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

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

Causes of warts on the hands

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

How does HPV infection, which provokes the growth of warts on the hands:

• Method of communication. . . Infection with this pathogenic microorganism most often occurs in direct contact between the skin of a healthy person and the infected one. A simple handshake may suffice. For this reason, warts on the hands are most common, as the hands are the most exposed part of the body. In addition to this possibility, it is possible to note the possibility of transmission of the pathogen using things and objects that have been touched by the vector. Therefore, you can get infected from relatives at home. Sometimes the virus survives for some time on various wet surfaces, such as bathrooms, changing rooms, public transport, and so on. c.
• Car infection. . . If similar neoplasms have occurred in one part of the body, there is a risk of self-infection. Specifically, the virus spreads to healthy tissues. This happens when the growths are injured by nails or various objects. If the wounds and hand hygiene are not performed in time, the damage can easily increase.
• From mother to child. . . Under this option, the baby becomes infected from the mother during childbirth.

It should be noted that sexual contact with the virus carrier rarely causes warts to appear on the hands. This method of transmission often causes other types of benign tumors.

HPV is highly infectious. It is difficult to avoid infection. The disease affects both men and women, as well as adults and children. The most common warts on the hands appear in children and adolescents.

It can take 1 to 6 months from the time the virus enters the body until the first appearance occurs. Although in some cases there is only a carriage in which the warts never start to grow. This is possible if the human immunity is strong enough to prevent the virus from multiplying and activating.

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

Various types of mental injuries, poor work and rest regimes, drug use, an unbalanced diet, poor habits and adverse environmental conditions can affect the immune system in a declining state.

There are many predisposing factors for these formations, consider the most obvious reasons why warts appear on the hands:

• Acute and chronic diseases. . . Any illness and lack of timely and competent treatment can significantly weaken the immune system. HIV, eczema, psoriasis, etc. are associated with an increased risk of developing HPV from warts on the hands. c. The risk of the virus entering the epidermis increases if there are even the smallest cracks in the skin.
• Individual characteristics. . . Hyperhidrosis, t. i. Increased sweating of the hands is a provocative factor, promotes the formation of a special abnormal microflora and high levels of moisture, which are favorable conditions for the reproduction of HPV.
• Failure to observe personal hygiene rules. . . Explaining what causes warts on your hands if you don't take care of your skin is easy. For example, dry skin can cause small cracks and irritation through which the virus can safely enter. Significantly, the infection can be prevented even after shaking hands with an infected person, if it is banal to wash your hands in time.

With strong protective functions, the body can deal with the infection itself. In the best case, recovery takes 2-3 months. According to statistics, this is about 20% of all cases. Sometimes the recovery process takes place within 2 years.

What do warts look like on my hands?

Many people who have discovered skin neoplasms are thinking about how to cure warts on their hands. However, before starting treatment, you need to make sure that you have warts, and for this purpose you need to be able to distinguish these benign formations from others - corns, keratosis, lichens and molluscum contagiosum.

The main difference is that the warts on the hands and other parts of the body have small blood vessels. This can be understood by accidentally injuring the growth or trying to remove it yourself - bleeding of varying intensity occurs.

The range of colors for benign and safe warts is diverse. The growths may be flesh-colored, light yellow, light brown, gray-brown. Occasionally, black spots may appear on their surface - areas of thrombus. At the same time, the bright brown, black discoloration of neoplasms caused by the human papillomavirus is not typical. In the event of any discolouration, the person should be alerted and hospitalized immediately to determine how to treat the warts on their hands. Fear should also be caused by growths that become inflamed, pus and begin to grow at an accelerated rate.

Wart sizes range from 1 to 10 mm. They are singly or in groups. With a very weak immune response, neoplasmic tissue grows rapidly. Individual plants can grow together.

Warts of any kind provoke hyperkeratosis - excessive thickening of the upper layer of the epidermis. Therefore, such growths can be easily felt, they stand out clearly against the background of whole cells with a coarser and harder structure.

The most common types of warts appear on the hands:

• Common warts. . . They are also called vulgaris. The favorite place for this type of neoplasm is the hands. May spread easily on the skin of the face. The color is flesh-colored, yellow-brown or gray. It is on such warts that black spots can often be seen. Growths are keratinized eminences above the skin. In shape, such warts resemble a nodular or domed papule on the hands. Their structure is dense, the surface is uneven with small fringes, characterized by increased tissue dryness. The size is usually 2 to 7 mm in diameter. Most often they do not cause pain.
• Superficial flat warts. . . Another name is youthful. The dexterity of the hands is often affected. Color - from light yellow to brown. They resemble round or irregularly shaped flat nodules. The size is 3-4 mm. It practically does not protrude over the skin.
• Flat warts are deep. . . The second type of flat warts. Representatives of this species grow inward. These are very specific formations. There is also an irregular shape, color from light yellow to brown. It is not particularly protruding over the skin, but the outer surface of the formation has a slight depression towards the middle. The size of one neoplasm is 3-4 mm. Deep warts on the hands are most often to be treated. they, as a rule, cause quite strong painful feelings.

