Papillomas in intimate places: causes and symptoms



Genital warts (they are called genital warts) are benign growths located inside or around the vagina, penis, rectum. Their appearance is due to the action of human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual contact. Papillomas in intimate places grow rapidly and cause pain.



Causes of

There are over 100 known types of HPV. Some species cause warts on the skin.

Other types cause different types of genital infections:

• External (easily visible on the photo or with the naked eye) genital warts. Caused by certain types of HPV, especially types 6 and 11. Types 6 and 11 are unlikely to cause cancer. They are sexually transmitted and infect the genital and rectal regions.
• Internal (less visible) genital warts. Some types of HPV, especially types 16 and 18, infect the genitals, but do not cause easily visible warts. They provoke the appearance of tiny flat warts on the cervix or in the anus, which can only be seen with a magnifying device called a colposcope. Warts can also develop in the vagina, vulva, urethra, penis, anus. These less visible warts usually do not cause any symptoms, but the HPV strains that cause them also increase the risk of developing a cancer of the cervix and vulva, penis, anal cancer and throat cancer. These warts should be treated.

Types of HPV that affect genital and rectal areas tend to spread during vaginal or anal sex, but can also spread through other types of contact. HPV can also spread during oral sex, causing oral infections and increasing the risk of throat cancer.



Symptoms of papillomas in intimate places

Most people with HPV do not have visible warts, but can transmit the virus to a sexual partner. Treating warts cannot reduce the likelihood of the virus spreading. Thus, all sexually active people can be considered as potential sources of HPV. Papillomas in intimate areas can appear for a year or more after contact with a virus, so it is not always possible to know when and how you got infected.

In men

Symptoms of genital warts in men include the appearance of growths on the penis (either below the foreskin, or under it, or on the head), or around the anus. There may be genital warts inside the urethra, and between the anus and scrotum.

Among women

In women, the warts on the genitals are flesh-colored or pink, and may be smooth and flat or convex with a rough texture. They are usually located on the genital lips or located at the entrance to the vagina, but can also be inside and around the anus.

Most women with genital warts do not have any symptoms. It may rarely be itchy, burning or sore in the genital area.

Indications and contraindications for removal. Surgical treatment of papillomas in intimate places include procedures that completely remove the wart (this is called excision) and procedures that destroy (freeze, burn) the wart. These procedures are often used in combination. Some surgical procedures can be done directly in the doctor’s office, while others are performed in the operating room.

Surgical treatments are considered safe during pregnancy, and can be recommended for:

• Warts that do not respond to drug therapy.
• Large warts, in the case of which drug therapy alone is often ineffective.
• Warts located in the vagina, urethra or anus.
• Areas that have precancerous changes.

Papillomas in intimate places should not be surgically removed if the patient is diagnosed with infectious or inflammatory diseases, for example, herpes in the acute stage.

How to treat papillomas in intimate places with drugs and surgically

If you have genital warts, know that you are not alone. Genital warts (condyloma acuminate) are very common.

According to the American Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, up to one million new cases of genital warts occur each year, and this is only in the United States. Genital warts are amenable to treatment.

The treatment of genital warts will depend on the severity of the infection. When choosing a treatment, the doctor will take into account the size, volume and texture of papillomas on the patient's genitals.

Drug treatment

If you ask a dermatologist about how to treat papillomas in intimate places, he will most likely recommend one of the following remedies. Podophyllotoxin - used to treat small fleshy warts. This remedy physically burns the wart.

The treatment takes about a month, but after it the warts often return. Imiquimod (trade name Aldara) is a cream that works best on large warts. It helps fight the immune system against viral infections. The treatment may take several weeks or months, but the warts treated with this cream usually do not return.

Vergen - ointment with green tea extract, should be applied three times a day (0.5 cm layer of ointment for each wart). Apply it with a finger to ensure coverage with a thin layer of ointment to complete cleansing of warts. This product must be used within 16 weeks. The drug should not be washed off after use. Sexual (ie, genital, anal or oral) contact should be avoided while the ointment is on the skin.

