What causes warts: main causes and symptoms

1. Causes of warts
2. Warts and their types
3. Symptoms and signs of warts
4. Dangerous symptoms of warts
5. Description of wart treatment
6. Prevention of warts

Warts (Verrucae) in the singular in Latin are also called Wart or Verruca. Usually such formations appear on the skin and are considered benign, but are not considered uncommon. The patient notes the symptoms of warts precisely by the appearance of such formations that were provoked by a virus of a certain type - human papillomavirus, which is commonly called (HPV) for short. There are different types of this virus that infect the human body. This infection is transmitted only through close contact with a carrier of the disease or if you use the belongings of an infected person. According to medical data, up to 90% of the world's population suffers from warts. Basically, the wart itself is a nodule on the skin, the color of which almost merges with it.

1. Read also - what is a wart and how to treat it correctly

Warts can appear in completely different places of the human body, and those only on the skin. Doctors find such formations on the mucous membrane of the mouth or genitals, in the nose or paranasal sinuses, in the pharynx or vocal cords, on the renal pelvis, and also on the surface of the ureters and bladder.

Typically, HPV multiplication rates are greater in the layers of the skin located on the surface. Despite the many different types of virus, only a few of them contribute to the development of wart nodules.

The causative agent of the disease often enters the human body when the child is 3-5 years of age. And it is important to note that while the child is still very small, warts do not appear, since children have very strong immunity and are able to resist skin infections. But after 10 years, warts form on the teenager’s hands and face, which can also form on the hands and feet. Typically, during this period, human papillomavirus activation occurs. It becomes obvious that for a decade the virus was in a “dormant” state, so to speak, that is, no symptoms of its presence were observed.

Causes of warts

It is known that any infectious disease that occurs in a person becomes more aggressive when immunity decreases throughout the body, or in a specific organ. Typically, adolescence is associated with hormonal changes in the body, when growth begins to increase, the teenager practically does not take vitamins and is susceptible to colds as a result. Often this condition is accompanied by mental problems that arise from overload in an educational institution, then stress and neuroses. Therefore, the young body becomes quite fragile and various diseases can develop in it, including papillomavirus. This was the most common cause of wart formation.

Typically, the triggers that can start the process of wart formation in adolescents and young adults are:

1. wearing tight shoes, which leads to impaired blood flow in the feet;
2. using shoes made of unventilated or rubber materials, then severe sweating of the feet is possible;
3. when the feet and hands are constantly wet due to sweat secretions, which contribute to the development of the causative agent of warts;
4. with increased dryness of the hands or feet, microtraumas of the skin are possible, which leads to the development of infections;
5. the appearance of fungal formations on the legs, indicating reduced immunity in a teenager;
6. regularly receiving microtrauma to the hands during tinting, which contributes to the penetration of infections and viruses into the wounds;
7. lack of gloves in the cold season, leading to impaired blood flow in the fingers;
8. the teenager eats poorly and does not take vitamins.

There can be many reasons why warts appear. You can also add to this list for people of the adult generation:

1. taking medications that will help reduce the body’s immunity;
2. presence of HIV infection;
3. lack of habit of keeping the genitals clean;
4. indiscriminate choice of sexual partners.

The question arises, why do such ordinary hygienic operations cause warty formations? The answer is simple - the “entry” for the virus can be microtraumas that appear on the skin, such as abrasions or cracks. You can become infected with warts by working out in a public gym or swimming pool, or by visiting a public bathhouse. Also, people whose profession involves cutting meat, fish or poultry suffer from the problem of warts appearing on their hands or forearms.

The incidence of the IF virus and warts in general has not been fully studied today, but if we rely on data provided by medical institutions, then almost 10% of children and adolescents are faced with this disease, and their age varies from 12 to 16 years. At this age, both the appearance and disappearance of warts can be spontaneous.

The incubation period, that is, the time from contact (infection) to the formation of a nodule, can range from one and a half months to six months. But the virus, even when a person comes into contact with a patient, “reaches its goal” if there are certain prerequisites: microtraumas on the skin, decreased immunity (if a person is predisposed to frequent colds or has been in this condition for a long time), there is high maceration of the skin (hands sweat a lot or feet).

Also watch the video with a dermatovenerologist in detail: what is a wart and what are the reasons for their appearance:

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Warts and their types

All warts identified in humans can be divided into viral and non-viral. However, as with moles, warts are divided according to their size, location on the body and the reasons for their occurrence. But there is no strict formulation here, since even in the International List of Diseases, you can find this term in the category: viral warts, sexually transmitted diseases, skin diseases and benign formations.

Let's look at what kind of warts occur:

1. Flat or as they are called youthful. The diameter of such nodular formations is 0.5-3 mm, their shape is rounded and usually they can appear in several pieces at a close distance. Their color is yellowish-brown or with a blue tone;
2. Ordinary (vulgar), which are small parts of hyperkeratosis, looking like flat nodules;
3. Condylomas, usually formed in the mouth, they can be observed on the surface of the genitals or near the anus;
4. Senile or keratomas, which are a benign skin disease caused by changes in the epithelium due to the patient’s advanced age. They are usually diagnosed in people over 40 years of age and can go away on their own, but rarely degenerate into a malignant tumor.

Read in detail about what warts are.

Symptoms and signs of warts

What a wart formation looks like, its location, color and size directly depends on the variety.

Common or vulgar warts can be measured in diameter in the range of 1-10 mm. They have a crisp edge and feel compacted to the touch. Such warts are located above the skin, their surface is uneven, whitish (as intensive keratinization processes occur) and rough. The color of this formation differs little from the shade of the skin, but it can be slightly darker or lighter. The place where they appear is the skin on the arms, legs, as well as the surface of the knees and elbows.

