A finger wart is a benign tumor that is viral in nature. The causative agent of such growths is the human papillomavirus. Warts are considered safe devices because. Cancer rarely occurs. However, this fact does not mean that treatment is not required at all. This article provides detailed information about the etiology of the disease, external symptoms and modern methods of treatment.
Causes of finger warts
Because warts are not uncommon. Human papillomavirus, the cause of their growth, is highly contagious and does not spare both adults and children. The causative agent, falling on the skin, enters the tissues through small wounds and remains in the body forever. At the same time, different levels of viral load are observed at different times, p. a. the population of the microorganism increases or decreases. The disease can be asymptomatic for a long time. The incubation period can vary significantly in each case and lasts from 1-6 months to several years. All this, undoubtedly, affects the nature of external phenomena. Thus, an increase in the activity of the virus leads to the appearance of the same warts on the fingers, legs, knees and other areas of the skin.
The surest way to get infected is through direct contact with an infected person. HPV is usually sexually transmitted, so unprotected sex or promiscuous sex is the biggest cause of the disease. However, most often the growth of warts on the fingers is caused by the contact of the upper limbs with infected surfaces, whether it is the hands of the virus carrier or objects he has just used - a pen, kitchen utensils. towels, books, etc. b. All public places are dangerous places, but especially places with high levels of humidity.
Even mother-to-child transmission can occur. This happens during childbirth.
With the localization of warts on the fingers, the risk of self-infection increases, p. a. rapid spread of infection to the face and other parts of the body. This is due to the sensitivity of the growths to frequent trauma, which causes the pathogen to surface in large numbers, and the fact that the fingers are in contact with all other skin integuments and transfer the virus to the skin. are they.
In fact, the answer to the question of why warts appear on the fingers is a little unclear and includes many provoking factors. First, the development of a viral infection is facilitated by a decrease in the patient's immune status, when the body is unable to withstand the activity of the virus, keeping its population at the same level and preventing its uncontrolled growth. Wart-like epithelial cells on the finger or other parts of the body. Here, too, everything is unclear, because there are a number of reasons for the decrease in immunity. This is an unbalanced diet and drug abuse, bad habits, emotional and physical overload.
What else causes warts on fingers? Various acute and chronic diseases, such as severe colds, diabetes, HIV, venereal diseases, skin pathologies, etc.
Due to the lack of daily care and personal hygiene, HPV infects more and more areas of the skin. Finger warts can be caused by unwashed hands, untreated injuries, dehydrated and weathered skin, nail biting and ingrown toenails.
What do finger warts look like?
Most people confuse warts with other skin growths, such as corns, lichen planus, keratosis, molluscum contagiosum, and often choose the wrong treatment methods on their own, or completely ignore the appearance of the disease, risking the spread of infection, and others are at risk of infection.
In order not to make such mistakes, it is better to study in detail what warts on the finger are, what types there are, make an accurate diagnosis, and go to the hospital in time to determine effective treatment. mode.
Benign epithelial changes caused by HPV have a capillary network that nourishes their cells. Because of this, when the integrity of the growth is compromised, minor bleeding often occurs, which increases the risk of infection and wound infection. This is one of the reasons for trying to cut out the hardened tissue.
Warts appear for the first time in numbers - only one or two. But problems with the immune system can cause more and more formations. Sometimes they join together and form a large skin ulcer.
This rapidly growing focus indicates the strong activity of the pathogen and should be taken into account as a reason for an urgent visit to the doctor. Also, when the tumor begins to darken or redden, if there is a visible change in its structure, if swelling, pus appears, or if there is a rash, you should go to the hospital to find out how to treat warts on the fingers. growth to remove pathological fluid from the body.
The color of the wart can be yellowish, skin tone, gray-brown. In some cases, black dots are visible on the surface - these are only places where thrombosis of small blood vessels occurs.
The most common types of finger warts are:
- Vulgar warts. The second name is normal. They often appear not only on the inner side of the palm, but on the entire surface of the fingers, sometimes they affect the periungual space, where the skin is subject to tension and folds. Flesh-colored structures are more common, but brownish-yellow or grayish ones are also found. The shape is knotted or domed. The diameter is 2-7 mm. The structure of the construction is quite dense and somewhat rough. This is drier than healthy skin. Can burst and cause pain.
