Warts, as you already know, are caused by human papilloma viruses. They can be found on almost any part of the body, warts often 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 following article.
Warts on hands
A wart (verruca) is a benign infectious skin lesion that looks like a papule or papilloma.
Common and flat warts and genital warts are caused by a common virus - Tumefaciens verrucarum. The incubation period is long (2-5 months). Histologically, depending on the clinical form, different severity of papillomatosis, acanthosis, hyperkeratosis was determined; in cells of the styloid layer - perinuclear vacuoles.
The common wart (verruca vulgaris) is a dense, non-flammable nodule, from head to 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 youthful (verruca plana, s. Juvenilis) - a flattened papule, slightly protruding above the level of healthy skin, rounded or polygonal outlines, fleshy or yellowish-pink in color, with a matte, sometimes shiny surface. Straight nipples are usually multiple, spilling over the face, back of the hands in young people, mostly of school age.
The plantar wart (verruca plantaris) - a type of common blister-like wart - is localized at the sites of greatest pressure, mainly at the tip of the metatarsal bone and in the heel area. Painful on pressure. After scraping the horny masses from the surface of the nipple, papillary growths are detected.
Genital warts (condyloma acuminatum) appear in the form of a small pink papule, then grow, taking on a papillary shape. When the papules coalesce, extensive vegetation is formed. It is characterized by a soft consistency, a narrow base in the shape of a foot. They more often develop on the genitals, in the inguinal and intergluteal wrinkles with dirty maintenance and maceration of the skin.
Features of warts on 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. Moreover, 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.
As for the number of such neoplasms, there are also individual skin defects and multiple warts that are prone to fusion.
Recognizable signs of warts on the palms are the following manifestations:
- Lack of pain and itching;
- The site of skin damage does not have an epidermal pattern, which usually regenerates after removal of the wart;
- Black dots representing coagulated veins may appear on the surface of the formation.
Based on all the above, we can conclude that warts on the palms are more aesthetic defect, which, however, in the absence of timely treatment, can lead to a significant spread of neoplasms and a high risk of mechanical damage.
How to recognize a nipple
The wart looks like a mass rising above the skin, different colors from the skin. Most often, several warts appear at once. At the same time, the localization can be very diverse: from palms and faces to soles (plantar warts). A wart can appear on the palm or 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.
Vulgar (common) warts usually appear on the fingers. The vulgar wart looks like a growth no larger than a centimeter, it is brown or gray in color and has the shape of a dome. Black dots may be visible inside the formation. Flat small warts often appear on the hands and are characterized by the appearance of groups. Their color is pink or yellowish.
Reasons for occurrence
Warts on the fingers and other parts of the body are exclusively viral in nature, which is associated with the penetration of the human papilloma virus into the patient’s blood. Based on this, the treatment of warts on the fingers, palms and elbows should aim to remove the underlying cause. Unfortunately, to date, no medical technique has been able to completely rid the patient's blood of the virus, which rather explains the symptomatic therapy of neoplasms.
An important accompanying factor that causes the appearance of warts on the hands is a decrease in the body's immune response, which can occur in the background of overwork, malnutrition or an infectious process. Given the fact that HPV can enter the bloodstream through damage to the epidermis, it is worth emphasizing the role of microtrauma, scratches and small wounds, which are not uncommon for the skin of the hands. Based on all of the above, you can once again see the importance of maintaining personal hand hygiene.
Despite all of the above, HPV infection is not critical. Statistics claim that about 90% of all people are carriers of the virus, which may not manifest for a long time, since it is in a latent state in the blood.
As already mentioned, these neoplasms occur due to the penetration of the HP virus into the body, which has more than a hundred species. This virus is quite common, and common warts are found in twenty percent of schoolchildren.
It is important to remember that the attack multiplies quite intensively - by germination of the upper layers. Moreover, the person from whom you caught the "wart" virus may not even have the wart itself. HPV is especially fond of microcracks on the skin and microtraumas, so most of them are "brought" by people from public pools and reservoirs.
If you do not take treatment measures and do not remove such rashes, complications can occur: they can spread throughout the body, and even if they disappear, they can come back again. Keloid scars can form when removing warts at home.
Symptoms of warts on the hands and fingers
Of course, warts, regardless of their safety, should not be neglected, because they can cause a lot of problems. Moreover, they are contagious and can be transmitted to new and new victims with a simple touch.
By the way, the appearance of such rashes should be a reason to think about their own immunity, because they are people with reduced immunity. Numerous stresses weaken our immunity, and therefore even such people become open to such a virus.
How to recognize a nipple? Around the papilla or nodule that rises above the skin, the skin will be characteristically light or, conversely, dark. The nodule appears more than one, usually on the forehead, cheeks, arms and legs, small warts appear, thick and fleshy, smooth and flat. Rough growths appear around the nails or under the nails, and you can also notice such neoplasms on the feet that are oval or round in shape and that are painful to step on. They are slightly rough to the touch or smooth and flat, they can merge into groups into one neoplasm.
The wart virus can remain dormant in your body for years, and the incubation period can last up to six months, so don’t be surprised if they suddenly appear for no apparent reason.
