely gone and no root or other parts remain. The ability of warts to reproduce is so great that even a small piece of tissue can become a source of infection in healthy areas of the dermis.
When using pharmaceutical drugs, you must strictly follow the instructions for their use and pay close attention to contraindications. Most of them are prohibited for use in children, pregnant and lactating women.
Warts are external manifestations of an unsatisfactory internal state of the body. It is important not only to get rid of the symptoms of the disease, but also to fight the virus continuously. A person's immune system can fight the disease agent independently if given all possible help. To do this, it is enough to lead a healthy and active lifestyle, strengthen the body with sports and healthy food.
Complications
Under certain conditions, anogenital warts (for example, in the case of sexually transmitted infections, a decrease in general and/or local immunity) can increase in size and increase in size, thereby worsening a person's sexual life and significantly reducing the quality of life.
In addition, inflammation and suppuration of anogenital warts, as well as their injury, can develop due to prolonged mechanical impact on them. In rare cases, their malignant degeneration is possible.
Recommendations for patients with warts
- Since two-thirds of cases go away on their own within two years, warts can be seen without treatment. As old lesions disappear, new warts may appear. This is not the result of treatment failure, but is part of the natural history of HPV infection.
- Treatment often takes weeks or months, so patience and persistence are necessary for therapy to be successful.
- Tools used to remove warts, such as nail files and pumice stones, should not be used on healthy skin or by other people. For the same reason, if the warts are located in hairy areas of the skin, you should use depilators or electric razors to remove the hair in these areas, or not remove the hair at all, thereby limiting the spread of the warts.
- A repeat visit to the doctor is necessary to monitor and evaluate the results of the treatment. • If the patient is self-medicating, he/she can make follow-up appointments with the doctor at his/her discretion.
Prevention
Preventive measures include:
- vaccination with quadrivalent vaccine (against HPV 6 and 11, 16, 18);
- exclusion of casual sex;
- use of contraceptive (condom) barrier methods;
- observe the rules of personal hygiene;
- timely and adequate treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases of pelvic organs;
Frequently asked questions
Which doctor treats warts?
It is better to consult a dermatologist for warts. A dermatologist specializes in treating skin conditions and is experienced in removing warts.
Is it possible to consult a general practitioner with the problem of warts?
Yes, you can see a general practitioner, for example a general practitioner. He will be able to conduct an initial consultation and, if necessary, refer you to a specialist - a dermatologist.
What methods do doctors use to treat warts?
Doctors can use a variety of methods to treat warts, including cryotherapy (freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen), chemical excision, electrocautery (using an electric current to remove the wart), and laser excision. The doctor will choose the most suitable method depending on the characteristics of the wart and the individual characteristics of the patient.
Helpful tips
Tip #1
See a dermatologist. A dermatologist specializes in skin conditions and can help you with warts. He will conduct an examination, make a diagnosis and suggest the most effective treatment.
Tip #2
Consult an oncodermatologist. Warts may be associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause skin cancer. A dermatologic oncologist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer, so they can perform additional tests and recommend appropriate treatment if necessary.