Human papillomavirus is one of the most common diseases from 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 of the infected people do not even know about their disease.Despite long-term research into the nature of the papillomavirus, scientists have not yet found a way to completely cure it.Today it is only possible to suppress the activity of the causative agent of the disease, but under the influence of certain unfavorable factors it will return with new force.
Routes of HPV infection
The papillomavirus is an unpleasant disease that causes the appearance of venereal warts (condylomas), growths on the skin, as well as papillomas on the mucous membranes of the larynx and oral cavity.In fact, HPV itself does not pose a particular threat to human health, but its external symptoms spoil the appearance, cause pain when damaged and can even cause oncology.Due to the risk of a malignant tumor, this disease must be treated immediately, otherwise the consequences will be irreversible.
Human papillomavirus infection spreads very quickly.It is mainly transmitted in utero during pregnancy (from mother to child) or by contact:
- by shaking hands;
- embrace;
- when touching a patient in public transport;
- during intercourse with an infected person.
In second place is the household chain.In this case, you can catch the virus:
- through animal fur;
- when using other people's personal hygiene items;
- when you wear clothes or shoes that belong to an infected person;
- while visiting public pools, lakes, showers.
HPV activation does not happen immediately.Often the disease is felt a year or two after entering the body, or even does not manifest itself at all.If no external symptoms are detected, then a person infected with the papillomavirus moves to a group of carriers and becomes a spreader of the disease.This infection can be detected in the absence of external signs only after passing laboratory diagnostics, but few people think about it until the disease enters an active phase.
An interesting fact is that the external signs of the disease in pregnant women are temporary.The reason for this lies in the fact that during pregnancy the immune system of the future mother weakens, which previously kept the infection in a latent form.After childbirth, the protective functions of the woman's body are restored, and the disease can disappear on its own.
Papilloma virus: level of oncogenicity and types of growths
All existing types of papilloma virus are divided into several categories depending on the level of oncogenicity:
- safe growths;
- neoplasms with a low chance of transformation into cancer;
- papillomas with an average risk of developing a cancerous tumor;
- especially dangerous neoplasms.
Based on the data from medical practice, particularly dangerous types of papilloma virus in most cases (70-94%) affect the female body.It causes precancerous conditions in urology and gynecology, such as cervical cancer.
Types of papillomas
According to their appearance and location, all papillomas are divided into several groups:
- warts- plantar on the feet, vulgar on the fingers, juvenile (flat) growths on the skin;
- genital warts– genitalia, the area around the anus, the mucous membranes in the vagina, the oral cavity, the lips.
In addition, tumors can develop on the vocal cords.In this case, the disease is called papillomatosis of the larynx.It is often diagnosed in newborns and in women infected with condylomatosis.
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If you do not consult a doctor in time, the papillomavirus can progress to an advanced stage and a person will develop many different formations with varying degrees of oncogenicity in the body.It will be very difficult to fight mass papillomas.
Diagnosis of the disease
If you find signs of papillomavirus on the skin, you should immediately contact an infectious disease specialist or dermatologist.If growths appear on the genitals, the patient should visit a gynecologist (for women) or a urologist (for men).The doctor is obliged to perform a visual examination and make a primary diagnosis.The patient is then 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 from the skin or mucous membranes of the genital organs are used as biomaterial.
After taking a sample of the patient's tissue, the laboratory staff uses special enzymes that copy the RNA and DNA particles of the human papillomavirus from the biomaterial.They are then "run" through a database of infectious diseases, identifying the type of infection and its concentration.
There are many reasons why PCR analysis is the main method for diagnosing papillomavirus.Among them, it is worth highlighting the main advantages of this method:
- increased sensitivity - the disease can be detected immediately after entering the body;
- universality - absolutely any biomaterial is suitable for analysis;
- large coverage area - allows you to identify all types of HPV that are present in the body at the same time;
- speed of analysis - the results become known within a few hours;
- high accuracy - the technique never gives incorrect results (exceptions include violations of the technology for performing diagnostic measures, which is extremely rare).
In addition, it should be noted that the cost of the analysis is acceptable.The cost of PCR is much lower compared to other methods of HPV diagnosis.
Digene HPV test
Recently, the Digene technology appeared in medicine, with which it is possible to detect all types of human papillomavirus infections, from low levels of oncogenicity to particularly dangerous types of disease.Despite the fact that this technique is new, it is quickly gaining popularity.For example, in European countries it is already recognized as more effective than PCR analysis.
The main advantage of the Digene HPV test is that, unlike PCR, it is able not only to identify the papillomavirus and establish the type of disease, but also to determine the level of its oncogenicity.Thanks to this, the doctor can more correctly choose the treatment and minimize the probability of developing cancer due to HPV.
A secondary positive feature of this diagnostic method is the accurate determination of the concentration of virus cells in the body.When deciphering the tests, doctors pay attention to this characteristic, because the course of therapy is chosen based on it.
All methods of treatment of human papilloma virus
HPV is not a death sentence!It is impossible to completely get rid of it, but it is quite possible to start living without its external manifestations.
