Warts on the hands: causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Warts on the hands are mostly benign neoplasms. The appearance of these growths is associated with increased activity of the human papillomavirus virus. The disease is highly contagious and requires special complex therapy.

Causes the appearance of warts on the hands

Warts are an unpleasant external manifestation of infectious skin disease. The culprit is the human papillomavirus.

How HPV infection occurs, which stimulates the growth of warts on the hands:

• Contact method. . . Infection with this pathogenic microorganism often occurs through direct contact between the skin of a healthy person and an infected person. A simple handshake may be enough. Because of this, the most common occurrence is warts on the hands, because the hands are the most contact of the body. In addition to this option, it is possible to note the possibility of transmission of the pathogen when using objects and objects in contact with the disease carrier. Therefore, you can become infected from relatives at home. Sometimes the virus persists for some time on various wet surfaces, for example, in bathrooms, changing rooms, public transport, etc.
• Unbind. . . If a similar neoplasm appears on one part of the body, the risk of self-infection can be increased. More precisely, the virus spread to healthy tissue. This happens when the growths are trampled with nails or various objects. If the hygiene of the wound and hands is not done in a timely manner, it is easy to provoke an increase in the disease.
• From mother to baby. . . According to this option, infection of the baby occurs from the mother during childbirth.

It should be noted that sexual contact with the carrier of the virus rarely causes the appearance of warts on the hands. This method of transmission often causes another type of benign neoplasms.

HPV is highly contagious. Infection is difficult to avoid. The disease affects both men and women, both adults and children. Warts on the hands are most common in children and adolescents.

From the moment the virus enters the body until the first external manifestations appear, it can take 1 to 6 months. Although behavior is only seen in some cases, the warts never start to grow. This is possible if the human immunity is strong enough and does not allow the virus to multiply and activate.

So HPV can wait a long time for the right moment - a significant weakening of the immune system.

Different types of mental trauma, improper work and relaxation regimen, drug abuse, unbalanced diet, adherence to bad habits and unfavorable environmental conditions can affect the immune status towards its reduction.

The appearance of these formations has many predisposing factors, consider the most obvious causes of warts appearing on the hands:

• Acute and chronic diseases. . . Any illness and lack of timely and competent treatment can significantly weaken the immune system. There is an increased risk of getting HPV with developing warts on the hands with HIV, eczema, psoriasis, etc. The risk of the virus entering the epidermis increases with the presence of even the smallest cracks in the skin.
• Individual characteristics. . . Hyperhidrosis, i. e. Increased sweating on the palms is a stimulating factor, because it promotes the formation of special pathological microflora and high humidity, which are favorable conditions for HPV reproduction.
• Failure to comply with personal hygiene rules. . . It's pretty simple to explain what causes warts on your hands in the absence of skin care. For example, dry skin can form small cracks and irritation, through which the virus can enter safely. It is worth mentioning that infection can be prevented even after shaking your hands with an infected person, if it is banal to wash your hands in a timely manner.

With strong protective functions, the body can deal with the infection on its own. In the best case, rehabilitation occurs in 2-3 months. According to statistics, this is about 20% of all cases. Sometimes the recovery process with the help of your own strength happens within 2 years.

What do warts on your hands look like?

Many people, having discovered skin neoplasms in themselves, wonder how to cure warts on their hands. However, before you start treatment, you should make sure that you have the warts straight, and for this you need to be able to distinguish these benign growths from others - corns, keratosis, lichen planus and molluscum contagiosum.

The most important difference is that warts have small blood vessels on the hands and other parts of the body. This can be understood by accidentally injuring the growth or when you try to remove it yourself - bleeding of varying severity occurs.

The color spectrum of benign and safe warts is varied. The growths can be flesh-colored, light yellow, light brown, gray-brown. Sometimes on their surface you can see black dots - places of heavy vessels. At the same time, staining of neoplasms caused by the human papillomavirus virus is usually not done in bright brown, black. Any color change should alert a person and encourage an urgent trip to the hospital to learn how to treat warts on the hands. Those growths that become inflamed, collect and start growing at an accelerated rate should be feared.

The sizes of the warts vary from 1 to 10 mm. They are single or formed into groups of several. With a very weak immune response, neoplasm tissues grow rapidly. Individual growths can grow together.

Any type of warts triggers hyperkeratosis - thickening of the upper layer of the epidermis. That is why such growths can be easily felt; they stand out clearly against the background of healthy cells with a rougher and firmer structure.

There are often two types of wart on the hands:

• Common warts. . . They are also called vulgar. A favorite place for this type of neoplasm is the hands. It can be easily spread on human skin. The color is flesh colored, yellow-brown or gray-green. It is on such warts that blackheads often appear. The growths are keratinized eminences above the skin. In shape, such warts on the hands are like a bent node or papule. Its structure is compact, the surface is uneven with small villi, which are characterized by increased tissue dryness. The size is usually 2 to 7 mm in diameter. They often do not cause pain.
• Superficial flat warts. . . Another young name. The dorsum of the hands is often affected. Color - from pale yellow to brown. In appearance, they look like flat nodes of round or irregular shape. The size is 3-4 mm. Practically do not protrude over the skin.
• Warts are fairly deep. . . The second type of flat warts. Representatives of this species grow in. They are very specific formations. It also has an irregular shape, from pale yellow to brown. Not particularly protruding over the skin, but within the outer surface of the build up there is a slight depression towards the center. The size of an individual neoplasm is 3-4 mm. Often, it is the deep warts on the hands that require treatment. they provide, as a rule, relatively strong painful sensations.

