Warts, as you already know, are caused by the human papillomavirus. They can be located on almost any part of the body, often warts appear on the hands. When are warts dangerous and require medical attention? How to prevent the appearance of warts on the hands? You will find the answers to these questions in the next article.
<1_img_centerxx>Warts on the hands
A wart (wart) is a benign contagious skin lesion that looks like a papule or papilloma.
Common, flat warts and genital warts are caused by a common virus - Tumefaciens verrucarum. The incubation period is long (2 to 5 months). Histologically, depending on the clinical form, there is a different severity of papillomatosis, acanthosis, hyperkeratosis; in the cells of the styloid layer - perinuclear vacuoles.
Common wart (verruca vulgaris) is a dense, non-inflammatory nodule, ranging from a pinhead to a pea, grayish or yellowish in color, with a rough surface. Most often localized on the hands. Common warts can appear in large numbers.
The wart is flat or young (verruca plana, s. Juvenilis) - a flattened papule, slightly protruding above the level of healthy skin, rounded or polygonal outlines, flesh or yellowish-pink in color, with a dull surface, sometimes brilliant. Flat warts are usually multiple, spill on the face, the back of the hands in young people, mainly of school age.
Plantar wart (verruca plantaris) - a callus-like variety of an ordinary wart - is localized in places of greatest pressure, mainly at the head of the metatarsal bone and in the heel area. Painful on pressure. After scratching the horny masses from the surface of the wart, the papillary growths are exposed.
Genital warts (condyloma acuminata) appear as a tiny pink papule and then develop into a papillary form. When the papules coalesce, extensive vegetation forms. Characterized by a soft consistency, a narrow base in the form of a leg. They develop more often on the genitals, in the inguinal and intergluteal folds with impure maintenance and maceration of the skin.
Features of warts on the hands and palms
Warts can affect absolutely any part of the epidermis of the hands, but most often they form on the back of the hand or in the area of the fingers. In addition, most of these formations belong to vulgar growths that do not differ in color from healthy skin and are relatively small in size - 0, 1-1 cm.
Regarding the number of such neoplasms, there are both single skin defects and multiple warts that may merge.
The distinctive signs of warts on the palms are the following manifestations:
- Lack of pain and itching;
- The site of the skin defect does not have an epidermal pattern, which is usually restored after removal of the wart;
- Black dots may appear on the surface of the formation, which represent coagulated vessels.
Based on all of the above, we can conclude that warts on the palms are more of a cosmetic defect, which, nevertheless, in the absence of timely treatment, can lead to a significant proliferation of neoplasms and a high risk of their mechanical damage. .
How to recognize a wart
The wart looks like a lump that rises above the skin, a different color from the skin. Most often, several warts appear at once. At the same time, the localization can be very diverse: from the palms of the hands and face to the soles of the feet (plantar warts). A wart can appear on the palm and even under the nail! The formation is rough to the touch, or vice versa, smooth and flat.
Papillomas that appear in groups are capable of fusion.
Common (common) warts usually appear on the fingers. A common wart looks like a growth of no more than one centimeter, its color is brownish or gray and is dome-shaped. Black dots may be visible inside the formation. Small, flat warts often appear on the hands and are characterized by the appearance of clusters. Their color is pinkish or yellowish.
Reasons for the appearance
Warts on the fingers and other parts of the body are exclusively viral in nature, which is associated with the penetration of the human papillomavirus into the patient's blood. Based on this, the treatment of warts on the fingers, palms and elbows should aim to eliminate the underlying cause. Unfortunately, to date, no medical technique is capable of totally freeing the patient's blood from the virus, which rather explains the symptomatic treatment of neoplasms.
An important concomitant factor that provokes the appearance of warts on the hands is a decrease in the body's immune response, which can occur against the background of overwork, malnutrition or an infectious process. Considering the fact that HPV is able to enter the bloodstream, damaging the epidermis, it is worth noting the role of microtraumas, scratches and small wounds, which are not uncommon for the skin of the hands. Based on all of the above, you can once again appreciate the importance of maintaining personal hand hygiene.
