Papillomas in the body are benign formations that develop when a person is infected with HPV. Growth in any part of the body can be single or multiple.
The rapid growth and emergence of a large number of papillomas is considered an important argument for eliminating these formations and choosing an effective method of antiviral therapy.
Why do papillomas appear on the body?
The cause of papilloma formation in the body is the human papilloma virus, which can penetrate the epithelial layer of the skin through the smallest cuts, abrasions, wounds.
You can become infected with a microorganism through close body contact with a person with HPV or a carrier of this infection.
The virus maintains its viability for a long time in a humid and hot environment, and therefore there is a possibility of infection when visiting baths, saunas, health centers.
The infection of the pathogen by papillomas usually occurs by the use of individual hygiene items (towels, nail scissors, washcloths) by a few people.
When a virus is infected through sexual contact, papillomas, or more precisely, genital warts, it grows more often on the genitals and body areas next to it, less found in other areas.
It may not manifest itself for a long time after infection with HPV, and in some patients it is destroyed by the immune system within two years. Activation of the virus and, accordingly, the appearance of papillomas in the body occurs when the human body is affected by the factors that trigger the disease.
These factors include:
- Decreased functioning of defense.
- Negative impact of depressive conditions, stress.
- Long-term smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Long-term antibiotic therapy and oral contraceptives.
- Disorders of the digestive system.
- Frequent acute respiratory infections, influenza.
There is a high probability of papilloma on the body in women. Men are more likely to be carriers of this virus, but their external symptoms are much less worried for them than fair sex.
In obese people and with excessive sweating, the risk of the growth of papillomas increases and these occur mainly in skin folds. Papillomas can occur in any age range and their development in children is not ruled out.
Localization and symptoms
You may notice unusual growths occurring anywhere on the body, including the scalp, bases, natural curves.
Skin tumors can come in different sizes, colors and shapes. How the papilloma appears on the body depends on what type of virus the person is infected with.
HPV, which causes the growth of papillomas on the skin, refers to non-oncogenic or low oncogenic types of microorganisms and therefore such formations in most cases are benign.
There are several types of papillomas that can affect any part of the body, these are:
- Rough or protozoan papillomaslook like small areas of tan or slightly dark seals. There is no subjective feeling in the growing process, but in most people they begin to grow from their hands and fingers.
- Gear.First, a small spot appears on the body, eventually extending in length. At the end of this formation, there is a droplet-shaped growth and it is attached to the skin by means of a thin leg.
- Plantargrowths are characterized by discomfort and pain when walking. Plantar papillomas are often mistaken for common calluses.
- Flatpapillomas rise slightly above the skin, prone to fusion. In color, they are practically no different from other skins on the body.
In some cases, before papillomatous growth appears in the body, people may notice the appearance of itching and a slight burning sensation in the growth area of epithelial cells replaced by the virus.
More than a hundred viral tumor formation in the body is often called papillomatosis. When warts and papillomas are injured, bleeding occurs, and in the absence of proper hygiene and wearing too clean linen, secondary infection with inflammation and other unpleasant symptoms is possible.
Self-infection is also possible, which occurs when papillomas are scratched and the virus spreads further from its original focus to other areas of the skin.
Papillomas on the body are mostly an aesthetic problem. Many people who notice growths in open areas of their body begin to feel self-doubt and develop depressive states. Growing papillomas have their own characteristics depending on the place of formation.
Underarm enlargements
Papillomas are formed in the armpits, which are not different from other viral growths but have specific features of the course. Under the armpits, you can often see small nodules of tan, yellowish or brown hue. These nodules hang down and are attached to the skin with a leg.
At first a tumor may appear, then several may merge with each other, and this growth resembles a cauliflower.
Armpit papillomas tend to be inflamed. The culprit is the sweat secreted by this area, irritating the growth, causing itching, itching and infection.
The papillomatous formations under the armpits can be touched while shaving or when wearing very tight clothing. Injury causes bleeding, contributing to the spread of the virus to nearby parts 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. However, this problem is not only aesthetic. Growing education often prevents blinking, creates an obstacle when looking at objects, which leads to a deterioration in visual function.
The appearance of eyelid papillomas is different. In most cases there can be both flat and convex growths that have a rough surface. Filamentous papillomas growing on the upper eyelid obstruct the field of view, making it difficult for women to apply makeup. It is impossible to remove formations in the eye area on your own - an incorrectly chosen agent will cause a burning of the conjunctiva and cornea.
Lip
Lip papillomas are mostly represented by flat or hanging formations. Initially, a slight swelling develops in color matching the main tone of the lips. Gradually, such a formation may become lighter or darker. In the presence of papilloma on the lips for a long time, it becomes keratinized and its outer surface becomes whitish.
Depending on the location of the papillomas on the lips, accompanying changes occur, these may be cracks, dryness around the tumor. Some warts interfere with speaking or eating and are therefore injured and there is inflammation at the border of the lips - cheilitis.
Nose
Whenis localized on the face, warts usually choose the nose as the growth site. Papillomas can occur both on the wings of the nose and on the septum and inside. And if an external wart spoils the appearance, in some cases internal tumors disrupt the normal respiratory process and can become inflamed in the case of a cold.
Transition cell and reverse viral papillomas have the ability to invade deeply located tissues, including the bony structures of the nose. In this case, bone destruction occurs and there is a risk of papillomas turning into malignant formations.
In the crotch
There are usually two types of papillomas in the groin area, these are genital warts and filamentous tumors - acrocords.
Viral formations in women are localized in the vagina, cervix, and often grow in the labia and adjacent to the groin. In men, papillomas in the groin can be seen in the penis, and after the examination, they are detected in the urethra itself and anus.
