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

Warts on the arm

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

Causes of the appearance of warts on the hands

A 3D model of HPV that evokes the appearance of warts on the hands

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

How HPV infection develops, which causes the growth of warts on the hands:

  • Communication method. . . The most common infection with this pathogenic micro-organism is a direct contact between the skin of a healthy person and an infected person. A simple handshake might be enough. This is why warts are most common on the hands, because the hands are the most common part of the body. In addition to this option, the possibility of transmitting the pathogen can be considered when using objects and objects touched by the carrier of the disease. Therefore, you can be infected by relatives at home. Sometimes the virus lives for some time on various wet surfaces, for example in bathrooms, changing rooms, public transport, etc. fl.
  • Self-infection. . . If a similar tumor has appeared on one part of the body, the risk of self-infection is possible. Specifically, the spread of the virus to healthy tissues. This happens when the interest rates are hit by nails or various objects. If the hygiene of the wound and hand is not carried out in a timely manner, it can easily cause an increase in the wound.
  • From mother to child. . . According to this option, the infection of the baby occurs from the mother during birth.

It should be noted that sexual contact with the carrier of the virus is rarely the cause of warts appearing on the hands. This method of infection often causes other types of benign tumors.

HPV is highly contagious. It is difficult to avoid infection. The disease affects both men and women, both adults and children. Warts most often appear on the hands of children and adolescents.

From the time the virus enters the body until the first external manifestations appear, it can take from 1 to 6 months. Although in some cases only removal is seen, as the warts never begin to grow. This is possible if the individual's immunity is strong enough and does not allow the virus to multiply and activate.

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

Various mental traumas, improper work and rest schedules, drug use, dietary imbalances, poor eating habits, and adverse environmental conditions can lower the immune system.

The tendency factors for the appearance of these images are numerous, consider the most obvious reasons why warts appear on the hands:

  • Acute and chronic diseases. . . Any disease and lack of timely and appropriate treatment can significantly weaken the immune system. The increased risk of getting HPV with the development of warts on the hands is with HIV, eczema, psoriasis o. fl. The risk of the virus entering the epidermis increases with the presence of even the smallest cracks in the skin.
  • Individual characteristics. . . Hyperhidrosis, incl. e. Increased sweating in the palms of the hands is a provocative factor, because it promotes the formation of a special pathological microbial flora and high humidity, which are favorable conditions for HPV reproduction.
  • The rules of personal hygiene are not followed. . . It is rather simple to explain what causes warts on your hands without skin care. For example, dry skin can cause the formation of small cracks and irritations, as the virus can safely enter it. It is interesting to note that 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 measures, the body can deal with the infection on its own. In the best case, recovery occurs after 2-3 months. According to statistics, this is about 20% of all cases. Sometimes a recovery process with the help of your own strength takes place within 2 years.

What do warts on your hands look like?

Appearance and location of warts on hands

Many people who have found skin tumors in themselves are wondering how to cure warts on their hands. However, before starting treatment, you should make sure that you have the exact warts and to do this you need to be able to distinguish this benign growth from others - corn, keratosis, lichen planus and molluscum contagiosum.

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

The color spectrum of benign and secure warts is varied. The waxes can be flesh-colored, light yellow, light brown, gray-brown. Sometimes black dots can be seen on their surface - places of thrombosis. At the same time, the staining of human papillomavirus tumors in bright brown, black is not typical. Any discoloration should alert the person and encourage an urgent visit to the hospital to determine how to treat warts on the hands. Fear should also be caused by the growths that become swollen, sticky and begin to grow at a faster rate.

Warts sizes vary from 1 to 10 mm. They are isolated or formed in groups of several. With a very weak immune response, tumor tissue grows rapidly. Individual interest rates can grow together.

What kind of warts causes hyperkeratosis - excessive thickening of the upper layer of the epidermis. Therefore, such growths are easy to detect, they stand out clearly against the background of healthy cells with a coarser and more solid structure.

There are usually two types of warts on the hands:

  • Common warts. . . They are also called rude. My favorite place for this type of tumor is the hands. Can easily spread to the skin of the face. The color is flesh, yellow-brown or greyish. It is on such warts that ivory brushes are often seen. The waxes are keratinized majesties above the skin. In shape, such warts resemble the hands of a nodule or convex papule. Their structure is dense, the surface is uneven with a small error, which is characterized by increased dryness in the tissues. The size is usually 2 to 7 mm in diameter. They usually do not cause pain.
  • Superficial flat warts. . . Another name is youthful. The spine of the hands is often affected. Color - from pale yellow to brown. In appearance, they resemble flat nodules with a circular or irregular shape. The size is 3-4 mm. Almost no protrusion over the skin.
  • Flat warts are deep. . . Another type of flat warts. Representatives of this species grow inward. These are very special formations. Also have an irregular shape, color from pale yellow to brown. Does not particularly protrude beyond the skin, but within the outer surface of the structure there is a small depression towards the center. The size of one tumor is 3-4 mm. Deep sores on the hands usually require treatment. they, as a rule, produce rather strong painful feelings.

