Human papillomavirus has recentlyis becoming more and more common. However, not all people know what exactly this disease is, how it manifests itself and, most importantly, how it is treated. This is what will be discussed below - readers will know when to worry and consult a doctor to begin treatment of the disease. What is a papilloma? Doctors call this term a skin tumor in which there is connective tissue and blood vessels. This tumor is benign in all cases. Connective tissue covered with a layer of epithelium grows upward, rising above the level of the skin. There can be a lot of such formations. Most often, in its appearance, a papilloma is very similar to cauliflower. In especially severe cases, if a person's skin contains a large number of papillomas, doctors talk about such a phenomenon as papillomatosis. The color of the papilloma can be very different - from dark brown to white. If the papilloma is located on the skin of the face, it most often has a bright pink tint. It goes without saying that such a problem is a significant cosmetic defect, and it is these formations that patients begin to treat first. And if the papilloma is located on the mucous membranes of the larynx, they have a bright pink color, and can disrupt the normal breathing or speech process.
Methods of transmission of papillomavirus
In order to minimize the riskdisease, which is not so easy to cure, it is necessary to know how the virus enters the human body and how to avoid infection. The most important condition for infection to occur is direct contact of the mucous membranes with the virus itself. By the way, the presence of microtraumas on the mucous membranes significantly increases the risk of infection. There are several main ways of infection with the papillomavirus:
- Traditional sexual intercourse
Most often, infection occurs duringtraditional sexual intercourse, in which partners forget about the need for protection. And pay attention to the fact that in this case only barrier contraception is effective. All the others are simply ineffective. And do not forget that you can get infected not only from a person who shows signs of the disease, but also from someone who is simply a carrier of the virus, without signs of the disease.
- Oral and anal sex
During these types of sex, despiteAccording to popular belief, there is a high probability of contracting sexually transmitted infections, including the papilloma virus, if you do not use barrier contraception. And this is not surprising - after all, mucous membranes are present in both the rectum and the oral cavity. This means that the papilloma virus has every chance of penetrating the human body. And subsequently, it will have to be treated.
- Infection of the child during childbirth
Unfortunately, even small children sometimesare infected with this papilloma virus. Infection occurs when the baby passes through the mother's birth canal. However, sometimes there are cases when even those babies who were born as a result of a cesarean section become infected. Therefore, doctors assume that the virus can be acquired through intrauterine infection.
- Infection in contact with raw meat or fish
This disease is also often found inthose people who are constantly in contact with either raw fish or, more often, raw meat - they are engaged in cutting up carcasses. In common parlance, this phenomenon is called "butcher's warts". Therefore, sushi lovers and professional chefs have to treat papillomas.
What happens in the body?
Immediately after the papilloma virusenters the body, it begins to spread throughout the body with the bloodstream. Having chosen certain cells, the virus penetrates them, damaging DNA. As a result of this process, the cell begins to function differently, not like a healthy one. The affected cell begins to divide extremely actively, which is why the growth so characteristic of this disease occurs. It is necessary to draw the attention of readers to another important aspect - the duration of the incubation period. It can be very different - from several weeks to several years. This criterion is greatly influenced by the state of the human immune system. If the immunity is good, the human papilloma virus may not manifest itself in any way for a very, very long time. But as soon as the immune system weakens even a little, the virus immediately becomes active. Approximately the same as with infection with the herpes virus. And then the disease will have to be treated for a long time. That is why dermatologists immediately warn the sick person that in no case should they accuse their partner of infidelity. There is a very high probability that you or he was infected several years ago. And, in addition, we must not forget that this virus can be completely asymptomatic, so that a person does not even suspect his disease until he finds out about it during a routine examination. And according to doctors, there are about 65% of such people. That is, in other words, most of the adult population of the planet has this virus in their body and almost all of us urgently need treatment.
Complications of this disease
Unfortunately, people often do notrealize the seriousness of this disease, mistakenly believing that there is absolutely no danger in it, and refuse to treat the virus. At first glance, this really seems so. It is quite possible to live with the disease without starting treatment, and feel quite tolerable. However, what do doctors say about this? This is what will be discussed below. So, a person has become infected with the human papilloma virus. The disease can be completely asymptomatic for a very long time. During this period, it is really safe, since it does not have any negative impact on the human body. However, sooner or later it makes itself known, manifesting itself in the very same formations of grouped papillomas. If a person has consulted a doctor and has begun to receive the necessary course of treatment in a timely manner, he will quickly get rid of the papilloma virus. But if a sick person, for some reason, has not started treatment for the virus and has not consulted a doctor, two possible scenarios are possible. In the best case, if the immunity of the infected person is very strong, complete self-healing is possible. However, unfortunately, such a phenomenon is extremely rare. Most often, the disease, if not treated in time, becomes chronic, with regular relapses. Moreover, the disease will recur until the sick person begins to treat the virus. However, this is not the worst-case scenario. The human papilloma virus in the body of an infected person is highly likely to provoke the development of various neoplasms. Moreover, tumors can be of two types - both benign and malignant (cancerous). Malignant neoplasms caused by the presence of the human papilloma virus in the human body most often include cancer of the uterus, cervix and vagina in women, and cancer of the penis in men. So is it worth risking your health? After all, curing the human papilloma virus is much easier than getting rid of a malignant tumor. Therefore, if you recognize yourself in these lines, isn't it time to start treatment?