Despite all of the above, HPV infection is not critical. Statistical data claims that about 90% of all people carry the virus, which may not manifest itself for a long time, being in the blood in a latent state.
As already mentioned, these neoplasms appear due to the penetration of the HP virus into the body, which has more than a hundred types. This virus is quite common, and common warts are present in twenty percent of schoolchildren.
It is important to remember that the attack multiplies quite intensively - by the germination of the upper layers. Also, the person from whom you caught the "wart" virus may not have the warts themselves. HPV is particularly fond of microcracks in the skin and microtrauma, which is why most of them "bring" swimming pools and public reservoirs.
If you do not take treatment measures and remove these rashes, complications can arise: they can spread throughout the body and even if they go away, they can reappear. When removing warts at home, keloid scars can form.
Symptoms of warts on hands and fingers
Of course, warts, despite their harmlessness, should not be ignored because they can cause a lot of problems. In addition, they are contagious and can be transmitted to new and new victims with just a touch.
By the way, the appearance of such rashes should be a reason to think about your own immunity, since it is people with reduced immunity who are at risk. Many stresses weaken our immunity, and as a result, these people also become open to such a virus.
How to recognize a wart? Around the papilla or the nodule that rises above the skin, the skin will be characteristically light or, conversely, dark. The bump appears more than one, usually on the forehead, cheeks, arms and legs, small warts appear, dense and fleshy, smooth and flat. Rough growths appear around the fingernails or under the fingernails, and on the legs you may also notice such neoplasms that are oval or round in shape and are painful to walk on. To the touch, they are a little rough or smooth and flat, they can merge into groups into a single neoplasm.
The wart virus can lie dormant in your body for years and its incubation period can last up to six months, so don't be surprised if it suddenly appears for no apparent reason.
Warts can be different: there are vulgar or common varieties, flat, plantar, as well as filiform and genital varieties. Common warts are those that appear on the feet and hands, on the elbows and knees, and on the fingers and toes. They are small growths, no more than one centimeter, hard to the touch, brownish or gray in color. Their shape is generally rounded.
The surface of the common or vulgar can be rough, resembling cauliflower in appearance, and black dots can be distinguished inside. The flat type includes those that, with sizes of up to five millimeters, are distinguished by a flat, smooth surface, as well as a pink, yellowish or light brown color. Typically, these growths appear on the face, but can develop in clusters on the hands or knees.
The most unpleasant are plantar warts: they cause a lot of discomfort when walking, causing sensations as if a pebble has entered a shoe. They are generally quite hard, dirty gray in color. The filiform type develops on the face - around the nose, on the neck, around the mouth. They are elongated and resemble a finger in shape and color.
Warts also include genital warts, also called genital warts: they grow on the genitals, as well as in the groin and buttocks, and are a direct result of an unclean attitude towards your body. Outwardly, they look like pink nodules, often merge together, have a base that looks like a leg.
When to consult a doctor
- if the wart quickly changes shape, color or all together;
- if the wart has an uneven color;
- if the boundaries of the wart are vague (in this case, most likely, it is not a wart);
- if the wart hurts or is constantly injured (this increases the risk of its transformation into something more serious);
- if the number of warts is gradually increasing;
- if the wart is bleeding or itchy;
How to get rid of papilloma on your hands
Warts cause us a lot of discomfort on a daily basis. In prominent places, they are unattractive; with impractical localization, they are quickly injured and cause pain. Therefore, very often people consult a dermatologist when warts appear. Due to the possibility of their malignancy, oncologists are also involved in warts.
Since the appearance of warts is associated with provoking factors, treatment is often supplemented by the intake of vitamin-mineral complexes, sedatives and agents that strengthen immunity. Otherwise, the mechanical removal of papillomas may not give the desired results, and after some time they will start to grow again.
