Why warts grow is a question often heard by dermatovenerologists from patients.
These neoplasms are often the cause of not only aesthetic, but also physical discomfort.
Therefore, it is not surprising that patients are interested in how to get rid of it.
What is this growth, and why warts grow on the hands and other parts of the body, patients are often interested in.
What provoking factors affect their appearance, and what are the ways to eliminate the pathology?
Warts: what is it
If a person finds that his warts have started to grow, he inadvertently wonders what it is and where the tumor came from.
Warts are harmless skin lesions.
Someone owes their appearance to human papillomavirus infection.
The virus is considered very widespread; about 90% of the entire population of the planet suffers from it.
The peculiarity of the infection is that the symptoms may not be present for a long time.
Until the body is exposed to any negative effects.
It is very easy today to get infected with HPV, as doctors say.
There are several ways.
- Sexual intercourse. Sex without a condom easily leads to the transition of the infection from a sick person or carrier to a healthy one. Moreover, even condoms are not always able to protect a person from this viral pathology. Although it significantly reduces the chances of infection. It is important to remember that not only classic sexual intercourse is dangerous, but also oral and anal sex.
- Vertical path. Another relatively common method of infection. In this case, the virus enters the child's body from the body of the sick mother. When he goes through his birth canal. In rare cases, transplacental infection is also possible. But this requires the fulfillment of special conditions.
- The way of acquaintance-household. Human papillomavirus can remain on regular sponges, towels, and linens. Naturally, if a healthy person comes in contact with the personal hygiene items of an infected person, an infection may occur.
It is important to remember that warts are just one of the manifestations of HPV.
Also, the virus can make itself felt by the development of papillomas, genital warts and other types of neoplasms.
In addition, some subspecies (strains) of the virus are highly oncogenic.
This can lead to the development of malignant neoplasms if treatment is not taken in a timely manner.
Types of warts
No matter how fast the warts grow, doctors distinguish several types of this unpleasant skin formation.
Depending on the type of wart, one can assess its localization, as well as the characteristics of the alleged removal.
Allocation:
- normal growth, the formation of which most frequently occurs on the face and hands, and especially often children suffer from it, in most cases many growths appear at once, they are seldom alone;
- flat neoplasm - another pathological variant that affects the face, neck, arms, often indistinguishable from the general skin color, which may make it quite difficult to detect;
- plantar warts form on the soles of the feet and in their structure resemble the most common corns, which can cause significant discomfort when walking;
- The formation of senility appears in elderly patients, they are usually initially small in size, but over time they acquire a clear tendency to grow, can cause difficulties, as they are often located on closed parts of the body and subject to friction.
Some even refer to genital warts as warts, but this is not entirely true, although the nature of their formation is similar.
It is very important to understand what species the identified warts belong to.
Because this will allow the doctor to choose the optimal removal tactics, as well as ways to prevent recurrence.
The cause of the appearance of warts
Often patients, wondering why warts grow on the body, face and legs, ask their doctor whether the localization of the growth somehow depends on their nature.
It is important to understand that the main reason for the appearance is always the same - it is the human papillomavirus that is activated in the body.
If the patient is not sick with HPV, then he or she will not form warts anywhere and never.
If there is a virus in the body, neoplasms can appear anywhere.
In some people, the virus is not felt throughout their lives.
Moreover, if the immune system is strong enough, the patient may not know that he or she is infected.
Unless special studies have been done.
If a neoplasm has appeared, it should be understood that an infection has occurred.
Today, unfortunately, it is impossible to remove HPV from your body.
However, with effort, you can reduce the recurrence of pathology to a minimum so that the virus no longer reminds itself.
Warts grow on the headmost often due to the fact that there are the most blood vessels.
This means the easiest way for the virus to enter this zone and infect the maximum number of cells.
But why other body parts are affected is often asked by patients.
Why do warts grow on the hands
It is not uncommon for people to ask doctors why warts grow on their fingers.
There are several reasons.
First of all, as stated by the doctor, the reason is that the hand is one of the main parts that is constantly in contact with the external environment.
As a result, the easiest way for viruses to enter the body is through them through household contact pathways.
True, as noted by doctors, if there are no injuries and injuries to the skin of the hands, the risk of infection can be minimized.
But if a patient’s skin is traumatized, it becomes very easy to become infected.