Warts are a source of infection. At the same time, they cause their owner great physical discomfort and form complexes in him, trouble because of their appearance, because the hands are almost always in sight. Because of this, even without pain and dangerous changes in the structure of such growths, it is advisable to go to the hospital and find out how to remove warts on the hands.

Ways to treat warts

Determination of the causes of warts on the hands and treatment should be made by a qualified doctor, who has not only knowledge and experience at his disposal, but also all kinds of tools for making a diagnosis. So, with the help of laboratory tests, the type of human papillomavirus is determined, the viral load is determined, the risk of adverse consequences is assessed. Based on the results, a complex treatment is prescribed, which involves not only taking medication, but also removing dangerous tumors. Self-treatment can very often lead to a lack of therapeutic effect or the development of complications.

Treatment of warts on the hands with drugs

A dermatologist deals with the treatment of 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 both for external and oral use.

The most popular remedies used to treat warts are:

  • Ointments for disinfection and the fight against the virus. . . Topical treatment can reduce the spread of the infection through the skin and thus reduce the risk of infection to others. Many drugs actually suppress the activity of the virus and slow down the uncontrolled growth of tumors. They also promote rapid healing of skin lesions, relieving inflammation.
  • External way to spend interest. . . Active substances have an aggressive effect on growth cells, promote their destruction and cause the complete elimination of warts on the hands and other parts of the body. Their use is desirable within the walls of a medical institution to avoid undesirable consequences in the form of damage to healthy tissues. In particular, we can notice the spray with dimethyl ether and propane. It works on the principle of antifreeze and effectively removes epithelial tumors caused by HPV.

It should be noted that at present no specific drug has been found against human papillomavirus. 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 emphasizing drugs intended for oral use. They actively stimulate the immune system, help the body produce specific immune cells and can also have a visible antiviral effect.

Popular antiviral and immunostimulatory drugs used to treat HPV with warts on the hands:

  • Preparation with inosine. Strong antiviral effects are added to the stimulating effect on the immune system. A comprehensive solution to the problem of HPV different strains provides an increase in the immune response and suppression of viral activity.
  • Synthetic pure nucleoside analogue. It is a bone-chewing drug, targeted by viruses, including HPV. The result of treatment is a visible reduction in viral activity.
  • Inductor for endogenous interferon formation. The action is specific - it activates the body's defenses and triggers numerous immune processes. Accelerates interferon formation.
  • Preparation with meglumine acridone acetate. Increases the body's resistance to the effects of HPV. Reduces viral load and stops the growth of warts on the hands.
  • A popular immunostimulant. An increase in the immune response leads to the virus losing its ability to adapt to healthy cells while its population decreases significantly.

If there is a major health weakness, your doctor will recommend taking vitamin and mineral complexes to restore the balance of nutrients and performance of each building block of the body.

After comprehensive treatment of warts on the hands, patient reviews indicate that complex treatment has a significant effect and the rate of relapses is much lower than with simple removal of epithelial tumors with equipment without the use of antiviral and immunostimulants.

Removal of warts on hands with musical instruments

Cryodestruction - a method of removing warts on the hands by freezing them with liquid nitrogen

Removal of the covering tissue in question is a mandatory procedure if the warts cause discomfort, grow rapidly and change their structure or are often injured. In addition, any mechanical effects on the growth can cause bleeding, in addition to the secondary infection, the development of the inflammatory process. For this reason, it is strongly recommended to remove the warts on your hands yourself.

There are several modern methods to remove skin tumors with devices. They are characterized by high efficiency. Most of them are considered minimum entrants. Painlessness during the operation is ensured by local anesthesia.

The most popular methods of destroying warts on the hands are:

  • Electric coagulation. . . This method is great for removing rude warts that protrude beyond the surface of the skin, although it also helps to get rid of deep epithelial tumors. A special device with a loop at the end creates a high-frequency current and simply cuts off the structure. No bleeding occurs during treatment. The crust that forms goes away within 5-7 days. Scar after electrostation is only left after deep exposure.
  • Surgery. . . In most cases, it is prescribed if a sample of growth needs to be taken for analysis and if there is a major lesion. Removal of warts on the hands is performed by surgery. Healthy tissue is often excised during this operation. After the operation, cosmetic stitches are applied for 7-10 days. After the tissues have fully healed, scars may remain. The cost of surgery is calculated on an individual basis for each patient.
  • Laser removal. . . According to many criteria, it is considered the most successful method - at least painful feelings, high security, accurate impact on education. With the help of laser, the cells of the wart on the hands burn out. The remaining are hardened after 2-3 weeks.
  • Cryogenic. . . Freezing of tissues, performed in a matter of seconds, causes the death of treated tissues. Under the influence of liquid nitrogen, the wart on the hands begins to turn slightly pale and thicken. The tissue around it swells slightly and may turn red. After that, the body of the wart turns into a bubble that can fill with fluid. Within a week it shrinks and the crust remains in place. The recovery time of the skin from this moment is about 2 weeks.

