Which doctor should I go to for warts?

First you need to understand what warts are. Essentially, it is a skin disease characterized by the appearance of small formations. The size of such formations ranges from 1 mm to 1 or more centimeters.

The cause of warts is viral in nature. They can be passed from person to person through a simple handshake or through the use of objects that a sick person has used. The incubation period can last several months. So when warts form on your body, it may be very difficult for you to remember who "gave" you the warts.

It must be said that there are different types of warts, so the attitude towards them should be extremely careful. They can be located on the back of the hands, on the face and even on the scalp. On the feet, warts are usually found on the soles of the feet. If they are painless on the arms, they can cause a lot of discomfort on the legs. Their development can be promoted by sweaty feet and shoe pressure.

A special place is occupied by juvenile warts that appear in adolescence. Typically, these warts are small and located on the hands and face. For any type of wart, you should consult a doctor to rule out the possibility of other skin diseases.

Therefore, genital warts are sometimes confused with warts and require consultation with a venereologist and urologist. Any new growth on the skin should require maximum attention. It happens that a tumor on the skin is confused with a wart. This is extremely dangerous, especially if you want to remove it. In this case, you should not resort to folk remedies!

Such procedures should only be carried out by a professional doctor who will first make sure that it is a wart. It is not recommended to remove all warts; This method is used as a last resort: if the wart causes discomfort or bleeds, if the wart causes aesthetic discomfort, if the wart has reached a large size, if it is growing.

Otherwise, it is better to treat warts. Treatment should be carried out by a doctor and you should be monitored throughout the treatment period. It must be said that improper treatment can contribute to the degeneration of a wart into a malignant tumor. Therefore, only contact specialists.

Types of warts

Warts are more commonly diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but can also occur in adults. In medicine, the following types of warts are distinguished:

1. Simple/vulgar.The most common type of skin tumor is diagnosed in 70% of cases in school-age children. Warts of this type most often appear on the hands, but they can also be present on the edges of the lips and on the neck. Simple warts are characterized by the presence of one largest "mother" wart. When this is removed, the smaller tumors disappear.
2. Flat/youthful.They are rare – only up to 4% of diagnosed cases. They are located on the back of the hand, on the edges of the lips, on the glans and on the oral mucosa.
3. Palmoplantar.They occur in places where the pressure from uncomfortable shoes is greatest. Diagnosing this type of wart is often difficult because a specialist must differentiate the neoplasm in question from corns and calluses.
4. Thread-like.It has a specific appearance - a small "tail" of thin leather, there can be many of them and they are always arranged in a "cluster". Most commonly found in the armpits, neck and under the breasts/breasts.

The methods of removing warts on the body and hands directly depend on what type of tumor the patient is diagnosed with.

It is worth knowing another feature of warts: there is no exact description of their "appearance". For example, a plantar wart can be a small round lump with a dark center, while a simple wart is a growth on the skin, which is onehas heterogeneous structure. The question "What does a wart look like? " is easiest to answer if it is a thread-like wart - an "icicle" appears on the skin and does not cause pain or irritation. It is noteworthy that frequent rubbinga wart causes inflammation and irritation - it becomes red and can cause pain.

Where do warts come from?

The culprit is the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is most often transmitted through direct contact with a wart or personal belongings of an infected person. Four of the several dozen HPV types are responsible for the appearance of warts on the skin.

HPV can easily be called "cunning". A person may not suspect for a long time that he has become a carrier of HPV.

After infection, the virus is localized in the upper layer of the epidermis and may not make itself felt for a long time. But as soon as the protective mechanisms weaken, the virus becomes active and manifests itself in the form of one or more warts.

It can take anywhere from a week to several months from the time of infection to the appearance of skin lesions.

Locations

Which doctor you should contact if you have warts depends directly on the location of the growths.

Depending on the type, warts can grow anywhere on the body, particularly on:

• on the leg and arm, on the foot;
• in the armpit area, under the breasts and on the surface;
• on the face, neck and head;
• on male and female genital organs;
• on the mucous membrane of the vagina, esophagus, larynx;
• in the mouth. on the tongue and the inside of the cheeks and lips;
• on the body under clothing.

