Warts, as you already know, are caused by the human papillomavirus. They can be found 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 your hands? You will find the answers to these questions in the next article.
Warts on hands
Warts (verrucae) are benign infectious skin lesions that look like papules or papillomas.
Common and flat warts and genital warts are caused by a virus common to them - Tumefaciens verrucarum. The incubation period is long (2-5 months). Histologically, depending on the clinical form, various degrees of severity of papillomatosis, acanthosis, hyperkeratosis are found; in the cells of the styloid layer - perinuclear vacuoles.
Common warts (verruca vulgaris) are non-inflammatory solid nodules, from pinheads to peas, grayish or yellowish in color, with a rough surface. Most often localized on the hands. Common warts can appear in large numbers.
The warts are flat, or light (verruca plana, s. Juvenilis) - flat papules, slightly protruding above the level of healthy skin, rounded or polygonal lines, flesh or yellowish-pink in color, with a matte, sometimes glossy surface. Flat warts are usually numerous, appearing on the face, on the back of the hands in young people, especially school-aged people.
Plantar warts (verruca plantaris) - a callus-like variety of common warts - are localized in places of greatest stress, especially on the heads of the metatarsal bones and in the heel area. Pain when pressed. After scraping the horny mass from the surface of the wart, the papillary growth opens.
Genital warts (condyloma acuminatum) occur in the form of small pink papules, then grow, taking a papillary form. When the papules merge, extensive vegetation is formed. Characterized by a soft consistency, narrow base of the foot. More often develops on the genitals, in the inguinal and intergluteal folds with unclean skin care and maceration.
Features of warts on hands and palms
Warts can really affect any part of the epidermis of the hand, but most often they form on the back of the hand or on the finger area. In addition, most of these formations belong to vulgar growths that do not differ in color with healthy skin and are relatively small in size - 0. 1-1 cm.
As for the number of such neoplasms, there are single skin defects and multiple warts that are prone to fusion.
Typical signs of warts on the palms are the following manifestations:
- Lack of pain and itching;
- The skin defect site 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, representing coagulated vessels.
Based on all of the above, we can conclude that warts on the palms are more of an aesthetic defect, which, however, without timely treatment, can lead to a significant proliferation of neoplasms and a high risk of their mechanical damage.
How to recognize warts
Warts appear as masses that rise above the skin, different in 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). Warts may appear on the palms and even under the nails! The formation is rough to the touch, or conversely, smooth and even.
Papillomas that appear in clusters are capable of fusion.
Vulgar (common) warts usually appear on the fingers. Vulgar warts look like growths no more than one centimeter in diameter, are brownish or gray in color, and are dome-shaped. Black dots may be visible within the formation. Small flat warts often appear on the hands, and are characterized by the appearance of clusters. Their color is pink or yellowish.
Reason for appearance
Warts on fingers and other parts of the body are exclusively viral, 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 be aimed at eliminating the underlying cause. Unfortunately, to date, no medical technique is able to completely free the patient's blood from the virus, which further explains the symptomatic therapy of neoplasms.
An important concomitant factor that provokes the appearance of warts on the hands is a decrease in the immune response, which can occur against the background of overwork, malnutrition or infectious processes. Given the fact that HPV can enter the bloodstream through damage to the epidermis, it is worth noting the role of microtrauma, scratches and minor cuts, which are not uncommon on the skin of the hands. Based on all of the above, you can once again appreciate the importance of maintaining hand hygiene.
Despite all of the above, HPV infection is not critical. Statistical data claim that about 90% of all people are carriers of the virus, which may not manifest itself for a long time, being in the blood in a latent state.
As already mentioned, these neoplasms arise due to the penetration of the HP virus into the body, of which there are more than a hundred types. The virus is quite common, and warts are common in twenty percent of schoolchildren.
It is important to remember that the attack of breeding is quite intensive - through the germination of the top layer. In addition, the person from whom you contracted the "wart" virus may not have the wart itself. HPV is very fond of microcracks in the skin and microtraumas, so most of them "carry" from public pools and reservoirs.
If you do not take measures for treatment and do not get rid of such rashes, complications can arise: they can spread throughout the body, and even if they disappear, they can come back again. When removing warts at home, keloid scars may form.
Symptoms of warts on hands and fingers
Of course, warts, being harmless, should not be ignored, as they can cause a lot of trouble. In addition, they are contagious and can transmit to new and new victims through a simple touch.
By the way, the appearance of such a rash should be a reason to think about your own immunity, because it is people with reduced immunity who are at risk. A lot of stress weakens our immunity, and therefore such people also become exposed to such viruses.
How to recognize warts? Around papillae or nodules that rise above the skin, the skin will be light or dark in color. Bumps appear more than one, usually on the forehead, cheeks, arms and legs, small warts appear, solid and fleshy, smooth and flat. Coarse growths appear around the nails or under the nails, and on the feet you may also see neoplasms that are oval or round in shape and which are painful to step on. When touched, they are slightly rough or smooth and flat, they can merge in clusters into one 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. Common warts are those that appear on the feet and hands, on the elbows and knees, and on the fingers and toes. These are small growths, no more than a centimeter, hard to the touch, brownish or gray in color. The shape is usually dome-shaped.
The general or vulgar surface can be rough, resembling cauliflower in appearance, and black dots can be distinguished on it. Flat types include those, up to five millimeters in size, are distinguished by a smooth flat surface, as well as pink, yellowish or light brown in color. Usually, these growths appear on the face, but can grow in clusters on the hands or knees.
