For most people, papillomas are just a cosmetic defect. And few of them suspect that epithelial growths are prone to transformation 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 too weakened immunity. Accordingly, if this factor is not eliminated in the future, then papillomas will appear again and again. What causes papillomas and how to deal with them? What do doctors say about this? How to remove papillomas on your own at home and can you do this at all?
Why do papillomas occur?
So, papillomas are epithelial neoplasms caused by the activity of the human papillomavirus (HPV). To date, about 100 HPV strains have been registered in medicine. They provoke the appearance of not only 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 to the vessels that the growth grows, receiving the nutrients necessary for reproduction from the blood. Accordingly, a simple "cutting" of the visible part of the papilloma will not be enough to get rid of it forever. This will only worsen the patient's condition, and in some cases can lead to the development of skin cancer.
It is also worth considering 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 provokes the appearance of genital warts in the cervical region. And if they are untimely detected, a woman develops cancer.
How doctors suggest removing papillomas
How to get rid of papillomas on the body? Medicine today offers several ways:
- Cut with a scalpel. At the same time, the doctor does local anesthesia, after which he cuts out the damaged area of the skin along with the soft tissues 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 removal. It means getting rid of papillomas by thermal exposure to them. It is less traumatic than surgical removal.
- Formic acid treatment. In fact, this is a cauterization of papillomas. Suitable only for small lesions.
- Radio wave removal. A gentle method that is in no way inferior in efficiency to a laser one, but it works in a similar way.
Removal of 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 transformed into a malignant tumor.
Do I need to remove papillomas on the body? After all, the same moles are eliminated only in cases where there is a risk of mechanical damage. But with papillomas, the situation is somewhat different. By themselves, they will not disappear, but will only affect most of the epithelium. And so it will be until the patient's immune system normalizes, and at the same time all neoplasms are removed, because they are a hotbed of viral infection.
Is it painful to remove papillomas with the above methods? The doctor always does local anesthesia before the manipulation. After the operation, all painful sensations disappear literally within a few hours. The only exceptions are those cases when the removal of huge papillomas by the section method is performed. Even postoperative scars may remain in their place (but no sutures are applied).
Pharmacology in the treatment of papillomatosis
How to get rid of papilloma without surgery? Do such methods even exist and are doctors allowed to use them? How to remove papilloma yourself at home? The means for this do exist, but they are quite aggressive. One of the most common drugs in this group is a special pencil. Its base is silver ions, which penetrate into the upper and middle layers of the skin and have an antiviral effect (locally). In fact, the removal of papilloma in this case is performed due to the chemical destruction of the neoplasm.
Pencils for freezing (sold in pharmacies) are similar in 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 doctor's recommendations, then this does not pose any danger to the patient. The main thing when using the same pencils is to apply the product strictly on the affected part of the skin. If even an insignificant part falls on a healthy one, then it is also subsequently rejected.
But it is far from always possible to perform cauterization of papillomas with such methods. If their size is too large, then pharmacology is powerless here. The doctor then prescribes the surgical removal of the papilloma on the body, followed by the administration of immunomodulators.
Is it possible to remove papillomas on your own without visiting a doctor? This is strongly discouraged, since it is impossible to accurately diagnose HPV without testing. Accordingly, the patient can only harm himself.
How to prevent relapse
The main nuisance of HPV infection is that papillomas in the future, even after their removal, will still appear. The reason for this is a virus that remains in the body forever after infection. The papillomavirus can be in the blood all life, but it will manifest itself only when the immune system is weakened. Accordingly, in order to prevent this, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system in every possible way, eliminate other chronic diseases, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is best to consult a virologist and immunologist on this matter.
Is it possible to get rid of papillomas forever by simply strengthening your immunity? Small formations that do not affect the capillaries can really atrophy, and then be rejected by the body. Large ones will have to be deleted in any case. Doctors do not make predictions on this score, since each organism reacts to such therapy in a purely individual way.
Alternative medicine against papillomas
How to remove papillomas using traditional 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 into the deep pores of the skin and destroys the virus itself, provoking the destruction and subsequent removal of the papilloma. Burdock oil gives a similar effect, but it is used with extreme caution - it can provoke allergies.
You can also cauterize papilloma with brilliant green, but this method only works against small neoplasms. And it makes no sense to use it against 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 walnuts 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 remain, 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 with 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 this is already a cancerous tumor. And moxibustion will only accelerate its growth.
What is the preferred treatment method
What is the best way to remove papillomas? The most traumatic method is section, that is, surgical removal with a scalpel. After it, a noticeable scar remains, and quite often the skin in these places is scarred.
It is better to remove papillomas on the face with a laser, but only if the doctor gives permission to do so. In this case, the neoplasm is removed in layers. Accordingly, the doctor will remove only damaged tissue without affecting healthy ones. The burn itself disappears 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 section with a scalpel is used if there is a suspicion of the transformation of the papilloma into a tumor.
In cosmetology, the removal of papillomas is most often performed 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 made 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, since they are a hotbed of infection.
How to remove papillomas on the body? It is best to entrust the choice of method to a doctor. It will be preferable 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 removal, it will also be necessary to restore the functioning of the immune system, and then to take care of the healing of the whole organism.
The main thing is not to postpone the visit to the doctor and start therapy as early as possible. At an early stage of HPV manifestation, the disease recedes rather quickly. In the later stages, complex treatment is indispensable. And most often it involves taking immunomodulators in combination with antiviral drugs. And they are quite expensive, and the course of treatment will take several months.