Reasons for appearing

It is very easy to become infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV).

It is enough to have close contact with a person who has growths on the skin.

However, the disease does not appear immediately and warts may not begin to grow until several months or years after infection.

Factors affecting HPV activity:

• weakened immunity;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• Stress;
• malnutrition;
• Bad habits;
• passive lifestyle.

What to do if a wart has already appeared?

Let's go back to the survey results. Only 28% of respondents with warts consulted a doctor. It seems that the prospect of surgical removal is scarier than the wart itself. 34% of study participants attempted to remove warts themselves, and 16% chose not to take action because they did not value it.

Why you need to get rid of warts

For those who are still unsure about removing warts, it's important to know the following.

• First, warts are contagious. For this purpose, direct contact with the wart or the wearer's hygiene products is sufficient.
• Second, warts tend to "take over territory, " spreading to healthy areas of skin. This process is called autoinoculation (self-infection).

Obviously, it is easier to treat warts in the early stages of the disease, which will save time, effort and money in the future. In addition, you can purchase products for self-removal of warts in pharmacies.

When should you see a doctor?

• if the wart rapidly changes shape, color, or all of the above;
• if the wart has an uneven color;
• if the boundaries of the wart are blurred (in this case, it is most likely not a wart);
• if the wart hurts or is constantly injured (this increases the risk of it developing into something more serious);
• if the number of warts gradually increases;
• if the wart bleeds or itches;
• if a wart has formed in the genital area.

Which doctor treats warts in children and adults?

If growths appear on any part of the body, you should contact a doctor who specializes in the treatment of skin diseases - a dermatologist.

• He carries out the examination and decides whether further diagnostics are necessary (blood test, PCR test, biopsy).
• In some doubtful cases, when a wart shows signs of a malignant tumor, a dermatologist may recommend visiting an oncologist or dermato-oncologist.
• In most cases, the doctor decides to remove the wart. The tissue is then subjected to histological examination to ensure that there are no signs of malignancy.
• Warts on the mammary glands in women can cause breast cancer and require examination by a mammologist.

Wart removal

Removal of warts is a radical method and is carried out in different ways. Warts can be removed with a laser. Cryotherapy and electrocoagulation methods are also used. You can effectively remove warts using homeopathic medicines. Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses.

When choosing a method for removing a wart, the doctor is usually guided by the location of the wart on the body. Therefore, laser removal can leave scars. Scarring sometimes occurs after using the Surgitron device. Therefore, the doctor must choose the method of wart removal: depending on where the warts are located.

Cryotherapy and electrocoagulation are gentle methods of wart removal. Electrocoagulation is performed with a special device that uses high-frequency current. Using this device increases the temperature of the tissue and destroys the wart, causing the virus to die.

Cryotherapy is also cauterization, but only with liquid nitrogen. The procedure is completely painless and leaves no scars. Speaking about these two methods, it is worth noting that their use avoids contact with blood, which is extremely important. When removing warts, you can only trust a doctor with experience in this field.

After wart removal, you need to think about how to avoid reinfection with this infection.In no case should warts be torn off or tied at the base with a thread so that they fall off on their own! Such unreasonable behavior can lead to serious health problems - for example, the resulting wound can become inflamed and the tightening of the tumor base can disrupt blood circulation.

A dermatologist or cosmetologist will tell you how to get rid of warts on the hands of children and adults, what procedures will help you forget about tumors on the body and face - you can contact any of these specialists. There are three main methods to get rid of warts:

1. Laser therapy.Typically, this method is used to remove warts from the most sensitive and painful areas or when the patient wants to avoid scarring. Removal of warts on the face with a laser is the optimal solution because this procedure is painless, does not require a long recovery period and after it there are no scars on the skin.
2. Cryodestruction.Liquid nitrogen is used, which literally burns out the tumor without leaving any traces on the skin, although in some cases a small scar is possible. After wart removal with liquid nitrogen, the patient must avoid direct sunlight, as a small whitish spot may remain at the surgical site in the future.
3. Drug therapy.It is used in conjunction with the above methods. There are many medications that act locally and help destroy the wart more quickly. The most effective remedy for warts is celandine extract, which is applied locally to the growth. You should not use the celandine plant itself to treat warts - if its juice gets on healthy skin, it will cause serious burns.

