Body papillomas are benign growths that develop when a person is infected with HPV. The growths on any part of the body can be single or multiple.
The rapid growth and appearance of a large number of papillomas is considered an important argument for choosing a method to remove these formations and for choosing an effective antiviral course of treatment.Why do papillomas appear on the body?
The human papilloma virus is considered to be the cause of the formation of papillomas on the body, which can penetrate the epithelial layer of the skin through the smallest cuts, abrasions, wounds.
You can become infected with a microorganism through close physical contact with a person with HPV or a carrier of this infection.
For a long time the virus retains its viability in a humid and warm environment and therefore there is a possibility of infection when visiting public baths, saunas, health centers.
Often the transmission of the pathogen through papillomas occurs through the use of individual hygiene items by several people - towels, nail scissors, towels.
When the virus is infected through sexual contact, papillomas, or rather genital warts, grow more often on the genitals and areas of the body next to them, less common in other areas.
After HPV infection, it may not appear for a long time and in some patients it may be destroyed by the immune system within two years. Activation of the virus and, consequently, the appearance of papillomas on the body occurs if the human body is affected by factors that provoke the disease.
These factors include:
- Reduced functioning of the protective forces.
- The negative impact of depression, stress.
- Long-term smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Long-term antibiotic treatment and oral contraceptives.
- Disorders of the digestive system.
- Frequent recurrent acute respiratory infections, influenza.
Women are more likely to develop papillomas on the body. Men are more often carriers of this virus, but their external manifestations are much less worried about them than the fairer sex.
In obese people and with excessive sweating, the risk of papilloma growth increases and they form mainly in the skin folds. Papillomas can occur in any age group and their development in children is not excluded.
Localization and symptoms
You can notice the formation of unusual growths on any part of the body, including the scalp, soles, natural folds.
Skin tumors can be of different sizes, colors, shapes. What a papilloma will look like on the body depends on which strain of the virus the person is infected with.
HPV, which leads to the growth of papillomas on the skin, refers to non-oncogenic or low-oncogenic species of microorganisms and therefore in most cases such formations are benign.
There are several types of papillomas that can affect any part of the body, these are:
- Vulgar or protozoan papillomaslook like small areas of body or slightly dark seals. In the process of their growth there are no subjective sensations, but they begin to grow in most people from their hands and fingers.
- In the thread.First, a small spot appears on the body, which eventually extends in length. At the end of this formation there is a growth in the form of a droplet and it itself is attached to the skin through a thin leg.
- Plantargrowths are characterized by discomfort and pain when walking. Plantar papillomas are often confused with common corns.
- Flatpapillomas rise slightly above the skin, tending to merge with each other. They are practically indistinguishable in color from the rest of the skin on the body.
In some cases, before the appearance of papillomatous growths on the body, people may notice itching and a slight burning sensation at the site of growth of the epithelial cells altered by the virus.
The formation of more than a hundred viral tumors in the body is usually called papillomatosis. When warts and papillomas are injured, bleeding occurs, and in the absence of proper hygiene and when wearing not very clean underwear, a secondary infection with inflammation and other unpleasant symptoms is possible.
Self-infection is also possible, which occurs when papillomas are scratched and with further spread of the virus from the initial focus to other areas of the skin.
Papillomas on the body are more of an aesthetic problem. Many people, noticing growths in their open parts of the body, begin to feel insecure and develop depressive states. Growing papillomas also have their own characteristics, depending on the place of their formation.
Grows under the arms
Papillomas form in the armpits, which do not differ from other viral growths, but have their own characteristics of the course. Under the arms you can often see small nodules with a fleshy, yellowish or brown tinge. These nodes are hanging and attached to the skin with a foot.
At first one tumor may appear, then several, they may merge with each other and this growth resembles cauliflower.
Armpit papillomas are prone to inflammation. The culprit is the sweat released from this area, it irritates the growth, leading to itching, scratching and infection.
Papillomatous growths under the arms can be touched when shaving or wearing too tight clothing. The injury causes bleeding, contributes to the spread of the virus to nearby areas of the body.
