Human papillomavirus is one of the most common diseases to which no one is immune.According to medical statistics provided by the World Health Organization, about 70% of the world's population is infected with HPV, and most infected people do not even know they are sick.Despite long-term research into the nature of papillomavirus, scientists have yet to find a complete cure for it.At present, the activity of disease pathogens can only be suppressed, but under the influence of certain adverse factors, it will come back with new vigor.
HPV infection routes
Papillomavirus is an unpleasant disease that causes venereal warts (genital warts), growths on the skin, and papillomas on the mucous membranes of the throat and mouth.In fact, HPV itself does not pose a special threat to human health, but its external symptoms can damage the appearance, cause pain when damaged, and even cause tumors.Due to the risk of malignancy, this disease must be treated immediately, otherwise the consequences will be irreversible.
Human papillomavirus infection spreads very quickly.It is mainly spread during pregnancy in utero (from mother to child) or through contact:
- by shaking hands;
- Embrace;
- When coming into contact with patients on public transportation;
- When having sex with an infected person.
Second on the list is the home circuit.In this case, you may get a virus:
- through animal skins;
- When using someone else’s personal hygiene products;
- When wearing clothes or shoes belonging to an infected person;
- When visiting public swimming pools, ponds, showers.
Activation of HPV does not occur immediately.Typically, the disease appears a year or two after entering the body, or may not even manifest at all.If external symptoms are not detected, a person infected with papillomavirus enters the carrier population and becomes a spreader of the disease.This infection can only be detected in the absence of external symptoms after laboratory diagnosis, but this is rarely thought of before the disease enters its active phase.
An interesting fact is that external symptoms of the disease in pregnant women are temporary.The reason for this is that during pregnancy, the expectant mother's immune system weakens, causing the infection to remain latent.After childbirth, the protective function of a woman's body is restored and the disease can disappear on its own.
Papillomaviruses: Carcinogenicity Levels and Growth Types
All existing types of papillomaviruses are divided into several categories based on their level of carcinogenicity:
- grow safely;
- Tumors with a lower chance of transforming into cancer;
- Papillomas with an average risk of developing cancerous tumors;
- Particularly dangerous tumors.
According to medical practice data, particularly dangerous types of papillomavirus affect women most of the time (70-94%).It can lead to urological and gynecological precancerous lesions, such as cervical cancer.
Types of Papilloma
All papillomas are divided into several groups based on their appearance and location:
- wart– Soles of the feet, rough fingers, young (flat) growth of the skin;
- genital warts– Genitals, area near anus, vaginal mucosa, mouth, lips.
Additionally, tumors may develop on the vocal cords.In this case, the disease is called laryngeal papillomatosis.It is commonly diagnosed in newborns and in women infected with genital warts.
Important!
If you do not seek medical treatment in time, the papillomavirus may enter an advanced stage, and many cancer-causing tumors of varying degrees may appear throughout your body.Fighting massive papilloma will be very difficult.
Diagnosis of disease
If you notice any signs of papillomavirus on your skin, you should contact an infectious disease specialist or dermatologist immediately.If growths appear on the genitals, patients need to see a gynecologist (for women) or a urologist (for men).The doctor is obliged to perform a visual examination and make a preliminary diagnosis.Thereafter, the patient was sent for examination.This is a mandatory procedure because, in addition to HPV, there are many other diseases whose external symptoms are very similar to the signs of papillomavirus infection.
PCR analysis
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most common laboratory diagnostic method.Blood, scrapings of genital skin or mucous membranes are used as biomaterials.
After collecting a sample of patient tissue, lab workers use special enzymes to copy the RNA and DNA particles of the human papillomavirus from the biological material.Next, they "run" the infectious disease database to determine the type of infection and its concentration.
There are many reasons why PCR analysis has become the primary method for diagnosing papillomaviruses.Among them, it is worth highlighting the main advantages of this method:
- Improved sensitivity – diseases can be detected immediately after entering the body;
- Versatility – absolutely any biological material is suitable for analysis;
- Large coverage area - allows you to identify all types of HPV present in the body at one time;
- Speed of analysis – results are available within hours;
- High accuracy - the technology never gives false results (exceptions include violations of the technology performing diagnostic measures, which are extremely rare).
Furthermore, it should be noted that the cost of analysis is acceptable.Compared to other methods of diagnosing HPV, PCR is much less expensive.
Digene HPV Test
Not long ago, Digene technology emerged in the medical field to detect all types of human papillomavirus infections, from low-level carcinogenic to particularly dangerous disease types.Although this technology is new, it is quickly becoming popular.For example, in European countries it is already considered more effective than PCR analysis.
The main advantage of the Digene HPV test is that, unlike PCR, it is able to identify not only the papillomavirus and determine the type of disease, but also its level of carcinogenicity.Thanks to this, doctors can more accurately choose treatment options and minimize the possibility of cancer caused by HPV.
A second advantage of this diagnostic method is the accurate determination of the concentration of viral cells in the body.When interpreting the test, the doctor pays attention to this feature, since on this basis the course of treatment is chosen.