Warts are a source of infection. At the same time, they bring great physical discomfort to its owner and create complexes in it, shame on its appearance, because the hands are almost always. Because of this, even without pain and dangerous changes in the structure of such growths, you are advised to go to the hospital and learn how to remove the warts on the hands.

Ways to treat hand warts

The causes of the warts on the hands and the treatment should be determined by a qualified physician, who has not only knowledge and experience but also all kinds of tools for diagnosis. Therefore, with the help of laboratory tests, the type of human papillomavirus virus, viral load is determined, the risks of developing adverse effects are assessed. Based on the results, complex therapy is prescribed, which includes not only taking medications, but also instrumental removal of neoplasms, which is dangerous. Self-medication often leads to a lack of therapeutic effect or the development of complications.

Treatment of warts on the hands with medication

A dermatologist treats warts on the hands. Its main function is to suppress the activity of the virus and prevent the spread of infection. For this purpose, antiviral drugs are used for external use and for oral administration.

The most common remedies used to treat hand warts are:

• Ointments to disinfect and fight the virus. . . Timely treatment can reduce the spread of the infection through the skin, thereby reducing the risk of infection to others. Many drugs effectively suppress the activity of the virus, slowing the uncontrolled growth of neoplasms. They also contribute to the rapid healing of skin lesions, relieve inflammation.
• External methods of destroying growth. . . Active substances have an aggressive effect on growth cells, promote their destruction and stimulate the complete elimination of warts on the hands and other parts of the body. It is desirable that they be used within the walls of a medical institution in order to avoid undesirable consequences in the form of injury to healthy tissues. Separately, we can observe the sprayer with dimethyl ether and propane. The drug acts on the principle of crystallization and effectively removes epithelial tumors caused by HPV.

It should be noted that no specific drug against the human papillomavirus virus has been found at this time. However, there are drugs that can reduce viral activity and stop the growth of warts on the hands, feet and other parts of the body. So, in a separate column it is worth highlighting medicines intended for oral administration. They actively stimulate the immune system, helping the body produce special immune cells, and are able to have a visible antiviral effect.

Common drugs with antiviral and immunostimulating activity used to treat HPV in the presence of warts on the hands:

• Preparation with inosine. The strong antiviral effect is complemented by a stimulating effect on the immune system. A comprehensive solution to the HPV problem of various types provides an increase in immune response and inhibition of viral activity.
• Synthetic analogue of purine nucleoside. This is a direct-active drug, viruses including HPV. The result of treatment is a visible reduction in viral activity.
• Inductor of synthesis of endogenous interventions. The action is specific - it activates the body's defenses, stimulating numerous immune processes. It accelerates the production of interferon.
• Preparation with acridone meglumine acetate. It increases the body's resistance to the effects of HPV. It reduces viral load and stops the growth of warts on the hands.
• Common immunosuppressive medicine. An increase in the immune response results in the virus losing its ability to integrate into healthy cells, and its population is significantly reduced.

If there is a strong impairment of health, then the doctor recommends taking vitamin and mineral complexes in order to restore the balance of nutrients and the performance of all structural units in the body.

After comprehensive treatment of warts on the hands, reviews of patients suggest that complex therapy has a great effect, and the percentage of relapses is much lower than that of epithelial tumors removed simply by instrumental methods. not to use antiviral and immunostimulating drugs.

Removal of warts by hand with instrumental methods

Removal of the affected epitheliiam is a mandatory procedure if the warts become uncomfortable, grow rapidly and change their structure, or are frequently injured. Moreover, any mechanical effect on the growths can stimulate bleeding, adding a secondary infection, the development of the inflammatory process. Because of this, it is strongly recommended that you remove warts with your own hands.

There are several modern methods for instrumental removal of skin neoplasms. They are characterized by a high level of efficiency. Most are considered the least invasive. Local anesthesia relieves pain during procedures.

The most common methods to destroy tool warts on the hands are:

• Electrocoagulation. . . This method is great for getting rid of vulgar warts that protrude above the level of the skin, although it also helps get rid of deep epithelial neoplasms. A special device with a loop at the end synthesizes high-frequency current and simply cuts out the construction. Bleeding does not occur during manipulation. The resulting crust leaves within 5-7 days. A scar does not remain after electro-heating but after deep exposure.
• Surgical excision. . . In most cases, it is prescribed if a growth sample needs to be taken for analysis and in the presence of major lesions. Warts are removed from the hands using a surgical scalpel. Healthy tissue is often excised during this procedure. After the procedure, cosmetic adhesives are applied for 7-10 days. After the tissues have completely healed, scars may remain. The cost of surgery is calculated on an individual basis for each patient.
• Laser removal. . . By many criteria, it is considered the most successful method - minimal painful sensations, high safety, accurate effect on education. With the help of a laser, the cells of the wart on the hands are burned out. The remaining wreaths are tightened after 2-3 weeks.
• Cryodestruction. . . Deep tissue freezing, which occurs in a few seconds, triggers the death of the treated tissues. Under the influence of liquid nitrogen, the wart on the hands begins to become slightly pale and thickened. The tissue around it changes slightly and may turn red. After that, the body of the wart changes into a bubble that is able to fill with fluid. Within a week, it shrinks, and a crust remains in its place. The recovery time of the skin from this moment is about 2 weeks.