Eyelids
Papillomas growing over the centuries are clearly visible to others and therefore cause a lot of moral suffering to their owners, especially young girls. But this problem is not only aesthetic. Growing education often interferes with blinking, creates an obstacle when looking at objects and this leads to deterioration of visual function.
Eyelid papillomas differ in appearance. These can be both flat and convex growths, which in most cases have a rough surface. Filamentous papillomas growing on the upper eyelid obstruct the visual field and make it difficult for women to apply makeup. It is impossible to remove the formations in the eye area on your own - an incorrectly chosen agent causes burns to the conjunctiva and cornea.
Oral
Lip papillomas are most often represented by flat or hanging formations. Initially, a slight swelling develops, which coincides in color with the main tone of the lips. Gradually, such a formation may become lighter or darker. With prolonged presence of papilloma on the lips, it becomes keratinized and its outer surface becomes whitish.
Depending on the location of the papillomas on the lips, accompanying changes appear, these may be cracks around the tumor, dryness. Some warts interfere with speech or eating and therefore they are injured and there is inflammation at the border of the lips - cheilitis.
Nose
When located on the face, warts often choose the nose as their place to grow. Papillomas can form both on the outside of the wings of the nose, the septum, and on the inside. And if the external wart rather spoils the appearance, then the internal tumors in some cases disrupt the process of normal breathing and can become inflamed in case of colds.
Transient cellular and inverted viral papillomas have the ability to invade deep tissues, including the bone structures of the nose. In this case, bone destruction occurs and there is a risk of transformation of papillomas into malignant tumors.
In the groin
There are usually two types of papillomas in the groin area, namely genital warts and filamentous tumors - acrochords.
In women, the viral formations are localized in the vagina, cervix, often growing on the labia and the area adjacent to the groin. In men, papillomas in the groin can be seen on the penis; on examination, they are found in the urethra itself, in the anus.
Several filamentous formations can quickly turn into a whole network of growths that will look like fringes. When papillomas are located in the vagina, there is a risk of infection, injury and inflammation, which can be understood by the appearance of a burning sensation, discharge and an unpleasant odor.
Every fifth person has a spontaneous disappearance of papillomas, but there is also a high risk of genital warts degenerating into malignant tumors. In this regard, when growths appear in the groin, it is always necessary to undergo a complete diagnosis, which allows to identify the oncogenicity of the virus.
Hands and feet
Papillomas growing on the skin of the upper and lower limbs have different structure, color, growth rate and spread. More warts appear on the fingers, near the nails. Ordinary and flat papillomas often develop on the hands. The warts are thick to the touch, the surface is slightly rough, if the original formation is damaged, there is a risk of new papillomas nearby.
Papillomas in children occur more often, which is associated with the characteristics of the skin and the high susceptibility of the child's body to infections. In babies, flat warts are often localized on the knees, as babies crawl a lot. Plantar papillomas grow on the legs, characterized by a burning sensation and some pain when walking.
It is possible to distinguish papillomas from corns by the lack of a skin pattern on viral growths. Young, healthy people with a well-functioning immune system self-medicate within three to four months.
Chapter
The papillomatous elements located on the scalp look like loose plaques.
The color of such formations is from flesh to dark brown.
At the beginning of its growth, such a plaque is invisible, but with increasing its size there is a risk of injury when combing the hair.
Head papillomas are more common in the elderly, but such tumors rarely degenerate into cancerous.
Danger of viruses
Viral growths on the body are caused by those HPV strains that have low oncogenic activity. This means that the risk of their recurrence into cancer is minimal. However, atypical cells are likely to develop and this predisposes to papilloma injury, infection, rapid growth and an inflammatory reaction.
If you notice inflammation, discharge, diarrhea, painful sensations, you should consult a doctor for advice as soon as possible.
Genital warts in the groin and genitals are highly rated in terms of the degree of danger. Such increases are mainly caused by the activation of the oncogenic type of virus and therefore require caution.