A little more about the features of the disease
As mentioned above, papilloma growths can be seen on a variety of skin areas. There are several main locations:
- In the armpits
- In the neck area, both in front and behind
- In women - under the mammary glands, and in a fairly large number, as a rule
- On the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, nasopharynx, and even on the vocal cords (such papillomas are much more difficult to treat)
- The internal organs - the cavity of the stomach, the mucosa of the bladder, whose treatment is also problematic, as in the previous case
- Well, about the genitals and the anus is not even necessary to say - there the papilloma virus is most often localized
It is widely believed that inIn most cases, the papilloma virus affects women (or they simply begin treatment for the virus first, unlike the stronger sex, who is indecisive in matters of health). However, doctors say that this is not true at all - both men and women are equally often infected with this disease. The only factor that can affect the risk of contracting the papilloma virus is the state of the immune system, but not the gender of a person. Just as the virus can be cured in both men and women in an equal amount of time.
Methods of diagnosis and treatment of the disease
Until recently, it was even impossible to diagnose the virusIt was difficult to diagnose human papillomavirus, let alone treat it effectively. However, in recent years, a real breakthrough has occurred in virology. It is no longer difficult for doctors not only to diagnose the disease, but also to treat it. Moreover, there is already a specially developed vaccine that prevents the development of the papillomavirus in the human body. It is called Gardasil. It is thanks to the vaccine that the virus can be cured with virtually no consequences for the body. It has already been said above that the disease is often detected completely by accident, during a routine examination. However, unfortunately, not all people undergo such an examination. Today, the following are subject to mandatory examination for the presence of the human papillomavirus:
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
All people are subject to examination, regardless ofgender, who have been diagnosed with any sexually transmitted infection - be it syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV infection, etc. Such people should be prepared to treat not only the diseases that have been detected, but also those that have not yet been diagnosed.
- The presence of pathological changes in the skin
Sometimes human papillomas can be severalchange to such an extent that even an experienced doctor will not be able to recognize them by their appearance. That is why an analysis for the presence of the human papilloma virus is necessary in the case of any incomprehensible neoplasms on human skin. Moreover, any rashes and spots on the skin should be treated.
- Erosions and other pathologies, both the cervix and the body of the uterus
Human papillomavirus is often found in womenleads to the development of diseases of the female reproductive system, therefore, if you are negligent, you will have to treat not only the viruses, but also the consequences of their activity. Moreover, in this case, the treatment may be delayed. Nowadays, diagnostics of the presence of the papilloma virus in the human body is almost one hundred percent reliable. However, doctors can carry it out in several stages - after all, it is a little more difficult than simply identifying, for example, iron deficiency anemia based on the results of a general blood test. Today, the following diagnostic methods are widely used:
- Visual examination of pathological skin changes. As a rule, if the papilloma virus is not mutated, it is easily recognized by a doctor
- Colposcopic examination
- Cytological examination
- Histological examination
In addition, when examining to determinethe presence of the human papilloma virus, the doctor will always take smears for microscopic and bacteriological examination from the cervical canal, urethra and vagina. In addition, the PCR diagnostic method is also very effective. After the doctor makes sure that the human papilloma virus is really present, the sick person will be prescribed the necessary treatment. Moreover, the human papillomavirus must be treated comprehensively. Here, it is important to both remove the papillomas themselves from the skin of the sick person and destroy the virus parasitizing the cells of the human body. Therefore, treatment should not be independent, otherwise you can cure the disease before new diagnoses appear. At the first appearance of papillomas, you should consult a doctor.
Removal of papillomas
A person suffering from the papilloma virus,Treatment of the virus by removing papillomas from the skin is indicated. Doctors use several different methods: removal with liquid nitrogen, laser treatment, cauterization with special pharmacological drugs - the so-called chemical removal, surgical removal of especially large groups of papillomas. The doctor in each specific case decides how exactly to treat the patient, and which method of removing papillomas can be chosen for this person.
Destruction of the virus in the human body
Unfortunately, the treatment and removal of the papillomas themselvesdoes not mean a person has fully recovered. If papillomas are cured, they will reappear very quickly. That is why the next stage of treating the virus is so necessary - medication. Medicines to destroy the virus should also be prescribed only by a doctor. If all doctor's orders are followed, a person will fully recover after completing the course of HPV treatment. However, you should never forget about precautions - after all, the human papilloma virus is not chickenpox, and the human body does not develop immunity to it, so the disease should be treated more thoroughly than the common flu. It is worth noting that the treatment should be comprehensive, and the person himself should give up all bad habits that can activate the action of the virus during this time. We recommend reading:
