Human papillomavirus is one of the most common diseases from which no one is immune.According to medical statistics provided by the World Health Organization, about 70% of the world's population is infected with HPV and most of the infected people are not even aware of their illness.Despite long-term research into the nature of papillomavirus, scientists have not yet found a way to cure it completely.Today it is only possible to suppress the activity of the causative agent of the disease, but under the influence of certain unfavorable factors it will return with renewed vigor.
Routes of infection with HPV
Papillomavirus is an unpleasant disease that causes the appearance of venereal warts (condylomas), growths on the skin, as well as papillomas on the mucous membranes of the larynx and oral cavity.In fact, HPV itself does not pose a particular threat to human health, but its external symptoms spoil the appearance, cause pain when damaged, and can even cause oncology.Due to the risk of a malignant tumor, this disease must be treated immediately, otherwise the consequences will be irreversible.
Human papillomavirus infection spreads very quickly.It is mainly transmitted in utero during gestation (from mother to child) or by contact:
- through handshakes;
- embrace;
- when touching a patient on public transport;
- during sexual intercourse with an infected person.
In second place is the household circuit.In this case, you can catch the virus:
- through animal fur;
- when using other people's personal hygiene items;
- when wearing clothes or shoes that belong to an infected person;
- at the time of visiting public pools, ponds, showers.
Activation of HPV does not occur immediately.Often, the disease makes itself felt a year or two after entering the body, or even does not manifest itself at all.If no external symptoms are detected, then a person infected with papillomavirus moves into a group of carriers and becomes a spreader of the disease.This infection can be detected in the absence of external signs only after undergoing laboratory diagnostics, but few people think about it until the disease enters the active phase.
An interesting fact is that the external signs of the disease in pregnant women are temporary.The reason for this lies in the fact that during pregnancy, the expectant mother’s immune system weakens, which previously kept the infection in a latent form.After childbirth, the protective functions of the woman’s body are restored, and the disease can go away on its own.
Papillomavirus: level of oncogenicity and types of growths
All existing types of papillomavirus are divided into several categories depending on the level of oncogenicity:
- safe growths;
- neoplasms with a low chance of transformation into cancer;
- papillomas of average risk of developing a cancerous tumor;
- especially dangerous neoplasms.
Based on medical practice data, especially dangerous types of papillomavirus in most cases (70-94%) affect the female body.It causes precancerous conditions in urology and gynecology, such as cervical cancer.
Types of papillomas
According to their appearance and location, all papillomas are divided into several groups:
- warts– plantar on the feet, vulgar on the fingers, youthful (flat) growths on the skin;
- genital warts– genitals, area near the anus, mucous membranes in the vagina, oral cavity, lips.
In addition, tumors can develop on the vocal cords.In this case, the disease is called laryngeal papillomatosis.It is often diagnosed in newborns and in women who are infected with condylomatosis.
Important!
If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, the papillomavirus can enter an advanced stage and a person will develop many different growths of varying levels of oncogenicity throughout the body.It will be very difficult to fight mass papillomas.
Diagnosis of the disease
If you detect any signs of papillomavirus on the skin, you should immediately contact an infectious disease specialist or dermatologist.If growths appear on the genitals, the patient needs to visit a gynecologist (for women) or a urologist (for men).The doctor is obliged to conduct a visual examination and make a primary diagnosis.After this, the patient is sent for examination.This is a mandatory procedure, since in addition to HPV, there are many other diseases, the external symptoms of which are very similar to the signs of papillomavirus infection.
PCR analysis
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most common laboratory diagnostic method.Blood, scrapings from the skin or mucous membranes of the genital organs are used as biomaterial.
After taking a sample of patient tissue, laboratory staff use special enzymes that copy RNA and DNA particles of the human papilloma virus from the biomaterial.Next, they are “run” through a database of infectious diseases, identifying the type of infection and its concentration.
There are many reasons why PCR analysis is the main method for diagnosing papillomavirus.Among them, it is worth highlighting the main advantages of this method:
- increased sensitivity - the disease can be detected immediately after it enters the body;
- versatility – absolutely any biomaterial is suitable for analysis;
- large coverage area - allows you to identify all types of HPV that are present in the body at one time;
- speed of analysis - results become known within a few hours;
- high accuracy - the technique never gives incorrect results (exceptions include violations of the technology for carrying out diagnostic measures, which is extremely rare).
In addition, it should be noted that the cost of the analysis is acceptable.The price of PCR is much lower compared to other methods for diagnosing HPV.
Digene HPV test
Not long ago, Digene technology appeared in medicine, with which it is possible to detect all types of human papillomavirus infection, from low levels of oncogenicity to particularly dangerous types of the disease.Despite the fact that this technique is new, it is quickly gaining popularity.For example, in European countries it has already been recognized as more effective than PCR analysis.
The main advantage of the Digene HPV test is that, unlike PCR, it is capable of not only identifying papillomavirus and establishing the type of disease, but also determining the level of its oncogenicity.Thanks to this, the doctor can more correctly select treatment and reduce the likelihood of developing cancer due to HPV to a minimum.
A secondary positive feature of this diagnostic method was the accurate determination of the concentration of viral cells in the body.When deciphering tests, doctors pay attention to this characteristic, since on its basis the course of therapy is selected.