During the diagnosis, the strain of the causative agent is identified and, based on the entire study, the method of removal and the antiviral therapy regimen are selected.
Diagnostics
When the patient consults a dermatologist, the preliminary diagnosis is made during an external examination. In the presence of growths on the genitals, it is necessary to determine the viral strain, which is achieved by PCR diagnostics.
Women are also subjected to colposcopy, cytological tests are taken and, if necessary, a biopsy of the material taken from the site of the altered tissue is prescribed.
If an oncogenic type of virus is detected, additional testing should be performed twice a year.
How to treat papillomas on the body and face?
People do not always decide to remove papillomas located on the body. For some they do not interfere at all, for others they are located in closed areas of the body.
But doctors definitely recommend that you start treating papillomatous elements if they:
- They are located on often injured parts of the body - under the arms, neck, eyelids, nose, lips, head, legs, arm and groin. In men, there is a high probability of scratching papillomas on the face when shaving.
- They have a high growth rate and a tendency to the appearance of daughter growths.
- Located on the genitals.
- Change your color, the outer surface, become painful.
The doctor often offers a complete treatment for viral infections. Includes removal of all growths and taking antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs.
It is necessary to understand that it will not be possible to completely remove the virus from the skin, you can only transfer it to an inactive state, which will be maintained throughout life through high immunity. In addition to the basic treatment, alternative methods of therapy are used.
Advanced removal methods
Modern medicine offers dozens of methods to remove papillomatous growths on the human body.
This is exposure to laser and radio waves, destruction with liquid nitrogen and thermocoagulation. Chemical methods are also used, ie the application of various solutions and ointments that destroy it on the wart.
When papillomas are located on the upper and lower eyelids, they are removed with liquid nitrogen (cryodestruction) or with the help of a laser. The thin skin of the face and eyelids has a high tendency to form scars, which is why papillomas located in these places should be removed only by professional doctors.
It is recommended to destroy flat lip formations with a laser and similar threads by electrocoagulation.
How to get rid of HPV with drugs
You can also get rid of papillomas on the body with the help of drugs used externally. Their application destroys the virus and promotes the gradual destruction of the accumulation; after several procedures the papilloma disappears.
In the presence of a large number of papillomas on the body and genitals, it is mandatory to undergo a course of drug therapy. It consists of taking systemic antiviral drugs and medications, the mechanism of action of which is aimed at increasing the functioning of the immune system.
The dosage of drugs and the total time of their use are selected individually.
Folk remedies
Several methods of traditional medicine are also used successfully to remove small and fresh papillomas on the surface of the body. Homemade recipes will help you only if you use them for a long time, regularly and at the same time increase your defenses.
Folk remedies for the treatment of papillomas on the body:
- It is recommended to lubricate the warts up to several times a day with the juice of celandine, fresh potatoes, sour apple, raw egg white.
- Chop two cloves of garlic and mix with a spoonful of baby cream. The resulting ointment is applied in the form of a compress on the accumulation, covered with a film and fixed for several hours.
- Crushed celandine leaf should be applied to the papilloma for several hours.
- Flowering dandelion heads need to be placed tightly in a glass jar and filled with triple cologne. The preparation of the infusion takes two weeks in a cool place, then filtered and used to lubricate the necessary areas of the body up to 5 times a day. The infusion is stored in the refrigerator.
When treating papillomas at home, you should definitely strengthen your immunity, lead a healthy lifestyle and give up long-term bad habits. Helps reduce viral activity through starvation.
Prevention
The human papillomavirus, unfortunately, can be infected even if you live a dignified life. Reduces the risk of infection through strong immunity, eating natural and healthy foods.
You should always keep your body clean, treat even small scratches on the skin in time. It is mandatory to use only your own towel, scissors, tweezers. When visiting nail salons and beauty salons, choose only proven and reliable.
It is recommended that you have sex with only one partner. After sex, it is mandatory to perform genital hygiene. Adolescents should be fully aware of what early sexual intercourse leads to and should not use barrier contraception.