What is a viral wart: symptoms and treatment

1. Description of a viral wart and photo
2. Causes of viral warts
3. Symptoms during education
4. Removal
5. Drug treatment of viral warts
6. How to remove a viral wart using folk remedies

Viral warts are a problem that affects a very large number of people. According to some reports, up to 80% of the planet's population is infected (that is, 8 out of 10 people).

Description of a viral wart and photo

The photo shows a viral wart

Dermatologists call viral warts papillomas, or verrucae in Latin. Many people mistakenly believe that this is a temporary nuisance that does not require attention, but this is not the case. Skin nodules are benign formations of viral etiology, but they can degenerate into cancerous tumors if certain conditions are created.

Warts appear due to the entry into the body of the human papillomavirus, called HPV or HPV - human papilloma virus. It begins to integrate into cells at the genetic level and remains in the nervous system, passing into a latent state (persists, that is, develops quite slowly). Scientists have now identified more than a hundred types of HPV, each of which provokes the appearance of warts with certain characteristics (location of formation, outline, shape and size). To date, only 80 types have been well studied.

Based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), papillomas are included in the section of viral infections that affect the skin and mucous membranes.

The most dangerous of all viral warts are those types that can develop into cancerous tumors.

Causes of viral warts

As mentioned above, the main cause of viral warts is HPV. How does the infection enter the human body? According to medical organizations, infection often occurs in childhood, but since children have good immunity, the virus may not manifest itself for quite a long time.

The main reasons why the virus enters the body are:

1. the presence of injuries (scratches, calluses, cuts) on the hands, feet or mucous membranes, which makes it possible for infections to penetrate;
2. contact with a person carrying the virus - a handshake, a kiss, etc.;
3. use of other people's personal hygiene products, shoes, gloves and other things;
4. failure to maintain hygiene in public places - kindergartens, swimming pools, baths, gyms, saunas or other establishments;
5. touching handrails, railings, viral warts are localized on the finger, palms;
6. working with meat or fish products without gloves;
7. do not use gloves when working with aggressive chemical materials.

Although HPV lives outside the body for a very short period, this time is quite enough to infect another person, who initially may not even be aware of the infection. The virus begins to change skin cells, deforming their structure, if certain conditions contribute to this.

1. wearing shoes that are too tight, which reduces the flow of blood to the vessels of the feet, resulting in viral warts appearing on the foot or toe;
2. use of shoes made of non-breathable materials;
3. increased sweating;
4. decreased immunity;
5. changes in hormonal levels;
6. stressful situations or fear.

The virus cells begin to grow rapidly, the mechanism of skin cell division is disrupted, they take on ugly shapes and unite into one neoplasm. At this stage, a person may already notice a viral wart on the body. Doctors note a trend toward an increase in the number of people infected with the human papillomavirus, as the number of infected people has increased tenfold over the past decades.

Viral warts: symptoms during formation

The photo shows viral warts of different types

Formed skin nodules can be microscopic in size (a couple of millimeters), but they grow over time. Their size varies from 0.5 to several centimeters. This all happens because some viral warts can combine into one tumor. The outlines of the skin nodules also vary - they can only slightly rise above the skin, or have the outline of a spine or tubercle. Often papillomas resemble cauliflower inflorescences.

Since there are many types of HPV, the symptoms of skin lesions also differ. Based on these characteristics, viral warts are divided into types:

