Papillomas are classified as benign neoplasms that have the shape of warts that protrude from the skin. These growths not only cause aesthetic discomfort, but under certain circumstances they can harm human health and even become malignant.
Why do papillomas appear and how to get rid of them without harming one's own health?
What do papillomas look like: varieties and types?
Small benign formations (up to several millimeters in diameter) may appear on the skin and mucous membranes, which are popularly called "warts" and in medicine - papillomas. The growths are soft to the touch, have a slightly convex shape and hang somewhat, and their surface is heterogeneous and varies depending on the type of papilloma.
Where papillomas can occur:
- In feet and hands;
- On 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 to the genitals.
Important!The main and only cause of papillomas is the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Depending on the degree of risk to human health, papillomas are divided into two types:
- with low level– papillomas caused by HPV types 6 and 11;
- With a high level– neoplasms that appear under the influence of the HPV virus types 18, 31, 16, 35 and 33; The risk of developing dysplasia and cancer with these tumors is quite high.
Papillomas are a fairly common phenomenon and appear with the same frequency in both men and women. With a healthy immune system and a healthy lifestyle, the papillomavirus can "live" in the human body for many years without being detected. But when the body weakens under the influence of certain factors, HPV begins to manifest itself externally: growths appear, redness and irritation may appear on the mucous membranes.
Important!Papillomas are not a malignant formation, but some varieties can create favorable conditions for the development of precancerous diseases 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 rise above the skin between 1 and 2 mm. They are found in adolescents and young adults, which is why they are also called "juvenile warts. "
- Warts are simple ("vulgar")– they rise approximately 2-3 mm above the skin and occur most frequently on the feet, palms and hands, and are rough to the touch.
- Condylomata acuminata– looks like a rooster's comb or cauliflower. Most often they are found on the mucous membranes: the urethra, genitals and mouth.
- filiform warts– most often this type is called "papillomas" and are typical for people over 35-40 years old. They are most often located in the armpits, face and neck and under the breasts in women. The dimensions do not exceed 3-5 mm and look like round or threadlike growths.
Less common are papillomas in the urethra and bladder, usually in men and in combination with genital warts. A separate group includes papillomas in the larynx, trachea and oral cavity, becausethese neoplasms cause a lot of problems for the patient and, in some cases, even pose a threat to life.
Why do papillomas occur?
The cause of papillomas in humans is HPV, which, penetrating into the blood, begins to actively multiply and mainly 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 does not exceed 2-3 months, but it happens that the latent course lasts for several years.
The factors that cause the appearance of papillomas are:
- Decreased immunity– under the influence of past infections, stress, prolonged illness, lack of vitamins.
- Bad habits– Smoking and alcohol abuse quite frequently cause tumor processes.
- Promiscuity– Papillomas are often sexually transmitted and concomitant diseases of the reproductive system only enhance the development of HPV.
Indirect causes of the development of HPV can be long-term treatment with antibacterial drugs for viral and infectious diseases and gastrointestinal pathologies.
Important!HPV infection occurs through sexual contact in 50% of cases. Therefore, doctors consider anyone who is sexually active to be at risk.
Papillomas usually appear in adolescence and early adulthood, which coincides with the beginning of sexual activity. Young people are more likely to have unprotected sex and change sexual partners. In this case, HPV can enter the body vaginally, orally, and anal.
In women, the factors that provoke the appearance of papillomas are: general weakening of the immune system (with prolonged illnesses, frequent stress), the use of oral contraceptives and menstrual irregularities.
In men, papillomas arise as a result of a 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 located in the perineum or anus.
- During pregnancy and childbirth.– If a mother is infected with the HPV virus, it will be passed to the child during childbirth or through breast milk.
- Through everyday means– when using general hygiene products, in violation of health regulations.
Self-infection with the papillomavirus often occurs in places with high humidity: on beaches, swimming pools and saunas. With minor damage to the skin or when the mucous membrane comes into contact with a source of HPV, infection occurs.
Penetrating the body, the virus finds the most favorable habitat for itself, but it is often localized in those parts of the body that are most often subject 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 and almost impossible to completely eliminate the virus.
How to get rid of papillomas.
Papillomas usually do not require treatment if they do not cause aesthetic discomfort and are not subject to constant injury. Some rashes can completely disappear on their own when a person's immune strength increases, but with any provoking factors they appear again.
It is necessary to treat papillomas only in cases of large growths and in the presence of risk factors for their degeneration into malignant tumors.
Home treatment is best carried out after consulting with a doctor; Most often, papilloma removal is performed by a dermatologist; if the growths are located in the genital area, a dermatovenerologist (for men), a gynecologist (for women).
Important!Under no circumstances should you cut, scratch or squeeze tumors yourself!