The treatment regimen for human papillomavirus infection includes three stages:
- Removal of external signs of disease (growths);
- Completion of a course of drug therapy;
- Strengthening the immune system to prevent relapse.
The entire process of curing HPV should be done under the supervision of a doctor.Making changes to it yourself can cause health problems or reduce the effectiveness of medicines prescribed by a specialist.
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Doctors allow the possibility of independent use of additional methods to fight the virus (traditional medicine, spells, healing baths), but before using them, you must inform the doctor about this.
Basic methods of removing growths
It is not recommended to remove growths yourself, since any damage to the papilloma or condyloma can provoke the transformation of the remnants of the neoplasm into a cancerous tumor.To safely get rid of the external symptoms of infection, you must use professional techniques:
- freezing with liquid nitrogen;
- destruction of radio waves;
- electrocoagulation;
- laser therapy.
General contraindications for hardware removal of papillomas are:
- the presence of chronic diseases that are in an acute stage at the time of visiting the medical center;
- damage to the skin at the site of growth;
- suspicion of malignancy of the neoplasm;
- skin infections.
Additionally, a client may be denied surgery if they are under the influence of drugs or intoxicated.
Excision of the growth with a scalpel
In some particularly advanced cases, the patient will need to seek help from a surgeon.This radical method of combating growths is prescribed only when the papilloma has grown by more than 4-5 cm or a person has contraindications for one or another cosmetic procedure.
Surgery is the only effective way to get rid of large warts and large group tumors.Its disadvantages were:
- the appearance of a scar after surgery;
- need for anesthesia (local or general);
- a long period of rehabilitation.
Chemotherapy
If there is a small single papilloma, the patient can use chemotherapy.It is based on the use of drugs for external use that penetrate the deep layers of the epidermis and destroy the basis of growth.As a result, under the influence of aggressive chemical compounds, he dies and falls, leaving behind a barely noticeable depression.
The disadvantage of this method of treatment is that the components in anti-papilloma products also burn healthy skin cells.In addition, chemotherapy cannot remove condylomas and warts located in the mouth or genitals due to the risk of damaging the mucous membranes.
A course of drug treatment
To date, it is not known how to cure papillomavirus forever.The action of all existing drugs against HPV is aimed at suppressing the activity of the infection and strengthening the immune system, which can independently block the development of the disease.
Complex drug therapy includes several types of drugs:
- anti-virus;
- immunostimulants;
Antiviral drugs stop the development of the infection, and immunostimulants strengthen the protective functions of the body, which subsequently keeps the disease latent.
The choice of a specific drug depends on the individual characteristics of the patient's body.
Injections have become an alternative to oral medications.
Strengthening the immune system
Unlike antiviral and immunostimulating drugs, vitamin complexes can be selected according to the patient's personal preferences.They are not the basis of therapy and belong to means designed to support the human body in the fight against infection.
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If desired, tablet vitamins can be replaced with healthy foods.To compensate 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, D.
Prevention of papilloma virus
There are several groups into which all existing preventive measures for papilloma virus are divided:
- preventing infection by taking into account how the infection spreads (primary prevention);
- early diagnosis of the disease;
- protection of the body from re-infection after undergoing a course of therapy.
In the first case, a person must protect himself in every possible way from infection.To do this, he will need:
- stop promiscuous sex;
- wash your hands after visiting public places;
- maintain personal hygiene;
- avoid visiting dubious beauty salons (precisely due to the insufficient disinfection of cosmetic or manicure tools, the probability of infection with the papilloma virus in the cosmetic office is quite high);
- eat well;
- wear shoes when visiting pools or spas;
- strengthen your immune system;
- Clean your home regularly.
Despite following these recommendations, there is still a small chance of contracting HPV.Therefore, doctors insist on regularly visiting an infectious disease specialist and submitting biomaterial for analysis.This will help identify the virus in the incubation period and quickly get rid of it.
If, nevertheless, an infection occurs and the disease begins to manifest itself externally, then no preventive measures will be of any use.Only a specially selected treatment will help here, after which you must take care to prevent the recurrence of the disease.To do this, you must follow the rules of primary prevention and remain under the supervision of a doctor for another 2-3 weeks.
Will the HPV vaccine protect women?
Despite the fact that there is no 100% cure for papillomavirus, women can avoid infection with some cancerous types of the disease.Two drugs have been developed for this purpose.
These agents are given as an injectable solution and help protect the body against several types of HPV (6, 11, 16, 18, 33, 45).
Vaccination with these means is carried out in three stages:
- The first dose is on the day of the injection;
- Second dose – after 60 days;
- The third dose is six months later.
After vaccination, the body acquires the ability that allows it to kill viral cells whose DNA was part of the drug, provided that the person was not infected with them before.Therefore, before injecting the drug, the woman undergoes mandatory laboratory diagnostics.
In order for the immunity to be as pronounced as possible, the vaccination should be carried out before the age of 18.Some developed countries have made this procedure mandatory and all high school students undergo it.
If necessary, you can benefit from a paid vaccination at a private clinic.