The most common side effects of Vergen include: erythema, pruritus, burning, pain, ulceration, swelling, and vesicular rash. This medicine may weaken the protection with a condom. The drug is not recommended for HIV-infected individuals, persons with a weakened immune system, or individuals with clinical genital herpes, since the safety and efficacy of therapy in these conditions has not been established.

Oxolinic ointment (3%) has antiviral activity and can be used to treat warts. It is necessary to smear a wart 2-3 times a day, and the treatment process takes from 2 weeks to 2 months. Causes a temporary darkening of the skin around the wart, it is not dangerous. In combination with ointments, gels and creams for the treatment of papillomas, doctors often prescribe immunostimulating suppositories (for example, Viferon) and tablets (for example, Cycloferon).

Hardware treatment

For a quick and painless (although not in all cases) removal of papillomas, modern hardware methods are used.

Cryotherapy - freezing of warts using liquid nitrogen or dry ice. This prevents further growth of the growth cells. Skin recovery after cryotherapy can take up to three weeks and it is better to abstain from sex until the skin is completely healed.

The radio wave method is a good option for removing large warts that have not been amenable to medical treatment. In this procedure, a metal loop is used, which is attached to the wart. Through the loop pass high-frequency radio waves that destroy the wart. Since treatment can be painful, local anesthesia or even general anesthesia is performed.

Laser surgery - used to treat large warts that are difficult to access. For example, those that are deep inside the anus or urethra. The laser is also suitable for the treatment of genital papillomas in pregnant women. It allows you to instantly burn the wart. Before treating papillomas in intimate places with a laser, the doctor can give the patient local or general anesthesia (depending on the complexity of the procedure).

As with all forms of hardware treatment for warts, you should not have sexual intercourse until the skin is completely healed. Unfortunately, none of the medical and hardware treatments for warts eradicate HPV, which is the main cause of warts, so there is always a chance of recurrence.

Surgery

If the growth in the intimate area causes considerable inconvenience and you want to get rid of it as soon as possible, then you can resort to surgical excision.

In this procedure, the wart is cut with a scalpel under local anesthesia. Excision is commonly used to remove large or medium warts.

How to get rid of papillomas folk remedies

There are several popular ways to treat papillomas in intimate places. Here are the three most effective remedies:

1. Tea tree oil is an essential oil that is useful in the fight against fungi and other microorganisms, including lice. For the treatment of genital warts, diluted tea tree oil can be used (mix one drop of oil with a drop or two carrier oils, for example coconut or olive). It should be applied directly to the wart. Some people may be allergic to tea tree oil, so test a small amount of diluted tea tree oil on your arm before treatment. If there is no reaction after 24 hours, then there is no allergic reaction. Tea tree oil can irritate the skin and cause burning or inflammation, but it effectively reduces the size of the wart. Do not take tea tree oil inside or place swabs with it in the vagina or anus. You will need to apply the oil several times over several weeks. Stop use if it is too irritating to the skin.
2. Green tea is a powerful natural antioxidant with antimutagenic, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antiinflammatory and hypocholesterolemic properties. It is useful and effective against genital warts. You can drink green tea daily or purchase liquid green tea extract and use at home by adding two drops to coconut oil and applying on warts.
3. Crispy vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower. These vegetables contain indole-3-carbinol, which can help clear genital warts from the skin. Here's how to treat papillomas in intimate places is tasty and simple: just eat 4-5 small servings of vegetables every day.

You should not smear genial warts with iodine, you can burn tender skin in the intimate area.

Reviews

The most positive reviews about laser treatment of genital papillomas. This is a short procedure (takes about half an hour), healing, on average, takes about 2 weeks and there are no marks on the skin. The price of the procedure is about 500 rubles and usually more than one procedure and is not required. There are also many positive reviews about Aldara cream.

It acts effectively and painlessly, enhances immunity and has a small number of contraindications and side effects. From folk remedies the most effective, according to reviews on various forums, is tea tree oil. The main thing is not to use it undiluted to avoid redness and itching in the intimate area.