The most unpleasant are plantar warts: they cause a lot of trouble when walking, causing a sensation as if a pebble got into the shoe. They are usually quite tough, dirty gray in color. The filiform type grows on the face - around the nose, on the neck, around the mouth. They are elongated and resemble fingers in shape and color.
Warts also include genital warts, which are also called genital: they develop on the genitals, as well as on the groin and buttocks, and are a direct consequence of an unclean attitude towards your body. Outwardly, they look like pink nodules, often coalesce, have a base that looks like a leg.
When should you go to the doctor?
- if the warts quickly change shape, color, or all of them;
- if the wart has an uneven color;
- if the boundaries of the wart are not clear (in this case, most likely, it is not a wart);
- if the wart hurts or is constantly injured (this increases the risk of transformation into something more serious);
- if the number of warts increases gradually;
- if the wart bleeds or itch;
How to get rid of papillomas on your hands?
Warts cause us a lot of discomfort in our daily life. In conspicuous places, they do not look aesthetically pleasing, with an uncomfortable localization, they quickly hurt and cause pain. Therefore, very often people go to a dermatologist when warts appear. Due to their possible malignancy, oncologists are also involved in warts.
Since the appearance of warts is associated with precipitating factors, treatment is often supplemented by the intake of vitamin-mineral complexes, sedatives, and immune-boosting agents. Otherwise, mechanical removal of papillomas may not give the desired result, and after a while they will begin to grow again.
The desire to remove warts yourself sometimes leads to bad consequences. Various folk remedies offered by various advisors may not only fail to remove the wart, but also contribute to its malignancy. You have to be very careful here. Treatment of warts at home should not involve the use of traditional medicine, but the use of special drugs purchased at pharmacies.
It is even easier to trust professionals from private clinics. Or make an appointment with a dermatologist, oncology pharmacy.
Papilloma removal method
Today, private and public clinics can offer various methods for removing warts. Before choosing a lifting technique, listen to the doctor's recommendations. Your doctor will advise you on the most suitable intervention based on your individual characteristics. Specifically, these are:
- Krio Destruction. . . It is assumed that liquid nitrogen is used to destroy papillomas. Nitrogen is applied to the wart, usually with an applicator, and the formation is frozen for fifteen to twenty seconds. To date, an applicator that is easy to use at home has been developed. They can be purchased at a reasonable price in pharmacies.
- Electrocoagulation.Cut the papilloma with a thin metal loop under high-frequency current. Local anesthesia is performed before surgery. Complete healing occurred within a week.
- Laser coagulation. . . This is similar to electrocoagulation, only a laser is used instead of current.
- Surgical intervention. . . Under local anesthesia, the wart is excised with a scalpel, to which the surgical wound is sutured with cosmetic sutures. It is only used when removing large papillomas.
- Chemical method. . . They are used very rarely, because the risk of damaging the surrounding tissue is too great.
What to do to dissolve warts on your hands?
A woman's son was just four years old when warts started appearing on his arm. There were so many of them that in kindergarten the mother was even asked not to take them there. And what did they not do with this misfortune! Doctors recommend burning the wart with acid. But the woman still decided to turn to folk remedies for the treatment of warts.
Cut the thuja branches (palm-sized) into strips 3-7 mm long. Place in a glass bottle, for example, hydrogen peroxide, pour alcohol. Cover with a stopper and let it brew for 12 days, shaking occasionally. After 12 days, open and leave the bottle open for 1-2 days. After that, the tincture is ready to use.
You need to dip a cotton ball in a match in it and lubricate the wart several times a day. It is recommended to lubricate up to six times a day. And after the treatment, the warts finally started to disappear from the boy's skin without a trace. However, don't expect immediate results. So, the treatment for the child is quite long. And by the way, the tincture can be stored for a very long time.
Propolis for warts on fingers
For a very long time - more than six years - a woman could not get rid of warts on her finger. He tried to burn it with liquid nitrogen, but the wart continued to grow. He even went to an oncologist, because he had already begun to think that it was a malignant neoplasm.
But at the hospital, his fears were unfounded, and doctors suggested that he take a piece of propolis the size of a wart, put it in his mouth and soften it with saliva. At this time, in slightly warm water - clean, without any additives - hold the finger with the wart for 30-40 minutes so that it also softens. Then you need to wipe your finger and apply propolis to the wart, which has just softened in your mouth.
It should be secured with adhesive tape for three or four days. It is written in the lunar calendar that it is best to start removing warts during the full moon and continue until the new moon.
On the day before the new moon, remove all bandages and stop the treatment until the full moon, and start again at the full moon.
With such a traditional method of treating warts, he painlessly got rid of this unpleasant misfortune. If you have smaller warts, you may be able to remove the warts within one full moon to new moon treatment.
wart prevention
It is known that it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it later. This completely applies to warts. First of all, you need to follow the basic rules of personal hygiene.
You should not walk barefoot in public areas, especially wet ones - such as showers, changing rooms, swimming pools; do not abuse shoes in which the feet constantly sweat, or at least find an opportunity to qualitatively dry them; do not touch your own warts or other people unnecessarily or objects the patient has touched with you.
You should also pay attention to your general health and, especially, the immune system - eat a balanced diet and lead a healthy lifestyle.
It would also be nice to learn how to relax and avoid stress - by doing this, you are guaranteed not only to get rid of the possibility of warts appearing, but also a huge number of possible diseases.