A few filamentous formations can quickly turn into a growth web like a seemingly fringe. When papillomas are placed inside the vagina, there is a risk of infection, injury, and inflammation, which can be seen from the burning sensation, discharge, and the appearance of an unpleasant odor.
There is a spontaneous disappearance of papillomas in one in five people, but there is also a high risk of genital warts developing into malignant tumors. In this regard, when growth occurs 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 extremities have a different structure, color, growth rate and spread. More warts appear on the fingers near the nails. Ordinary and flat papillomas usually develop on the hands. Warts are dense to the touch, the surface is somewhat rough, if the first formation is damaged, there is a risk that new papillomas will appear nearby.
Papillomas occur more often in children, and this is associated with skin features and a high susceptibility of the child's body to infections. Flat warts in babies are usually localized on the knees, as babies crawl a lot. Plantar papillomas grow on the feet, characterized by a burning sensation and some pain when walking.
It is possible that viral growths do not have a skin pattern to differentiate papillomas from calluses. Young, healthy people with a well-functioning immune system recover on their own within three to four months.
Head
The papillomatous elements on the scalp look like loose plaques.
The color of such formations is from flesh to dark brown.
No such plaque appears at the beginning of its growth, but there is a risk of injury when combing the hair as it increases in size.
Head papillomas are more typical for older people, but such formations rarely turn into cancerous ones.
Virus Danger
Viral growths in the body are caused by HPV strains with low oncogenic activity. This means their risk of developing into cancer is minimal. But still, there is a possibility of developing atypical cells, which predisposes papillomas to injury, infection, rapid growth, and an inflammatory reaction.
If you notice inflammation, secretion of various secretions, anchor, painful sensations, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible for advice.
Genital warts on the groin and reproductive organs are rated highly in terms of danger. Such growths are mainly due to the activation of the oncogenic type virus and therefore require more attention.
During diagnosis, the type of the causative agent is determined and based on the overall examination, the method of removal and the antiviral treatment scheme are selected.
Diagnostics
When a patient turns to a dermatologist, a pre-diagnosis is already made during an external examination. In the presence of growths in the genitals, it is necessary to determine the virus strain obtained by PCR diagnosis.
Women also undergo colposcopy, cytology tests and, if necessary, prescribe a biopsy from the material taken from the area where the changed tissues are located.
If an oncogenic virus type is detected, an additional examination should be performed twice a year.
How are papillomas on the body and face treated?
People do not always decide to remove papillomas from the body. For some, they do not interfere at all, for others they are located in closed areas of the body.
However, doctors recommend that you definitely start treating papillomatous elements in the following situations:
- They are often found on injured parts of the body - under the arms, neck, eyelids, nose, lips, head, legs, arms and groin. Men are likely to scratch the papillomas on the face when shaving.
- Tends to a high growth rate and appearance of the growth of offspring.
- It is found in the sexual organs.
- Changes its color, its outer surface becomes painful.
The doctor usually offers a comprehensive treatment for viral formations. It includes the 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 switch to an inactive state that will be protected for life with high immunity. Alternative treatment methods are used in addition to the main treatment.
Modern removal methods
Modern medicine offers dozens of methods to remove papillomatous growths in the human body.
This is laser and radio wave exposure, liquid nitrogen destruction and thermocoagulation. Chemical methods, that is, the application of various solutions and ointments that destroy it, are also used.
When papillomas are placed on the upper and lower eyelids, they are removed using liquid nitrogen (cryodestruction) or laser. Thin skin on the face and eyelids is prone to scarring, so papillomas in these areas should only be removed by professional doctors.
It is recommended to eliminate the flat formations on the lips by laser and the thread-like formations by electrocoagulation.
How to get rid of HPV with medication?
You can also get rid of papillomas in the body with the help of externally used drugs. Its applications destroy the virus and support the gradual elimination of accumulation; The papilloma disappears after a few procedures.
In the presence of a large number of papillomas on the body and genitals, it is imperative to undergo a drug treatment. The mechanism of action consists in taking systemic antiviral agents and drugs aimed at increasing the functioning of the immune system.
The dosage of the drugs and their total application time are selected according to the person.
Folk remedies
Several traditional medicine methods have also been used successfully to remove small and fresh papillomas on the body surface. Homemade recipes will only help if you use them regularly, for a long time, and at the same time increase your defenses.
Folk remedies for papillomas on the body:
- It is recommended to grease the warts several times a day with celandine, fresh potato, sour apple, raw egg white juice.
- Chop two cloves of garlic and mix with a spoonful of baby cream. The resulting ointment is applied to the buildup in the form of a compress, covered with a film and fixed for several hours.
- A crushed celandine leaf should be applied to the papilloma for several hours.
- It is necessary to put the blooming dandelion heads tightly in a glass jar and fill them with triple cologne. It takes two weeks to prepare the infusion in a cool place, after which it is filtered and used to lubricate the necessary areas on the body up to 5 times a day. The infusion is stored in the refrigerator.
When treating papillomas at home, it is imperative to strengthen your immunity, maintain a healthy lifestyle and give up long-term bad habits. It helps to reduce viral activity by fasting.
Prevention
The human papillomavirus can unfortunately be infected even if you live a good life. Strong immunity reduces the risk of infection by feeding with natural and healthy products.
You should always keep your body clean and heal even small scratches on your skin in a timely manner. Be sure to only use your own towel, scissors and tweezers. When visiting nail salons and beauty salons, choose only proven and reliable ones.
It is recommended to have sex with only one partner. Genital hygiene is imperative after sex. Adolescents should be fully aware of what causes early sexual intercourse and not using barrier contraceptives.