Never tear the crust, bubbles, wounds formed by the operation. This can lead to infection and a longer recovery time. Also, due to such features, there are often unattractive scars.

The cost of each operation 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 services at different prices, depending on the type of equipment used and the qualifications of healthcare professionals.

Treatment of warts on the hands with folk medicine

Worm infusion for home treatment of affected warts

Many people refuse to visit a doctor for various reasons and seek answers to the question of how to get rid of warts on the hands at home.

In order to eliminate warts and fight against human papillomavirus, traditional doctors use a lot of spinning equipment, food and plants. However, you need to understand that the effectiveness of traditional medicines in the treatment of HPV is rather weak, so you should not rely on it, refuse to take medicines and professionally remove skin growth.

In some cases, your doctor may recommend adding traditional methods of treating hand warts with folk remedies. Among the tasks are the same - maintaining immunity and increasing the antiviral activity of the body, normalizing the balance of nutrients, as well as topical antiseptic treatment.

Recipes for successful folk medicine:

  • Herbal infusion. . . For cooking, take 25 g of birch leaves, juniper needles, dandelion root, plantain leaves, chicory root and 30 g of each stinging nettle leaf, agin grass and horsetail. All ingredients are poured with boiling water in a volume of 1 liter, boil for 10 minutes on low heat, required for 10-12 hours. It should be taken four times a day, half a glass.
  • Infusion with herbs. . . For cooking, take wormwood (10 g), birch buds (15 g), lemon balm (20 g), thyme (25 g) and juniper (30 g). Mix all the ingredients together. For brewing, take 40 g of the herbal mixture, pour 400-500 ml of boiling water, give for 1-1, 5 hours, filter and ingest. The dose received is calculated for 1 day. Treatment for hand warts is 2 to 5 weeks.
  • Baths. . . The starting material is tea tree oil (3 drops) and lemon juice (from half of the fruit). Both ingredients are diluted in 2 cups of warm water. Put in the palm mixture and keep for 20 minutes. After the operation, soft wart particles should be removed on the hands. The device has an antiviral effect, softens the skin, accelerates tissue regeneration and fights germs.
  • Lemon-pine mixture for warts. . . It is necessary to mix lemon and pine oil in equal proportions. The resulting mixture is applied to the affected area 3-5 times a day to soften the growth, 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 accumulation. Such an application can last for several hours. To speed up the healing effect, the operation should be performed 2-3 times a day until the wart on the hands disappears completely.
  • Wormwood infusion. . . Crush dry grass wormwood in a volume of 60 g is poured with 250 ml of boiling water. Require 2, 5 hours in a thermos, filter. The infusion is soaked in gauze and compressed twice a day.

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

Actual reviews of patients on treatment of warts on hands

The man got rid of warts on his hands

The choice of treatment methods is a privilege for physicians, but there is no need to look at possible options for HPV treatment and methods of removing tumors before going to the hospital. Feedback on the treatment of warts on the hands, following online forums, will help to evaluate in advance the effectiveness of a particular system. We recommend that you read some stories about getting rid of the external symptoms of HPV:

  1. "My baby has warts on his arms. Immediately, they simply smeared it with disinfectant, but when they began to grow near the nails, pain appeared. We decided to remove it in the safest and most effective way, as we were told - by radio waves. The son did not actually complain of pain during the operation, there was no blood. The skin recovered very quickly. They also took interferon-based drugs. Now there is not a single wart. "
  2. "Somehow I got this growth suddenly. They were very sick. At home I tried garlic and used celandine but got no results. They had to remove them with a laser, the warts on my hands were deep, so the arrow was deep. It took about two weeks to heal, the arrow to heal gradually, but I still take antiviral pills and immunosuppressants. "
  3. "But folk medicine did not help me, they only started wounds. I had to go to the surgeon because a lot of this confusion has grown. It's good that even though the doctor did not disfigure my fingers, he sewed them carefully. It took about three weeks to recover. Now I take pills and make decoctions to rejuvenate the skin. "

Hand warts are a responsible business. Prescriptions and the decision on the best method of eradication should only be performed by a qualified physician to prevent the spread of the disease and reduce the risk of infection around the people.