- Superficial flat warts. Their face protrudes only slightly above the skin. The shape is rounded, but when they spread and merge, there are also growths with uneven contours. The color can be brown or light yellow. The diameter of one flat wart on the finger is 3-4 mm. Their presence on the skin is usually not accompanied by pain.
- Deep flat warts. This type of skin often causes pain due to its structure. On the outside of the skin, the growths appear flat with a slight groove in the middle, but their roots go deeper into the layers of the dermis. This, of course, provokes serious daily discomfort, which, often for other reasons, a person consults a doctor. Deep formations are irregular in shape, color and size often similar to the shape of superficial warts.
- Subungual warts. The name was not chosen by chance. Such growths appear in the zone of the free edge of the nail plate. At first, the wart is flat on the finger and has a smooth surface, then it becomes rough and keratinized. With a low activity of the virus, they practically do not cause symptoms, but with a serious deterioration of health and lack of proper hygienic treatment, they grow, enter the tissues under the nail, and lead to rejection of the nail plate from the nail bed. . In this case, it is not only an aesthetic defect. Pain and pus appear, gradually the formation reaches the matrix and destroys it irreversibly.
Many believe that the treatment of such a disease is not mandatory, if you try to strengthen the immune system, the body can cope on its own. However, this view is fundamentally wrong. After all, there are many reasons why it is necessary to treat warts on the fingers and other parts of the body. First of all, such tumors are very contagious, and even a person with a wart can infect several healthy people, who may have a more serious disease. Secondly, many children, teenagers and adults, of course, have a desire to find an effective way to remove warts on the finger, for example, they are very embarrassed by the presence of skin formations. What about pain, trauma and the danger of the oncological process.
Ways to treat finger warts
Modern medicine knows many effective ways to remove warts on the finger. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages, and they should be used only under the guidance of a doctor and in combination with drug therapy, since the removal of the growth by any method does not reduce the activity of the virus and does not guarantee the absence of recurrence of the disease. illness in the near future.
Removal of warts on the fingers in the clinic
At the dermatologist's appointment, a detailed diagnosis is carried out, with the results of which, in addition to the main health indicators, the strain of the virus causing the disease, as well as the risk of the development of the oncological process, are determined. Tests may often be required for co-morbidities such as HIV, which can also cause warts and worsen the course of the disease.
As a result, multifaceted treatment is prescribed. It involves the cutting of growths using one of the modern instrumental methods, including:
- Laser removal. The most popular method. It is recommended by almost all clinics. Special equipment allows you to burn the epithelial tumor almost painlessly, preventing bleeding. The healing time of the peels is minimal. After such an impact, tissues are quickly restored, so there are almost no scars on the skin.
- remove radio waves. The method is based on the strength of radio waves, which simply cut the bloodless growths. With the help of a radio knife, you can remove warts on the fingers almost without touching healthy tissue. The procedure is very expensive, but it is recognized as very effective and safe.
- Electrocoagulation. Operating power is a current of varying frequency. It burns the wart cells on the finger in seconds. At the same time, the veins are closed, which prevents bleeding.
- Surgical way.This cannot be done without local anesthesia. removal is carried out with a scalpel. Less prescribed than other options. The main indicator is a large lesion, if it is necessary to obtain material for histological examination, as well as the presence of deep thin skin and under the nail plate. Healthy tissues are often damaged during the procedure. After healing, scars often remain. The cost of surgical intervention is calculated individually in each individual case.
- Cryotherapy. A widely used method. The body of the wart is destroyed by exposure to liquid nitrogen at ultra-low temperature on the finger. This option is characterized by good performance, is painless, and does not require local anesthesia. However, during the recovery period - approximately 7-10 days - it is necessary to follow all the doctor's recommendations so that the treated areas heal quickly and without problems.
- Chemical method. Removal of warts on the finger is carried out using aggressive chemicals, for example, trichloroacetic acid. It is best to entrust the implementation to a qualified specialist to avoid burning healthy tissues. The effect should be very specific and only on the body to be formed. Scars may remain after healing. The cost of the procedure depends on the selected drug and is calculated individually by the doctor.
No method is 100% guaranteed to be effective and repeatable. The result depends not only on the type of wart, its localization, but also on the qualifications of medical personnel and the equipment and drugs used. During the recovery period, the patient himself plays an important role, he must follow all the doctor's instructions: treat the warts on the fingers every day, prevent injuries, hypothermia of the palm, take prescribed medications, get rid of bad habits and normalize. diet. Only then you don't have to figure out how to get rid of a wart on your finger again.