The claws, bubbles, wounds created as a result of the procedures should never be ripped. This can lead to infection and longer recovery time. Also, because of such actions, scars are often left unattractive.

The cost of each procedure depends on the location of the warts on the hands, the number of growths and the total area of the lesion. Also, different clinics can offer the same service at different prices, depending on the type of equipment used and the qualifications of medical personnel.

Treat warts on the hands with folk remedies

Many people refuse to visit a doctor for various reasons and are looking for an answer to the question of how to get rid of warts on their hands at home.

In order to eliminate warts and fight the human papillomavirus, traditional heaters use many improvised methods, food and plants. However, you need to understand that the effectiveness of traditional medicine in the treatment of HPV is relatively weak, so you should not rely on it, refusing to take medication and depriving the growth of professional growth.

In some cases, the attending physician may supplement traditional methods of treating warts by hand with folk remedies. Tasks include - maintaining immunity and increasing the body's antiviral activity, normalizing the balance of nutrients, as well as local antiseptic treatment.

Recipes for effective folk remedies:

• Herbal infusion. . . For cooking, take 25 g of birch leaves, juniper needles, dandelion root, plantain leaf, chicory root and 30 g each of nettle leaves, agine grass and horse grass. All ingredients are poured with boiling water in a volume of 1 liter, boiled for 10 minutes over low heat, insist for 10-12 hours. It should be taken four times a day, half a glass.
• Infusion with herbs. . . For cooking, take wormwood herb (10 g), birch buds (15 g), lemon balm herb (20 g), thyme herb (25 g) and juniper berries (30 g). All the ingredients are mixed. For brewing, take 40 g of the herbal mixture, pour 400-500 ml of boiling water, infuse for 1-1. 5 hours, filter and take inside. The dose received is calculated for 1 day. The treatment for hand warts is 2 to 5 weeks.
• Hand baths. . . The starting ingredient is tea tree oil (3 drops) and lemon juice (from half the fruit). Both ingredients are diluted in 2 cups of warm water. Put it in the palm mixture and keep for 20 minutes. After the procedure, the softened wart particles on the hands should be removed. The tool has an antiviral effect, soothes the skin, accelerates tissue regeneration, and fights pathogens.
• Lemon-pine mixture for warts. . . It is required to mix lemon and pine oil in equal proportions. The resulting mixture is applied to the affected areas 3-5 times a day to soften the growths, have an antiseptic effect and accelerate healthy tissue regeneration.
• Applications of warts. . . Patchouli oil is applied to a bactericidal patch and attached over the build-up. Such applications can last for several hours. To accelerate the therapeutic effect, the procedure should be performed 2-3 times daily until the wart on the hands completely disappears.
• Wormwood infusion. . . Wood worms crushed dry grass in a volume of 60 g with 250 ml of boiling water. Stand 2. 5 times in a thermos, filter. In the infusion, a gauze bandage is filled and compressed twice a day.

Sometimes it is practiced to remove warts with celandine, onions, potato juice, lemon, Kalanchoe, acetic acid.

Real reviews of patients on the treatment of warts on the hands

The choice of treatment methods is the prerogative of doctors, but it will not be superfluous to know about the possible options for HPV therapy and methods to remove neoplasms before going to the hospital. Feedback on the treatment of warts on the hands, left on Internet forums, will help to prejudge the effectiveness of a particular scheme. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with some stories about getting rid of external HPV manifestations:

1. "My child has warts on his arms. Immediately they just smeared it with an antiseptic, but when they started to grow near the nails, pain appeared. We decided to remove it in the safest way. and most effective, as we were told - with radio waves. The son did not, in fact, complain of pain during the procedure, there was no blood. The skin recovered very quickly. Then they took a drugbased on interferon. Now there's no single wart. "
2. "I got these growths in a sudden way. They were very sick. At home I tried garlic and I applied celandine, but I didn't get any results. They had to be removed with a laser, the warts were on. my hands were deep, so the scars were deep. It took about two weeks to heal, the scars are gradually healing, but I still drink antiviral pills and a drug for immunity. "
3. "But folk remedies did not help me, they only started salty. I had to go to the surgeon, because a lot of this pig's have grown. It's a good thing even though the doctor has not severely deformed my fingers, He carefully hung them. It took about three weeks to recover. Now I take pills and make decoctions for skin regeneration. "

Handling warts is a responsible business. A qualified medical professional should prescribe drugs and determine the best method of eradication exclusively in order to prevent the spread of the disease and reduce the risk of infection of the surrounding people.