Warts are a source of infection. At the same time, they cause great physical discomfort to their owner and create complexes in him, confusion about their appearance, because their hands are almost always visible. For this reason, even if there is no pain and no dangerous change in the structure of such formations, it is advisable to go to the hospital and find out how to remove the warts on the hands.

Types of hand wart treatment

The diagnosis and treatment of warty hands must be carried out by a qualified doctor who has not only the knowledge and experience, but also all the tools to make a diagnosis. Thus, with the help of laboratory examinations, the type of human papillomavirus is determined, the viral load, and the risks of the development of adverse consequences are evaluated. Based on the results, a complex therapy is prescribed, which includes not only the use of the drug, but also the removal of instrumental neoplasms that are dangerous. Self-medication can very often lead to a lack of therapeutic effect or the development of complications.

Treatment of warts on the hands with medication

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

The most popular remedies for hand warts are:

• Ointments for disinfection and fight against the virus. . . Topical treatment can reduce the spread of the infection through the skin, reducing the risk of infection to others. Many medicines effectively inhibit the activity of the virus by slowing down the growth of uncontrolled tumors. They also promote rapid healing of skin lesions, reduce inflammation.
• External growth control agents. . . The active substances have an aggressive effect on growth cells, promote their destruction and provoke complete removal of warts on the hands and other parts of the body. Their use is desirable within the walls of a medical facility to avoid adverse effects in the form of healthy tissue damage. Separately, we can label the aerosol with dimethyl ether and propane. The drug works on the principle of cryodestruction and effectively removes HPV-induced epithelial tumors.

It should be noted that no specific drug for human papillomavirus has been identified at present. However, there are medicines that can reduce the activity of the virus and stop the warts from growing on your arms, legs and other parts of your body. It is therefore worth highlighting oral medicines in a separate column. They actively stimulate the immune system, helping the body to produce special immune cells, as well as being able to produce a visible antiviral effect.

Popular antiviral and immunostimulatory drugs used to treat HPV in the presence of warts on the hands:

• Preparation with inosine. The potent antiviral effect is supplemented by a stimulating effect on the immune system. A comprehensive solution to the problem of different strains of HPV provides an enhanced immune response and suppression of viral activity.
• Synthetic analogue of purine nucleoside. These are direct-acting medicines that target viruses, including HPV. The result of the treatment is a reduction in viral activity.
• Inducer of endogenous interferon synthesis. The action is specific - it activates the body's defenses, causing many immune processes. Accelerates interferon production.
• Preparation with meglumine acridone acetate. Increases the body's resistance to HPV. Reduces the viral load and stops the growth of warts on the hands.
• Popular immunostimulatory drugs. An increase in the immune response results in the virus losing its ability to integrate into healthy cells, while its population is greatly reduced.

If you have a severe health problem, your doctor will advise you to take vitamin and mineral complexes to restore the balance of nutrients and the functioning of each organ in the body.

After comprehensive manual treatment of warts, patient feedback suggests that combination therapy has an excellent effect and that the recurrence rate is much lower than with simple removal of epithelial tumors without the use of antiviral and immunostimulatory drugs.

Wart removal by hand with instrumental methods

Removal of the affected epithelium is a mandatory procedure if the warts cause discomfort, grow quickly and change structure, or are often injured. In addition, any mechanical effects on growths may cause bleeding, the addition of a secondary infection, the development of an inflammatory process. For this reason, it is not recommended to remove the warts on your hands yourself.

There are several modern methods for instrumental skin removal. They are characterized by a high degree of efficiency. Most of them are considered minimally invasive. Painlessness during procedures is provided by local anesthesia.