1. Flat (adolescent or juvenile). Most often they appear in children and adolescents (young people under 20 years of age). Such skin formations only slightly rise above the surface of the dermis, and their diameter rarely exceeds 5 mm. The color is practically indistinguishable from the color of the rest of the skin and can vary from pale pink to light brown. The main locations for flat viral warts are the face (forehead, chin and cheeks), hands (fingers, back of hands) and feet. They can be spaced apart throughout the body. There are no symptoms other than cosmetic discomfort.
2. Ordinary. These viral warts do not cause pain. The surface is slightly rough to the touch, the diameter can vary in the range of 3-10 mm. Warts look like a skin nodule. The main places of formation are the hands, the periungual or subungual space, the part of the head covered with hair, and the surface of the face.
3. Plantar (plantar). They are distinguished by clear outlines, the size can reach 2 cm. At first, such viral warts usually go unnoticed, as they are very similar to calluses. Symptoms may appear in the form of pain. Over time, plantar papillomas become difficult to step on because they protrude above the surface of the skin like thorns. Constant wearing of tight and non-breathable shoes provokes the appearance of such warts. The usual location of plantar viral papillomas is on the feet, but in rare cases they can also form on the palms.
4. Genital or anogenital condylomas. These viral warts are characterized by a pinkish or brown color. They are mainly formed on the mucous membranes of the body (mouth, genitals). They are peculiar nodules, appearing due to an overgrown layer of epithelium resembling papillae. The most common cause of infection is sexual contact.
5. Perianal formations. As a rule, homosexual men suffer from them, but occasionally heterosexuals as well. In women, such viral warts form near the back of the vaginal opening and on parts of the labia nearby. If treatment is not carried out, the warts spread to the anus and the entire surface of the perineum. Since localization is possible on the vaginal mucosa and cervix, external skin nodules may not be detected.
6. Hanging viral warts take the form of thread-like (villous) and finger-like. In the former, the main places of localization are the groin area, the surface of the neck and armpits; in women, the formation of skin nodules under the breasts is observed. The latter are easy to notice at the hairline or just under the hair on the head.

Removing viral warts

In some patients, viral warts go away on their own, even without taking immunostimulating drugs and vitamins. However, there are cases when a dermatologist may insist on removing skin lesions, especially if the following factors apply:

1. the number of warts began to grow rapidly;
2. skin nodules have changed their color, shape or appearance;
3. formations are constantly exposed to injury;
4. cause pain when walking;
5. cause psychological discomfort;
6. the wart began to bleed or hyperemia appeared;
7. when pressing, painful sensations began to appear;
8. there is a risk of the viral wart degenerating into a malignant formation.

Today, the most effective removal methods are those that directly remove the viral wart from the surface of the skin or mucous membranes. They are preferred more often than long-term drug treatment.

1. Laser coagulation. This method is recommended by dermatologists in most cases for several reasons:

1. you can set the depth of impact on the wart tissue;
2. you can remove skin formations from various parts of the body;
3. the procedure for removing a skin nodule takes several minutes;
4. since the laser beam has a bactericidal effect, the risk of infectious infection is eliminated;
5. there is practically no pain during the removal process;
6. there is no prohibition on the removal of viral warts in preschool children and pregnant women;
7. After removing the scars, no wart remains at the site.

The laser beam vaporizes the wart tissue until it completely disappears. It can be added that the effectiveness of this method reaches 93%, and the cost of removing one skin tumor starts from 140 rubles.

2. Cryodestruction. During surgery, the viral wart is exposed to low temperature. This method is often called cryotherapy. The active ingredient is liquid nitrogen, the temperature of which reaches -196 degrees. Under the influence of cold, pathological cells are destroyed, since the cellular fluid (consisting mainly of water) freezes during the procedure. After this, its volume increases, the wart cells rupture and the skin formation begins to die. The duration of exposure is several seconds. Although the effectiveness of such removal is quite high - 70-100%, and relapses occur in 15% of cases, there are also contraindications: cryodestruction cannot be performed on pregnant women and children under 6-7 years of age. The price for removing one wart starts from 300 rubles.

If relapses occur, the papilloma must be removed again. In this case, the wart itself dies over a long period of time, since, in essence, a microburn of the skin occurs.

3. Radio wave knife. This method, like the laser one, is distinguished by the ability to adjust the depth of penetration of the rays into the skin. Using the Surgitron apparatus, electric current is converted into radio waves with a frequency of 3.8–4 MHz.

The advantages of this removal:

1. during the removal of a viral wart, coagulation of blood vessels is carried out in parallel - blood is not released, the risk of possible bleeding is reduced;
2. after removing a skin nodule, there is practically no scar left;
3. relapses are observed only in 2-5% of cases.

However, it is worth noting that the procedure is somewhat painful. Experts recommend local anesthesia. The cost of removing one skin tumor starts at 600 rubles.