The desire to get rid of warts on your own sometimes leads to bad consequences. Various folk remedies offered by various advisers may not only not remove the wart, but also contribute to its malignancy. You should be extremely careful here. Treatment of warts at home should not involve the use of traditional medicine, but the use of special drugs purchased from a pharmacy.
It is even easier to trust the professionals of private clinics. Or make an appointment with a doctor at the skin clinic, an oncology clinic.
Methods of removing papilloma
Today, private and public clinics can offer a fairly wide range of methods for removing warts. Before choosing a removal technique, listen to the doctor's recommendations. The doctor will advise you on the most appropriate intervention based on your individual characteristics. These include in particular:
- Cryodestruction. . . Assumes the use of liquid nitrogen to destroy the papilloma. Nitrogen is applied to the wart, usually with an applicator, and the formation is frozen for fifteen to twenty seconds. To date, applicators have been developed which are easy to use at home. They can be bought at a reasonable price at pharmacies.
- Electrocoagulation.Cut the papilloma with a thin metal loop under high frequency current. Local anesthesia is performed before the operation. Complete healing occurs within a week.
- Laser coagulation. . . It is similar to electrocoagulation, only a laser is used instead of current.
- Surgical intervention. . . Under local anesthesia, the wart is excised with a scalpel, the surgical wound site is sutured with a cosmetic suture. It is used only when removing large papillomas.
- Chemical methods. . . They are used extremely rarely, since the risk of damaging nearby tissues is too great.
What to do to dissolve warts on your hands
A woman's son was only four years old when warts began to appear on his arms. There were so many that in kindergarten, the mother was asked not to even take her there. And what they simply did not do with this misfortune! Doctors recommended burning warts with acid. But the woman still decided to turn to folk remedies for the treatment of warts.
Cut a thuja branch (the size of a palm tree) into pieces 3 to 7 mm long. Place in a glass vial, for example, hydrogen peroxide, pour alcohol. Close with a cap and let steep for 12 days, shaking occasionally. After 12 days, open and keep the bottle open for 1 to 2 days. After that, the tincture is ready for use.
You need to dip a cotton ball in a match in it and lubricate the warts several times a day. It is recommended to lubricate up to six times a day. And after such treatment, the warts finally started to disappear from the boy's skin without leaving a trace. However, don't expect immediate results. So, as the treatment for the boy was quite long. And by the way, the tincture can be stored for a very long time.
Propolis for warts on the fingers
For a very long time - more than six years - a woman could not get rid of a wart on her finger. She tried to burn it off with liquid nitrogen, but the wart continued to grow. She even went to the oncologist, as she had already started to think that it was a malignant tumor.
But at the hospital, her fears were not confirmed, and the doctor suggested that she take a wart-sized lump of propolis, put it in her mouth, and soften it with saliva. At this point, in slightly warm water - clean, without any additives - hold a finger with a wart for 30-40 minutes so that it also softens. Then you need to wipe your finger and apply propolis to the wart that has just softened in your mouth.
It should be fixed with duct tape for three or four days. It has been written in the lunar calendar that it is best to start removing warts during the full moon and continue until the new moon.
The day before the new moon, remove all bandages and stop the treatment until the full moon, and start again at the full moon.
It was with such a folk method of treating warts that she painlessly got rid of this unpleasant misfortune. If you have smaller warts, you may be able to get rid of warts with a full moon new moon treatment.
Warts prevention
We know that it is easier to prevent the disease than to cure it later. This fully applies to warts. First of all, you need to follow the basic rules of personal hygiene.
You should not walk barefoot in common areas, especially wet ones - such as showers, changing rooms, swimming pools; do not abuse those shoes in which the feet are constantly sweating, or at least find the opportunity to qualitatively dry them; do not unnecessarily touch your own warts or those of other people or objects that the patient has touched with you.
You should also pay attention to your general health and, in particular, the immune system - a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
It would also be nice to learn how to relax and avoid stress - by doing this you are sure to get rid of not only the possible appearance of warts, but also a whole bunch of possible diseases.