Therapy for papilloma is carried out comprehensively: first, drugs that enhance immunity and antiviral agents are prescribed. This is usually enough for the growths to go away on their own.
But if the papillomas interfere with a person's normal life or the doctor believes that the virus poses a danger to the patient's health and life, surgical removal of the papillomas is proposed.
Note!It is impossible to completely get rid of the papilloma virus, but it is possible to remove papillomas at home or in the clinic, thereby avoiding the dangerous development of the disease.
An infected person will need to take preventive measures to prevent the appearance of growths, follow a healthy lifestyle and increase immunity.
Treatment in the clinic.
Treatment in the clinic involves removal of the papilloma by surgical methods, and the doctor chooses the method of removal depending on the type of tumor and after diagnostic procedures.
It is usually recommended to remove the growth if the diameter of the tumor is greater than 1 cm or if cancer is suspected. During the operation, growths and a certain amount of surrounding tissue are removed, after which cosmetic stitches are applied.
Surgical methods to remove papilloma:
- Laser removal.The most accessible and common method is to remove the growth with a laser after anesthetizing with an anesthetic. The procedure lasts approximately 20 to 30 seconds per tumor. After cauterization, a scab remains on the skin that cannot be removed; After a few days it will fall off on its own. In this way, it is proposed to eliminate papillomas on the neck, face, armpits, under the mammary glands, where the skin is very delicate and easily injured.
- Radiosurgical treatment.According to the principle of implementation, this method is similar to laser excision, but its distinctive advantage is that radio wave therapy is not so dangerous for human eyes and therefore is preferable when removing papillomas on the eyelid. and the face.
- cryodestruction– cold cautery 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 may cause temporary redness of the skin.
- Electrocoagulation– an outdated method that uses an electric knife that burns tumors using high-frequency currents.
- Scalpel excision– a previously common method of removing papillomas, which is now not used in almost any clinic due to the high risk of skin trauma.
The removed growth is sent for histology to exclude 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 increase immunity, it is recommended to take vitamin complexes, immunomodulators, diet, walks in the fresh air and hardening.
After surgical removal, relapses generally do not occur; Regrowth of growths may occur at the excision site if the area was not completely cleaned.
Home treatment
Some types of papillomas can be removed at home using home and pharmacy remedies.
Removal of papillomas at home can be done using pharmaceutical products that have cauterizing properties.
These medications are compounds of alkalis and acids, that is, they eliminate papillomas by burning the skin tissue. Therefore, before cauterizing a papilloma at home, it is advisable to consult a doctor and use such products with caution so as not to damage the skin, especially if the growths are located on the face or neck.
Removing papillomas at home should be carried out respecting three basic rules:
- You cannot remove genital warts yourself.
- It is impossible to remove growths of unknown nature with signs of bleeding, inflammation or excessive growth.
- Tumors on the face cannot be removed; There may be a scar or a scar that the doctor will not be able to remove later.
How to get rid of papillomas at home:
- Garlic.Cut a piece of garlic and apply fresh juice on the growth, secure with an adhesive strip. Repeat twice a day for 2-4 weeks.
- Celandine juice.Make a cut in the stem of the celandine and apply the place where the juice is released to the new growth. You can perform 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 detergent.Lather the skin several times a day in the area where there are growths. Treatment is not effective for old and multiple tumors.
- Beaver oil.The area around the papillomas is lubricated 1 or 2 times a day for 1 to 1. 5 months.
- Vinegar.You can mix 70% vinegar and glycerin in equal proportions and spread it on the growths three or four times a day. Or use 5% ordinary vinegar to lubricate the papilloma every day.
You can remove papilloma on the eyelid at home using Kalanchoe or aloe juice, while simultaneously using antiviral ophthalmic drugs. But if the growth is located near the mucous membrane of the eye and inside the eyelid, it is better not to carry out treatment at home, it is necessary to consult an ophthalmologist or dermatologist.
The most gentle method of removing papillomas from the armpits at home is to use ordinary egg white: the 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 of repeating the procedure daily, the small papillomas dry out and fall off on their own.
Traditional medicine offers many ways to remove papillomas at home, but it must be borne in mind that different methods will be effective for different types and varieties of growths, so each method is purely individual and it is advisable to use it after consultation. with a doctor.
Important!Various dietary supplements for papillomas, monastery tea, tea for parasites and papillomas - do not help in the treatment of papillomas!
It is almost impossible to avoid HPV infection; Even with strict compliance with the rules of personal hygiene, avoiding casual sexual relations and visiting public places, there is no guarantee that the virus will not enter the body through contact with household items that have previously been touched by an already infected person. .
Therefore, the main preventive measure against the appearance of papillomas can only be considered increasing immunity, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding stress and infectious diseases, taking vitamins and getting rid of bad habits.