The most popular methods of instrumental wart control on hand are:

• Electrocoagulation. . . This method is perfect for removing vulgar warts raised above the skin level, although it also helps to get rid of deep epithelial growths. A special device with a loop at the end synthesizes high-frequency current and simply cuts off the accumulation. No bleeding occurs during manipulation. The resulting crust leaves within 5-7 days. The scar after electrocoagulation remains only after deep exposure.
• Surgical excision. . . In most cases, this is determined when it is necessary to take a growth sample for analysis and in the presence of a large lesion. Wart removal by hand is performed using a surgical scalpel. Whole tissue is often excised during this procedure. After the procedure, cosmetic sutures are applied for 7-10 days. After complete tissue healing, scars may remain. The cost of the operation is calculated for each patient individually.
• Laser removal. . . According to many criteria, it is considered to be the most successful method - a minimum of painful feelings, high security, a precise impact on education. Wart cells are burned on the hands with the help of a laser. The remaining indents are tightened after 2-3 weeks.
• Cryodestruction. . . Deep freezing of the tissue within a few seconds results in the death of the treated tissue. Under the influence of liquid nitrogen, the warts on the hands begin to pale and thicken. The surrounding tissue swells slightly and may turn red. The wart's body then turns into a bubble that can fill with fluid. During the week it decreases and the crust remains instead. The recovery time from now on is about 2 weeks.

Under no circumstances should the crusts, bubbles or wounds resulting from the procedures be torn off. This can lead to infection and a longer recovery time. Also, such actions often leave unattractive scars.

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 the medical staff.

Wart treatment by hand with folk remedies

Many people refuse to see 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.

Traditional healers use a lot of improvised remedies, food and plants to remove warts and fight the human papilloma virus. However, you need to understand that the effectiveness of traditional medicine in treating HPV is quite poor, so you should not rely on it for medication and professional skin growth removal.

In some cases, your doctor may advise you to supplement your traditional wart treatment with folk remedies. Among the tasks are the same - maintaining immunity and increasing the body's antiviral activity, normalizing the nutrient balance, as well as topical antiseptic treatment.

Recipes for effective folk remedies:

• Drug infusion. . . For cooking take 25 g of birch leaves, juniper needles, dandelion roots, plantain leaves, chicory root and 30 g of nettle leaves, grass and horsetail. Pour all the ingredients in boiling water to a volume of 1 liter, simmer for 10 minutes, insist 10-12 hours. It should be taken four times a day, half a glass.
• Infusion with greens. . . For cooking, take wormwood herb (10 g), birch buds (15 g), lemon balm herb (20 g), thyme herb (25 g) and juniper (30 g). Mix all ingredients. For brewing take 40 g of vegetable 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. Treatment of hand warts is 2 to 5 weeks.
• Hand baths. . . The raw material is tea tree oil (3 drops) and lemon juice (half of the fruit). Dilute both ingredients in 2 glasses of warm water. Put the palm in the mixture and hold for 20 minutes. After the procedure, the softened wart particles must be removed by hand. The tool has antiviral effect, it softens the skin, accelerates tissue regeneration and fights pathogens.
• Lemon-pine mixture for warts. . . Lemon and pine oil should be mixed in equal proportions. The resulting mixture is applied to the affected areas 3-5 times a day to soften growths, have an antiseptic effect and accelerate the regeneration of healthy tissues.
• Applications for warts. . . Patchouli oil is applied to a bactericidal patch and applied over the buildup. Such applications can take several hours. To accelerate the therapeutic effect, the procedure should be performed 2-3 times daily until the warts on the hands completely disappear.
• Wormwood infusion. . . Sprinkle 60 g of crushed dry grass wormwood with 250 ml of boiling water. Insist for 2, 5 hours in a thermos, filter. The infusion is soaked in gauze bandage and compressed twice a day.

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

Real patient feedback on wart treatment on hand

The choice of treatment is the prerogative of the physician, but it will not be unnecessary to become acquainted with possible HPV treatment options and neoplasms before going to the hospital. Feedback on the treatment of warts left on the Internet forums will help to tentatively assess the effectiveness of a particular scheme. Here are some stories about getting rid of HPV:

1. "My baby has warts on his hands. They immediately smeared it with an antiseptic, but when they started to grow on his nails, there was pain. We decided to remove it in the safest and most effective way, as we were told, with radio waves. The son really didn't complain aboutThere was no blood in the pain during the procedure. The skin recovered very quickly. Then they also took an interferon-based medicine. Now there are no warts. "
2. "Somehow these plants appeared to me. They were very sick. I tried garlic at home and applied celandine, but I didn't get any results. They had to remove it with a laser, the warts on my hands were deep, so the scars were deep. It took about two weeks. to heal, the scars gradually heal, but I still drink antiviral pills and drugs for immunity. "
3. "But the folk remedies didn't help me, they just started to hurt. I had to go to the surgeon, because a lot of this fool has grown up. I drink pills and make decoctions for skin rejuvenation.

Treating warts on your hands is a responsible business. Prescribing and determining the best method of disposal should only be performed by a qualified medical professional to prevent the spread of the disease and to reduce the risk of infection to bystanders.