Treatment of warts on the fingers with drugs
Warts on the fingers means competent medical treatment, their action is the reception of preparations aimed at suppressing the viral infection, increasing the immune status and restoring the balance of minerals, vitamins and other useful compounds.
Types of medical products intended for the treatment of warts on the fingers:
- Oral preparations. This category includes means of complex effect - antiviral and immunomodulatory. Currently, there are no drugs that can completely kill the human papillomavirus, so one of the tasks of modern medicine is to increase the body's resistance and significantly reduce the viral load, simulating natural immunity to stop the growth of warts. fingers and other places.
- External use. Some drugs are intended for antiseptic treatment, others accelerate tissue regeneration, others have local antiviral and immunostimulating effects, others nourish skin cells, normalize all metabolic processes.
- External cauterizing agents. They may contain cauterization acids and other components that promote growth. Use at home is associated with the risk of burns, so the procedure should be carried out very carefully. Some drugs work on the principle of cryodestruction, others on the principle of chemical destruction.
- Vitamin-mineral complexes. They are prescribed to prevent nutrient deficiencies in the body, restore metabolism and the functioning of certain organs and systems, including the immune system.
Folk remedies against finger warts
The effectiveness of traditional medicine does not subside the debate. Some argue that it is ineffective and that people waste valuable time by refusing to see a doctor, while others believe that it is the only correct way to safely cure most diseases.
When looking for the right answer to the question of how to reduce finger warts, it is better to use the golden mean. Consult a doctor and discuss options for comprehensive therapy, including instrumental removal of growths, HPV-specific drugs, and appropriate folk remedies.
Popular folk remedies for the treatment of warts on the fingers:
- Apricot compress. Dissolve salt (20 g) in water (150 ml), add vinegar (20 ml), mix, and put half of the pitted plum into this solution. Infusion time - 2 hours. Remove the apricots, mash the mass. Apply the resulting slime to the wart and fix it with a bandage or plaster for 2-8 hours.
- Tuya oil for warts. It is used externally 4-5 times a day. Daily use of this remedy ensures rapid regeneration of epithelial cells.
- Tui tincture.Chamomile leaves (20 g) are poured with vodka (100 ml). Ask for 14 days. Lubricate the affected areas of warts on the fingers for 3 minutes several times. The procedure is repeated twice a day for 14-20 days.
- Coniferous tinctures. Take equal amounts of young conifers and juniper berries. Mix all raw materials and grind. Put 50 g of the resulting mixture in a glass container and pour 200 g of alcohol. Leave for about 3 weeks. Strain and use to lubricate growths. It is enough to use once a day.
- Infusion of lemon peel. You can take the peel of 1-2 lemons and slice them with a knife or use a meat grinder. Put the mass in a glass container and fill it with 100-150 ml of kitchen vinegar. Close the lid tightly. Leave to insist for a week, forget to shake every day. Then take the cake and treat the warts with the resulting infusion on the fingers, trying not to touch healthy skin.
- Horse chestnut stew. To prepare, boil 2. 5 liters of water, add horse chestnut leaves (120 g), boil for 15 minutes over low heat, filter, and pour the broth into the basin. When it cools down to 36-40 degrees, put your palm on it. The duration of such a bath is 20 minutes. 2, it is necessary to carry out 8 procedures in 5 weeks, p. a. Repeat every 3 days before going to bed.
- Herbal infusion. Such a tool affects the whole organism in a complex way. But its most important property is to stimulate the immune system to fight the virus. Systemic intake inhibits the growth of finger warts. To prepare, mix and grind 20 g of juniper needles, plantain leaves, chicory root and dandelion, birch leaves, as well as 30 g of horsetail and nettle. Store in a glass container with a lid. For decoction, take 20 g of the mixture, put it in an enamel pan, pour boiling water (500 ml) and let it rest for 60 minutes. Filter and drink inside before meals, 100-150 ml 3-4 times a day.
Regardless of what caused the weakening of the immune system and the growth of epithelial tumors, warts on fingers and toes, elbows, knees, feet and other places require special attention and proper treatment. Timely admission to the hospital, as well as removing growths and choosing adequate methods for HPV treatment will allow you to recover faster and forget about the unpleasant manifestations of the viral disease for a long time.