All treatments for human papillomavirus
HPV is not a death sentence!It is impossible to get rid of it completely, but it is quite possible to start living without its outward manifestations.
Treatment options for human papillomavirus infection include three phases:
- Removal of external signs of disease (hyperplasia);
- Complete a course of medication;
- Strengthen the immune system and prevent recurrence.
The entire process of HPV cure must be done under the supervision of a doctor.Making changes on your own may cause health problems or make medications prescribed by your specialist less effective.
Important!
Doctors allow the independent use of other methods to fight the virus (traditional medicine, mantras, medicinal baths), but before using these methods, you should inform the doctor about this.
Basic methods for removing growths
It is not recommended to remove the growth on your own, as any damage to a papilloma or genital warts can cause the tumor remnants to turn into cancerous tumors.To safely eliminate the external symptoms of infection, you should use professional techniques:
- Freeze with liquid nitrogen;
- radio wave damage;
- electrocoagulation;
- Laser treatment.
General contraindications to hardware removal of papillomas are:
- Whether you suffer from acute phase chronic diseases at the time of treatment;
- Damage to the skin at the growth site;
- The tumor is suspected to be malignant;
- Skin infection.
Additionally, surgery may be denied if the client is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Use a scalpel to remove the growth
In some particularly severe cases, patients will have to seek help from a surgeon.This radical approach to combating growth is performed only if the papilloma grows more than 4-5 cm or if the patient has contraindications to one or another type of cosmetic surgery.
Surgery is the only effective way to remove large warts and large tumors.Its disadvantages are:
- Scarring after surgery;
- Anesthesia (local or general) is required;
- Long recovery period.
Chemotherapy
If it is a small, single papilloma, the patient may be treated with chemotherapy.It is based on the use of topical drugs that penetrate deep into the epidermis and destroy the basis of growth.As a result, under the influence of aggressive compounds, it dies and falls off, leaving a barely noticeable depression.
The downside to this treatment is that the ingredients in anti-papilloma products also deplete healthy skin cells.In addition, chemotherapy cannot remove genital warts and warts in the mouth or genitals due to the risk of mucosal damage.
drug therapy course
To date, it's not clear how to permanently cure papillomavirus.All existing anti-HPV drugs work to suppress the activity of the infection and strengthen the immune system, thereby independently halting the progression of the disease.
Complex drug therapy includes several types of medications:
- Antiviral;
- immune boosters;
Antiviral drugs can stop the infection from developing, and immune boosters can increase the body's protective functions so that the disease remains latent.
The choice of specific drug depends on the individual characteristics of the patient's body.
Injectables have become an alternative to oral medications.
strengthen immune system
Unlike antiviral and immune-stimulating drugs, vitamin complexes can be chosen based on the patient's personal preferences.They are not the basis of treatment but are intended to support the body's fight against infection.
Important!
If desired, tablet vitamins can be replaced with healthy foods.In order to make up for the lack of nutrients in the body and restore its protective functions, it is enough to switch to plant foods rich in vitamins E, C, and D.
Papillomavirus Prevention
All existing papillomavirus preventive measures can be divided into several groups:
- Prevent infection, taking into account how infection is transmitted (primary prevention);
- early diagnosis of disease;
- Protects the body from reinfection after a course of treatment.
In the first case, a person must protect himself in every possible way from infection.To do this, he needs:
- stop having sexual intercourse;
- Wash your hands after visiting public places;
- maintain personal hygiene;
- Avoid visiting questionable beauty salons (precisely because of insufficient sterilization of beauty or manicure equipment, the possibility of contracting papillomavirus in the beautician's office is quite high);
- eat well;
- Wear shoes when going to the pool or bathroom;
- Boost your immune system;
- Clean your home regularly.
Despite following these recommendations, the chance of contracting HPV is still small.Therefore, doctors insist on regular visits to infectious disease specialists and submit biological material for analysis.This will help identify the latent virus and eliminate it quickly.
However, if an infection occurs and the disease begins to manifest itself externally, then any preventive measures will be of no help.Only specially selected treatments will help, after which you need to take care to prevent recurrence of the disease.To do this, you need to follow the rules of primary prevention and continue it for another 2-3 weeks under the supervision of a doctor.
Does the HPV vaccine protect women?
Although there is no 100% cure for papillomavirus, women can avoid contracting certain types of the disease that carry cancer risks.Two drugs were developed for this purpose.
These medications are available as injectable solutions and help protect the body against many types of HPV (6, 11, 16, 18, 33, 45).
Vaccination using these modalities occurs in three stages:
- The first dose is on the day of injection;
- Second dose – 60 days later;
- The third dose is six months later.
After vaccination, the body gains the ability to kill the viral cells whose DNA is part of the drug, assuming the person has not been infected with them before.Therefore, before injecting the drug, women must undergo mandatory laboratory diagnosis.
To make immunity as apparent as possible, vaccination should be done before the age of 18.Some developed countries have made this procedure mandatory for all high school students.
If necessary, you can get vaccinated at a private clinic for a fee.