For most people, papillomas are just a cosmetic defect. And few of them suspect that the epithelial growths are likely to turn into a malignant tumor, thereby causing cancer. It is imperative to get rid of them, but at the same time, the reason why they appear should be taken into account. Most often, these are signs of weakened immunity. As a result, if this factor is not removed in the future, papillomas will appear again and again. What are the causes of papillomas and how to treat them? What are doctors saying about this? How to remove papillomas on your own at home and can you do it?
Why do papillomas occur?
Thus, papillomas are epithelial neoplasms caused by the activity of the human papillomavirus (HPV). To date, around 100 strains of HPV have been registered in medicine. They provoke the appearance not only of papillomas, but also warts, warts. Their etiology is similar, but they arise due to the activity of different strains of the virus.
How deep do papillomas "grow"? Most often, they affect only the upper and middle layers of the skin, also affecting the capillary network. To be more precise, it is towards the vessels that the growth develops, receiving the nutrients necessary for the reproduction of the blood. As a result, a simple "cut" of the visible part of the papilloma will not be enough to get rid of it forever. This will only worsen the condition of the patient and in some cases may lead to the development of skin cancer.
It should also be noted that papillomas can also occur inside a person. Most often this applies to the oral mucosa and organs of the reproductive system. For example, HPV type 16 quite often causes the appearance of genital warts in the cervical region. And if they are not detected in time, a woman develops cancer.
How doctors suggest removing papillomas
How to get rid of papillomas on the body? Medicine today offers several means:
- Cut with a scalpel. At the same time, the doctor performs local anesthesia, after which he cuts out the damaged area of the skin as well as the soft tissue where the papilloma has "grown".
- Cryogenic freezing. The papilloma is exposed to liquid nitrogen, which leads to its atrophy. After several weeks, the neoplasm is independently rejected by the body.
- Laser suppression. It means getting rid of papillomas through thermal exposure. It's less traumatic than surgical removal.
- Formic acid treatment. In fact, it is a cauterization of papillomas. Only suitable for small lesions.
- Suppression of radio waves. A gentle method which is by no means inferior in efficiency to a laser method, but which works in the same way.
Removal of the papilloma is carried out only in a hospital (in a clinic) by a surgeon, followed by a biopsy and sending the neoplasm for histological examination. The latter is done in order to establish precisely that the removed papilloma has not turned into a malignant tumor.
Do I have to remove papillomas on the body? After all, the same moles are removed only in cases where there is a risk of mechanical damage. But with papillomas, the situation is somewhat different. On their own, they will not go away, but will affect only most of the epithelium. And it will be the same until the patient's immune system normalizes and all the neoplasms are eliminated at the same time, since they are a hotbed of viral infection.
Is it painful to remove papillomas with the above methods? The doctor always does a local anesthesia before the manipulation. After the operation, all painful sensations literally disappear within a few hours. The only exceptions are those cases when the removal of huge papillomas by the section method is carried out. Even postoperative scars can stay in their place (but no sutures are applied).
Pharmacology in the treatment of papillomatosis
How to get rid of papilloma without surgery? Are there even such methods and are doctors allowed to use them? How to remove papilloma on your own at home? The means for this exist, but they are quite aggressive. One of the most common drugs in this group is a special pencil. Its basis is silver ions, which penetrate the upper and middle layers of the skin and have an antiviral effect (locally). In fact, the removal of the papilloma in this case is carried out due to the chemical destruction of the neoplasm.
Freezer pencils (sold in pharmacies) have a similar effect. Dermatologists recognize such methods of removing papillomas, but medical supervision in this case is mandatory. That is, before using the product, you should definitely consult a doctor, and then visit him at least once a week to monitor the patient's condition and conduct an examination.
Is it dangerous to remove papillomas on your own? If you strictly follow the recommendations of the doctor, it is not dangerous for the patient. The main thing when using the same pencils is to apply the product strictly to the affected part of the skin. If even an insignificant part falls on a healthy part, it is subsequently rejected as well.