Flat (juvenile) warts They do not rise very much above the skin, and their surface is smooth or slightly rough. Their color is practically indistinguishable from the surrounding skin or may take on a slightly lighter or darker shade. The size of such formations can usually start from 1-3 mm, reaching a maximum of 10 mm in diameter. Such warts are localized on the skin of the face, and occasionally they appear on the hands. Their distribution is quite intense, so according to medical observations, one patient can have several hundred of these warts. In such skin lesions, one can observe the Koebner phenomenon, in which new warts form in areas that are constantly exposed to friction, intense sweating, injury or scratching.

Palmoplantar warts It is clear that they form on the hands (palms, fingers or near the nails) and on the feet. They are distinguished by clear boundaries and pronounced hyperkeratosis, while the outlines of such lesions are rounded with a flat top. Around such warts there is a belt formed by a calloused layer of skin. The central part is distinguished by blackness (dots, grains or specks), which occurs due to the accumulation of skin pigment - melanin.

It is important to note that such warts have the peculiarity of growing not outward, but inside the skin, so they cannot rise too much above the surface of the skin. If we talk about the feet, plantar warts appear in those places that receive the greatest load. Therefore, such formations can cause pain when walking.

Senile warts not associated with a virus, occur on the face, body and neck. They are a formation in the form of a plaque with a gray, brown or black tint. Their coating is horny masses of loose consistency, permeated with sebum.

Characteristic signs of wart formations:

1. if the human papillomavirus infection begins to spread to nearby skin tissues, then the formation of “nests” from warts, so-called clusters of secondary wart nodules located around the circumference of the “mother” wart, is possible;
2. if you cut a wart, you can see its structure resembles cells that can be filled with both blood vessels and a concentration of melanin;
3. The growth rate of warts is very slow;
4. wart nodules usually do not cause discomfort, they do not become inflamed, and do not cause pain, except those that are on the feet and cause pain when walking;
5. Usually warts are not susceptible to degeneration into malignant tumors. However, there is a possibility of malignant melanoma cells appearing in the thickness of the wart. Therefore, if it is noted that the wart began to bleed, became inflamed or began to hurt for no apparent reason, then a consultation with a dermatologist is necessary;
6. when warts begin to spread at an increased rate, this is an indicator of immunodeficiency.

Dangerous symptoms of warts

You should immediately see a dermatologist if the following symptoms appear:

1. a wart formation was discovered in the genital area;
2. the wart began to itch or, even worse, bleed;
3. the color of the wart has become heterogeneous;
4. the wart began to rapidly change its shape, color, or these changes were combined;
5. the wart nodule begins to hurt or is subject to constant injury, the risk of its degeneration into a malignant form will quickly increase;
6. the number of warts on the body began to rapidly increase;
7. if a new formation on the skin has vague boundaries, and there is no certainty that it is a wart. Only a specialist can make the diagnosis.

The last point is important, since warts can have similar symptoms to other diseases, and two of the four symptoms presented are the same. Note the following: Senile warts

1. Skin cancer. With this serious disease, the formation of a malignant tumor occurs. Their various forms can affect both elderly and young patients, up to 40 years of age.
2. Toxidermy, which is defined as toxic-allergic dermatitis, and is represented by a special type of inflammatory process that occurs in an acute form. This process usually focuses (like some type of dermatitis) on the skin, and can also affect the mucous membranes.
3. Dermatomycosis, arising due to skin damage by a fungal disease. In medical circles, this disease is called trichophytosis. The cause is the fungal bacterium Trichophyton or Microsporum. Moreover, the fungus is transmitted both from humans and animals. Timely diagnosis and treatment is very important to prevent the risk of complications. Mainly carries the medicinal form of the disease.
4. Epithelioma, From the name it is clear that the site of damage becomes the epithelium - part of the upper layer of the skin. There are a large number of clinical variants of this disease, which is its peculiarity. Epithelioma – This is a tumor of the skin and mucous membranes, developing from the cells of their surface layer - the epidermis. Epitheliomas are distinguished by a variety of clinical variants from small nodules to large tumors, plaques and ulcers.

Description of wart treatment

It is usually possible to diagnose a wart in appropriate clinics. The diagnosis is made by a dermatologist based on an examination of the skin formation, its external outlines and the signs that characterize it. If the case is controversial, it is recommended to conduct a histological examination of the material obtained after the wart is removed.

After the diagnosis has been made after consultation, the doctor may recommend removal of the nodule. Since most often warts disappear on their own, only a few cases require treatment. Indications for such operations are:

1. severe patient discomfort;
2. severe pain;
3. cosmetic, clearly visible defect.

There are the following methods for removing warts:

1. cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen;
2. electrocautery, when the wart is removed with high-frequency current;
3. removal of warts using laser;
4. surgical excision of the wart;
5. alternative methods.

The latter refers to the cauterization of warts by applying chemicals and antiviral ointments to them, and taking oral medications. You can use recipes and recommendations of traditional medicine for treatment.

Video on the topic - do warts need to be removed?

Prevention of warts

In order to avoid becoming infected with the human papillomavirus, it is recommended to comply with the sanitary requirements of personal cleanliness and hygiene. This consists of regular hand washing and using individual towels, washcloths and other body care products in places such as baths or swimming pools. If a person sweats, it is necessary to treat the skin with disinfectants. It is periodically recommended to take vitamin complexes to boost immunity, especially in adolescence. Skin formations on their own sometimes cannot be classified, it is better to consult a specialist, since there are similar signs and symptoms (as described above) with more serious diseases.