Among other reasons, they are called:
- constant contact with objects of the external environment in public places (handhelds, door knobs, ordinary items) that can be infected;
- shaking hands with a person who has HPV and has a characteristic rash or microtraumas on the skin on his hands, through which the virus can reach a healthy person;
- excessive skin dryness, which contributes to the formation of various microtraumas;
- sweating of the palms, which also negatively affects the protective properties of the skin;
- common trauma to the skin in the hand area (working in industry without gloves, wounds, etc. );
- ignoring the recommendation to use gloves in cold weather (slowing blood flow in the hands allows the virus to accumulate and more actively infect healthy cells).
Warts in the soles of the feet
Warts on the feet also grow in frequent cases.
Patients may initially ignore it for a long time or fight it in the same way as they normally fight with callus.
But this method turned out to be ineffective.
There are several reasons for the appearance of growths due to HPV in the foot zone:
- painful warts and grow on its soles if a person often wears shoes made of unnatural materials, where the skin sweats a lot and does not allow the feet to breathe normally;
- the appearance of pathological growth is also possible if the patient walks barefoot in saunas, baths, swimming pools (because these places are considered public places, the virus can easily enter the environment, and due to high humidity it can also remain in them for a long timelama);
- continuous wearing of rubber shoes also has a negative impact on heat exchange and sweating, which can lead to the development of infections;
- as in the case of hands, excessive skin dryness also plays a role, leading to easier trauma to the skin than usual (e. g. , because of dryness, heels often crack, and wounds become good entrances for infection);
- fungal diseases of the feet also contribute to HPV infection, as it reduces local immunity.
Warts begin to grow: provoking factors
As already mentioned, human papillomavirus, although there is an infection, is not shown in everyone.
If the warts grow and itch or hurt?
This is reason to think about the fact that the body has been affected by any pathological factors that negatively affect immunity.
Among the causes of wart growth or provoking factors are often called:
- the presence of diabetes mellitus of any kind in a state of decompensation;
- infected with HIV;
- decreased immunity under the influence of unfavorable environmental factors (for example, due to being in the cold, unhealthy diet, etc. );
- period of pregnancy, which is always associated with immunosuppression, otherwise the woman will not be able to bear a fetus;
- the use of drugs with glucocorticosteroid hormones in the composition, which have immunosuppressive effects;
- some severe genetic pathology can lead to viral activation;
- ignoring the rules of hygiene can trigger pathological processes in the body;
- neglect of the principle of protection during sexual intercourse also often leads to infection, and then the development of disease;
- exposure to severe stress and overwork adversely affects the body’s immune defenses in all cases.
Exposure to one or more of these factors can lead to the fact that warts begin to grow in adults or children.
Wart removal methods
What to do if warts grow, many patients are interested in the attending physician.
After all, this pathology, although usually not painful, still causes aesthetic discomfort.
Especially ifwarts grow on the face. . .
First of all, patients with similar problems are advised to undergo removal of the formation.
One of the following methods can be selected:
- chemical removal with the help of special drugs, with which the neoplasm is burned until it disappears completely;
- laser removal, which is also based on burning with a directed beam of rays, which injures the surrounding tissue minimally;
- cryotherapy, in which removal is carried out with the help of nitrogen, which abruptly cools the pathological tissue, thereby killing it;
- electrocoagulation is another popular method in which removal is provided due to the effect of current points;
- surgical intervention is a technique used in exceptional cases if the growth is large or there are contraindications to the use of other methods of intervention.
If the warts grow on the eyes or the growth is localized on any other part of the face, you should definitely see a doctor.
You can’t fight a finely located neoplasm itself.
Because this can lead to serious complications.
After the removal is done, the doctor cannot guarantee that the warts will not appear again.
Pathological recurrences were recorded in about 30% of cases.
Also, in some cases, growth disappears on its own without external interference.
Which doctor should you call if warts grow?
If warts grow on the neckor on another part of the body, then which doctor should be consulted, the patient is interested.
First of all, it is worth visiting a dermatovenerologist.
It is these specialists who deal with various skin pathologies, including those caused by viral infections.
Physicians specialize in both dermatology and venereology.
He or she can also give advice on how to boost immunity to prevent the recurrence of neoplasms.
Warts are unpleasant growths on the skin.
They reduce the aesthetic appeal significantly, especially if it is located in a prominent place.
A person suffers especially when the face is affected.
Timely visits to the doctor will help to easily get rid of growths that form under the influence of HPV.
And adherence to the recommendations will prevent relapse.
If warts appear, consult a dermatovenerologist at a specialized clinic.