But it is far from always possible to achieve cauterization of papillomas with such methods. If their size is too big, then pharmacology is powerless here. The doctor then prescribes the surgical removal of the papilloma from the body, followed by the administration of immunomodulators.
Is it possible to remove papillomas on my own without consulting a doctor? This is strongly discouraged, as it is impossible to accurately diagnose HPV without testing. As a result, the patient can only hurt himself.
How to prevent relapses
The main disadvantage of HPV infection is that papillomas in the future, even after they are eliminated, will continue to appear. The reason is a virus that stays in the body forever after infection. HPV can be in the blood for life, but it will not manifest itself until the immune system is weakened. Accordingly, to avoid this, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system in all possible ways, eliminate other chronic diseases and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is best to consult a virologist and an immunologist about this.
Is it possible to get rid of papillomas forever, just by boosting your immunity? Small formations that do not affect the capillaries can really atrophy and then be rejected by the body. The larger ones should be deleted in all cases. Doctors do not make predictions about this, because each organism reacts to such therapy in a purely individual way.
Alternative medicine for papillomas
How to remove papillomas using folk medicine? The simplest and at the same time effective remedy is fresh celandine juice. It acts by analogy with a lapis pencil, that is, it penetrates the deep pores of the skin and destroys the virus itself, causing the destruction and subsequent removal of the papilloma. Burdock oil gives a similar effect, but it is used with extreme caution - it can cause allergies.
You can also cauterize the papilloma with a bright green, but this method only works against small neoplasms. And it doesn't make sense to use it for plantar warts.
How else to remove papillomas from the body at home? Healers recommend using:
- potato juice;
- honey combined with celandine (in equal proportions);
- tincture of nuts on kerosene (1 to 10);
- egg white;
- pine sawdust.
You should not use "folk" methods on papillomas, which are located on the mucous membrane (in the genital area, lips, nose). At best, only a burn will be left, at worst, ulcers will appear. And before you try to remove papillomas on your own, you should consult a dermatologist on your own.
Can papillomas be cauterized by fire? This method is often recommended on thematic forums. It is also strictly prohibited! Especially if the neoplasm is not symmetrical. It is quite possible that it is already a cancerous tumor. And moxibustion will only accelerate its growth.
What is the preferred method of treatment
What's the best way to get rid of papillomas? The most traumatic method is section, that is, surgical removal with a scalpel. After that, a noticeable scar remains, and quite often the skin in these places is scarred.
It is best to remove papillomas from the face with a laser, but only if the doctor gives permission to do so. In this case, the neoplasm is removed in layers. As a result, the doctor will only remove damaged tissue without affecting healthy tissue. The burn itself goes away after about 2-9 months (depending on size and depth).
What is the best way to remove papillomas in the intimate area? Most often, a laser or an electric knife is used there (depending on the type of neoplasm). In some cases, a scalpel cut is used if there is a suspicion that the papilloma has turned into a tumor.
In cosmetology, the removal of papillomas is most often carried out with the same laser or radio wave therapy. But experts recommend contacting specialized centers - they have the necessary equipment for histological analysis.
But the final decision on how to properly remove the papilloma is taken exclusively by the attending physician. And you should not give up the prescribed treatment - sooner or later you will still have to get rid of the neoplasm.
So, is it necessary to remove papillomas? Necessarily, because they are a hotbed of infection.
How to remove papillomas on the body? It is better to leave the choice of method to a doctor. It will be best to remove with an electric knife (for papillomas on the "leg") and a laser.
How to get rid of papillomas once and for all? In addition to their elimination, it will also be necessary to restore the functioning of the immune system, and then - to heal the whole organism.
The main thing is not to postpone the visit to the doctor and to start treatment as soon as possible. At an early stage of the manifestation of HPV, the disease recedes quite quickly. In the later stages, complex treatment is essential. And most often it is taking immunomodulators in combination with antiviral drugs. And they are quite expensive, and the treatment will take several months.