Warts can be different: there are vulgar or common, straight, plantar, as well as fibrous and genital varieties. Common warts are those that appear on the feet and hands, elbows and knees, and on the fingers and toes. These are small growths, no more than an inch, hard to the touch, brown or gray in color. Their shape is usually domed.
The surface of the plain or vulgar may be rough, resembling cauliflower in appearance, and black dots may be distinguished on the inside. The flat type includes those that, up to five millimeters in size, are characterized by a smooth flat surface, as well as pink, yellowish or light brown color. Usually these growths appear on the face, but can grow in clumps on the arms or knees.
Plantar warts are the most uncomfortable: they cause a lot of trouble walking, causing a feeling as if a pebble has entered the shoe. They are usually quite tough, dirty gray in color. The filamentous type grows 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, which are also called genital warts: they develop on the genitals, as well as in the groin and buttocks, and are a direct consequence of the unclean attitude towards your body. From the outside they look like pink knots, they often merge, they have a base that looks like a leg.
When to see a doctor
- if the wart quickly changes shape, color, or all together;
- if the wart has an uneven color;
- if the boundaries of the nipple are unclear (in this case it is most likely not a nipple);
- if the nipple hurts or is constantly injured (this increases the risk of its transformation into something more serious);
- if the number of warts gradually increases;
- if the wart bleeds or itches;
How to get rid of papillomas on the hands
Warts cause us a lot of discomfort in everyday life. They do not look aesthetically pleasing in conspicuous places; with uncomfortable localization they quickly injure and cause pain. Therefore, very often people go to a dermatologist when warts appear. Because of the possibility of malignancy, oncologists are also involved in warts.
Because the appearance of warts is associated with provoking 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 results, and after a while they will start growing again.
The desire to get rid of warts on your own sometimes leads to bad consequences. Various folk remedies offered by various counselors will not only fail to remove the wart, but will also contribute to its malignancy. You should be extremely careful here. Treatment of warts at home should not include the use of traditional medicine, but the use of special medicines purchased at the pharmacy.
It is even easier to trust professionals from private clinics. Or make an appointment with a dermatologist at an oncology clinic.
Papilloma removal methods
Today, private and public clinics can offer a fairly wide range of methods for removing warts. Before choosing a removal technique, listen to your doctor’s recommendations. Your doctor will advise you on the most appropriate intervention based on your individual characteristics. Specifically, these are:
- Cryodestruction. . . It involves the use of liquid nitrogen to destroy papillomas. Nitrogen is applied to the nipple, usually with an applicator, and the formation is frozen for fifteen to twenty seconds. To date, applicators have been developed that are easy to use at home. They can be bought at pharmacies at a reasonable price.
- Electrocoagulation.Papilloma excision with a thin metal loop under high frequency current. Prior to surgery, local anesthesia is performed. Complete recovery occurs in a week.
- Laser coagulation. . . It is similar to electrocoagulation, only a laser is used instead of a laser.
- Surgical intervention. . . Under local anesthesia, the nipple is cut with a scalpel, the site of the surgical wound is sutured with a cosmetic suture. It is only used to remove large papillomas.
- Chemical methods. . . They are used extremely rarely, because the risk of damage to nearby tissues is too great.
What to do to melt the warts on your hands?
One woman's son was only four years old when warts began to appear on his arms. There were so many of them that in kindergarten they asked their mother not to even take him there. And what just did they not do with this accident! Doctors recommended burning the warts with acid. But the woman still decided to turn to folk remedies for the treatment of warts.
Cut a branch of thuja (palm size) into pieces 3–7 mm long. Put in a glass bottle, for example, hydrogen peroxide, pour alcohol. Close with a stopper and leave to cook for 12 days with occasional shaking. After 12 days, open and keep the bottle open for 1-2 days. After that, the tincture is ready for use.
You need to dip cotton wool on a match in it and lubricate the nipples several times a day. Lubrication up to six times a day is recommended. And after such treatment, the warts finally started to disappear from the boy’s skin without a trace. However, do not expect immediate results. So how the course of treatment of the boy was quite long. 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 - one woman could not get rid of a wart on her finger. She tried to burn with liquid nitrogen, but the nipple continued to grow. She even went to an oncologist because she was already starting to think it was a malignant neoplasm.
But in the hospital, her fears were not confirmed, and the doctor suggested that she take a piece of propolis the size of a nipple, put it in her mouth and soften it with saliva. At that time, in a slightly warm water - clean, without any additives - keep your finger with the nipple for 30-40 minutes to soften it as well. Then you have to wipe your finger and apply propolis to the nipple that has just softened in your mouth.
It should be fastened 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 treatment until the full moon, and start again on the full moon.
It is with such a folk method of treating warts that she got rid of these unpleasant accidents painlessly. If you have smaller warts, you may be able to get rid of warts in one full month until the new moon treatment.
Nipple prevention
It is known that it is easier to prevent the disease than to cure 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 common areas, especially wet ones - like showers, locker rooms, swimming pools; do not abuse such shoes in which your feet are constantly sweating, or at least find an opportunity to dry them well; do not touch your own or someone else's nipples or objects that the patient has touched with you unnecessarily.
You should also pay attention to your general health, and especially to 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 to get rid of not only the possible appearance of warts, but also a whole bunch of possible diseases.