All methods of treating human papillomavirus
HPV is not a death sentence!It is impossible to completely get rid of it, but it is quite possible to start living without its external manifestations.
The treatment regimen for human papillomavirus infection includes three stages:
- Removal of external signs of disease (growths);
- Completing a course of drug therapy;
- Strengthening the immune system to prevent relapse.
The entire process of healing from HPV must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.Making changes to it yourself can cause health problems or reduce the effectiveness of medications prescribed by a specialist.
Important!
Doctors allow the possibility of independently using additional methods of combating the virus (traditional medicine, spells, medicinal baths), but before using them you should notify the doctor about this.
Basic methods for removing growths
It is not recommended to remove growths on your own, since any damage to papilloma or condyloma can provoke the transformation of the remains of the neoplasm into a cancerous tumor.To safely get rid of external symptoms of infection, you should use professional techniques:
- freezing with liquid nitrogen;
- radio wave destruction;
- electrocoagulation;
- laser therapy.
General contraindications to hardware removal of papillomas are:
- the presence of chronic diseases that are in the acute stage at the time of visiting the medical center;
- damage to the skin at the location of the growth;
- suspicion of malignancy of the neoplasm;
- skin infections.
In addition, the client may be denied the operation if he is under the influence of drugs or intoxicated.
Excision of the growth with a scalpel
In some particularly advanced cases, the patient will have to seek help from a surgeon.This radical method of combating growths is prescribed only when the papilloma has grown by more than 4-5 cm or the person has contraindications to one or another cosmetic procedure.
Surgery is the only effective way to get rid of large warts and large group tumors.Its disadvantages were:
- the appearance of a scar after surgery;
- need for anesthesia (local or general);
- long rehabilitation period.
Chemotherapy
If there is a small single papilloma, the patient can use chemotherapy.It is based on the use of drugs for external use, which penetrate into the deep layers of the epidermis and destroy the base of the growth.As a result, under the influence of aggressive chemical compounds, it dies and falls off, leaving behind a barely noticeable depression.
The downside of this method of treatment is that the components in the antipapilloma products also burn out healthy skin cells.In addition, chemotherapy cannot remove condylomas and warts localized in the mouth or genitals due to the risk of damage to the mucous membranes.
Course of drug treatment
To date, it is not known how to cure papillomavirus forever.The action of all existing drugs against HPV is aimed at suppressing the activity of the infection and strengthening the immune system, which can independently block the development of the disease.
Complex drug therapy includes several types of drugs:
- antiviral;
- immunostimulants;
Antiviral drugs stop the development of infection, and immunostimulants strengthen the body’s protective functions, which subsequently keep the disease latent.
The choice of a particular drug depends on the individual characteristics of the patient’s body.
Injections have become an alternative to oral medications.
Strengthening the immune system
Unlike antiviral and immunostimulating drugs, vitamin complexes can be selected according to the patient’s personal preferences.They are not the basis of therapy and belong to means intended to support the human body in the fight against infection.
Important!
If desired, tablet vitamins can be replaced with healthy foods.To compensate for the lack of nutrients in the body and restore its protective functions, it is enough to switch to plant foods rich in vitamins E, C, D.
Prevention of papillomavirus
There are several groups into which all existing preventive measures for papillomavirus are divided:
- prevention of infection, taking into account how the infection spreads (primary prevention);
- early diagnosis of the disease;
- protecting the body from re-infection after undergoing a course of therapy.
In the first case, a person must protect himself in every possible way from infection.To do this he will need:
- stop having promiscuous sex;
- wash your hands after visiting public places;
- maintain personal hygiene;
- avoid visiting dubious beauty salons (it is precisely because of insufficient disinfection of cosmetic or manicure instruments that the likelihood of contracting papillomavirus in a cosmetologist’s office is quite high);
- eat well;
- wear shoes when visiting swimming pools or baths;
- strengthen your immune system;
- Clean your home regularly.
Despite following these recommendations, there is still a small chance of contracting HPV.Therefore, doctors insist on regularly visiting an infectious disease specialist and submitting biomaterial for analysis.This will help to identify the virus in the incubation period and quickly get rid of it.
If, nevertheless, infection occurs, and the disease begins to manifest itself externally, then no preventive measures will be of benefit.Only specially selected treatment will help here, after which you need to take care to prevent relapse of the disease.To do this, you need to use the rules of primary prevention and remain under the supervision of a doctor for another 2-3 weeks.
Will the HPV vaccine protect women?
Despite the fact that there is no 100% cure for papillomavirus, women can avoid infection with some cancer-dangerous types of the disease.Two drugs have been developed for this purpose.
These agents are given as an injectable solution and help protect the body against several types of HPV (6, 11, 16, 18, 33, 45).
Vaccination using these means occurs in three stages:
- The first dose is on the day of injection;
- Second dose – after 60 days;
- The third dose is six months later.
After vaccination, the body acquires the ability that allows it to kill viral cells, the DNA of which was part of the drug, provided that the person has not been infected with them previously.Therefore, before injecting the medicine, a woman undergoes mandatory laboratory diagnostics.
In order for immunity to be as pronounced as possible, vaccination should be carried out before the age of 18 years.Some developed countries have made this procedure mandatory, and all high school students undergo it.
If necessary, you can take advantage of paid vaccination in a private clinic.