The elimination of this type of skin tumor should be comprehensive. It is not enough to see a doctor and find out what causes warts on the fingers or face; You must follow all prescriptions and recommendations of a specialist. Even with proper treatment, relapses of the disease often occur - in 40-50% of cases, warts reappear.

More information about what warts are, which doctor you should contact for treatment of a plantar wart and what is meant by the term "general therapy for the human papilloma virus" can be found on the pages of our website.

Is it possible to remove warts yourself?

Warts can be removed at home on your own, but only after diagnosis by a specialist.

There are special burning medicines that can remove the growth after the first application. They have a cauterizing and necrotizing effect.

Such drugs are toxic and can cause burns to the tissues around the wart, so they must be used with caution. In places with particularly delicate and sensitive skin (face, neck, mammary glands and genitals), it is not advisable to remove warts at home. You also need to make sure that the wart is completely removed and no root or other parts of it are left behind. The ability of warts to multiply is so great that even a small piece of tissue can become a source of infection in healthy areas of the dermis.

When taking any medicine, you must strictly follow the instructions for use and pay attention to contraindications. Most of them are prohibited for use in children, pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Warts are external manifestations of an unsatisfactory internal state of the body. It is important not only to eliminate the symptoms of the disease, but also to continuously fight the virus. The human immune system is able to independently fight the causative agent of the disease if it is provided with all possible help. A healthy and active lifestyle, strengthening the body through sport and a healthy diet are enough.

Complications

Anogenital warts can increase in size and grow under certain conditions (e. g. infection with sexually transmitted infections, reduced general and/or local immunity), affecting a person's sexual life and significantly reducing their quality of life.

In addition, prolonged mechanical exposure can lead to inflammation and suppuration of anogenital warts, as well as their ulceration. In rare cases, their malignant degeneration is possible.

Recommendations for patients with warts

• Since two thirds of cases resolve spontaneously within two years, warts can be observed even without treatment. As old lesions disappear, new warts may appear. This is not a result of treatment failure, but rather part of the natural history of an HPV infection.
• Treatment often takes many weeks or months, so patience and persistence are required for therapy to be successful.
• Tools used to remove warts such as: B. Nail files and pumice stones should not be used on healthy skin or by other people. For the same reason, if you have warts on hairy areas of the skin, you should use depilatories or electric razors to remove the hair from these areas or not remove any hair at all to limit the spread of the warts.
• Repeat visits to the doctor are necessary to monitor and assess the treatment results. • If the patient carries out the treatment himself, he can arrange follow-up examinations with the doctor at his own discretion.

prevention

Preventive measures include:

• vaccination with a quadrivalent vaccine (against HPV types 6 and 11, 16, 18);
• exclusion of casual sexual contacts;
• use of barrier methods of contraception (condom);
• Compliance with personal hygiene rules;
• timely and adequate treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs;

FAQ

Which doctor treats warts?

If you have warts, it is best to consult a dermatologist. A dermatologist specializes in treating skin conditions and has experience in removing warts.

Is it possible to see a family doctor if you have a wart problem?

Yes, you can see a general practitioner, such as a general practitioner. He can conduct an initial consultation and, if necessary, refer you to a specialist - a dermatologist.

What wart treatment methods do doctors use?

Doctors may use a variety of methods to treat warts, including cryotherapy (freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen), chemical removal, electrocautery (removing the wart with electric current), and laser removal. Depending on the characteristics of the wart and the individual characteristics of the patient, the doctor selects the most appropriate method.

Helpful advice

Tip #1

See a dermatologist. A dermatologist specializes in skin conditions and can help you with warts. He will conduct an examination, make a diagnosis and offer the most effective treatment.

Tip #2

Visit an oncodermatologist. Warts may be linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause skin cancer. A dermatologist and oncologist specializes in diagnosing and treating skin cancer, so they can perform additional tests and recommend appropriate treatment if necessary.