There are two more methods, but they are rarely used, usually in cases where it is necessary to obtain viral wart tissue for research. These include:

1. Electrocoagulation. Using a loop of wire acting as a scalpel, the viral wart is removed and a small wound remains in its place. A high-frequency current is applied to the wire loop and the skin formation is excised from the surface of the skin. Scars remain, therefore, despite the effectiveness of the method 80-95%, it is used infrequently. The price for removing one viral wart starts from 500 rubles.
2. Surgical excision. In this case, the surgeon removes the viral wart using a regular scalpel and applies a cosmetic suture to the wound. No matter how skillful the doctor is, a clearly visible scar remains. In addition, the healing and rehabilitation time after the procedure is relatively long. For surgical excision, local anesthesia is used. During the operation, part of the healthy skin is captured. The cost of removal in different outpatient clinics differs, but on average it is around 350-500 rubles. The effectiveness of surgical removal of warts is only 50%, and the possibility of relapses is also the same.

They try to remove viral warts in children using medications or folk recipes, since they are more gentle.

1. Read also about wormwood tincture for papillomas

Drug treatment of viral warts

Often, before resorting to surgery, a dermatologist may recommend drug treatment to get rid of viral warts. However, this method requires systematicity and takes a longer period. Almost all pharmaceutical products act on the tissue of the skin formation in such a way that it gradually collapses. As a result, the skin nodule separates on its own. It is important to take only those medications that are prescribed by a specialist, since many of them contain caustic substances that have a keratolytic effect. They may cause allergic reactions. Pharmacy medications include:

1. Solcoderm (price 401-1,489 rubles). Due to the caustic substance contained in the composition, when exposed to a viral wart, necrotization of its tissue occurs, as a result of which it is rejected over time. However, it is important to protect the healthy skin around the papule, as there will be a burning sensation, tingling sensation and even pain at the site of exposure. Read real reviews about the use of Solcoderm.
2. Cryopharma (price from 857 rub.). This remedy has the same effect as cryotherapy. It can be used at home. Read real reviews about Cryopharm.
3. Salicylic ointment (price from 21 rubles) or other products based on salicylic acid (Salipod patch from 35 rubles, alcohol solution of salicylic acid 5-10% from 6 rubles per bottle). This substance promotes necrosis of skin cells affected by HPV. In this case, the viral wart gradually dies off, leaving no trace behind. The use of these products does not cause pain, and skin trauma is minimal. Detailed instructions for using salicylic ointment and contraindications.
4. "Kollomak" can be purchased at a price of 311 rubles. When applied, it causes a keratolytic effect. At the same time, it has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect, due to which the virus does not spread to healthy skin cells. Can be used as a prophylactic.

How to remove a viral wart using folk remedies?

Since ancient times, folk healers have used a large number of recipes to combat viral warts, but, as with pharmaceutical drugs, you will have to be prepared for a long period of treatment and systematic use. Folk remedies are used to treat viral warts in children. Children are often offered vitamins or traditional medicine under the guise of “super pills” and “magic elixirs”, after taking which a placebo effect is observed.

You can apply the following to the surface of a viral wart:

1. Juice from the stems of celandine. However, since the liquid is very caustic, skin burns may occur when removing a viral wart in children. When using, the surface of the skin formation is slightly scraped and moistened with juice. Repeat the operation twice a day until the nodule goes away on its own.
2. Castor oil (popularly called castor oil) is applied to the affected area of ​​the skin and covered with a band-aid. Such compresses are changed twice a day until the wart disappears. Read reviews of castor oil for papillomas.
3. Steam your feet in a bath with the addition of table salt and tea tree oil. Dissolve a teaspoon of salt and a couple of drops of essential oil in 5 liters of water. To get rid of viral warts, the procedure must be carried out 5-10 times. The duration of steaming in the bath takes from 10 to 15 minutes. In addition, in the morning, for effectiveness, pure tea tree oil is dripped onto the viral wart itself.
4. Iodine. Cauterization of a viral wart is performed several times a day, and the procedure period can last from a week to a month. However, iodine must be used very carefully to treat papillomas in young children; it is better to take baths with iodine. In addition, not all types of skin tumors are amenable to such treatment.
5. Acetic acid. It is applied to the wart itself daily. Before this, it is recommended to steam the site of formation of the skin nodule. Read about cauterization with pure vinegar in detail.
6. Tie with wool or silk thread. The wart is washed with soap and dried, after which it is treated with an antiseptic (alcohol or hydrogen peroxide). The thread is pre-disinfected and tied around the base of the viral wart. The duration of the course is 10 days.

Video about what warts are and how they appear:

1. Related article: Folk remedies for papillomas and warts