Symptoms of the human papilloma virus appear in the form of condylomas, papillomas, warts and other neoplasms on the skin. The incubation period can reach several years. It is determined by the state of human immunity. Currently, about 600 strains of these microorganisms are isolated, which cause various harm to the body.
Human papillomavirus classification
It combines 70 types of different viruses that can potentially cause various diseases. They are able to affect the epithelial cells of the skin, mucous membranes of the genitals and mouth.
There are various strains, including those that can provoke the development of malignant neoplasms. That is why it is important to know the symptoms of the human papillomavirus in women and men. According to WHO data, about 70% of all cases of precancerous conditions and cervical cancer are caused by HPV of two types: 16 and 18. In the strong half, the formation of malignant tumors of the penis is possible. Both sexes can get malignant tumors in the rectum.
All viruses, depending on oncogenicity, are divided into the following types:
- with low risk - 53-55, 42-44, 11, 6;
- with an average activity of 66, 58, 52, 51, 39, 35, 30-33;
- with a high risk - 56, 45, 18, 16.
1-4 types contribute to the appearance of plantar warts and are considered safe in oncological terms.
49, 28, 10 types provoke the development of flat warts.
Types 18 and 16 are considered the most dangerous because they contribute to the development of cancer cells and provoke the appearance of papillomas and genital warts on the genitals. But even the presence of these types of virus in the body is not a sentence. According to statistics, only 1% of women with this type of virus develop uterine cancer.
Ways of infection
There are different ways of getting the infection into the human body:
- self-infection during hair removal or shaving;
- in a newborn child, the symptoms of the human papilloma virus appear when infected from the mother - papillomatosis or genital warts may form;
- anal or oral sex leads to infection with genital warts;
- contact-household way when using common areas: swimming pools, exercise machines, toilets, baths, showers - here the virus persists for a long time and penetrates the body through the skin.
According to the WHO, about 70% of the world's population are carriers of infection. The virus is easily transmitted from one person to another.
Risk groups
Of course, no one is immune from disease. However, any ailment develops faster when certain favorable conditions are present for it. In the case of HPV, these are:
- early onset of sexual activity;
- immunity weakened after illness;
- abortions
- sexually transmitted and related pathologies related to STIs: trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, chlamydia;
- anal sex and many sexual partners.
Symptoms of the human papillomavirus
After entering the body, viruses begin their destructive work, causing a number of diseases:
- Bowen's disease. They provoke types 18 and 16, as a result, a malignant process in the genital area develops. In the last stages, metastases spread to other organs.
- Bowenoid papulosis can be caused by the same types of HPV, as well as 31 and 33. In this case, rashes appear in the genital area of people, they look like flat plaques located above the surface of the skin of white or yellowish-pink color. The disease can lead to the development of malignant neoplasms.
- Laryngeal papillomatosis occurs when a type 11 virus enters the body. Most often, a newborn is infected from a sick mother. Transmission during oral sex is also possible. It mainly manifests itself with difficulty swallowing and hoarseness. With a large number of papillomas formed, breathing worsens.
- Warty epidermodysplasia occurs mainly in adolescents. Rashes appear on the body resembling flat flesh-colored warts. It can be caused by viruses with a high oncogenic risk (48, 8, 5), and skin cancer can occur, or with low activity (25, 20, 14).
- Genital warts - rough growths on the leg. They are mainly located in the cervix, urethra, bladder, between the anus and genitals.
- Papillomas are soft neoplasms of an elongated shape on a flesh-colored leg. Initially concentrated in the area of the mammary glands, armpits, groin, neck, rarely - the face. Subsequently, they can spread throughout the body, increasing in size.
- Warts (senile, plantar, flat, ordinary keratomas) are benign neoplasms, sometimes resembling moles with a rough surface. Size and color are different. Their localization is different. Plantar warts caused by type 1 virus cause discomfort during movement, they grow deep inside. If HPV type 2 became the cause of their development, they grow together in the form of a mosaic and are practically not felt. The remaining formations are painless.
Call your doctor right away if you notice symptoms of the human papillomavirus. Treatment should be comprehensive and urgent.
Pathology development
The disease proceeds in 4 stages:
- Latent. The virus is present in the body without manifesting itself and without causing any changes in the body.
- The appearance of clinical signs. The division of epidermal cells is accelerated. Possible detection using PCR analysis, histology and cytology.
- Dysplasia. At this stage, the carrier of hereditary information of the virus interacts with the DNA of the cell and integrates into it. Coilocytosis sets in, accompanied by a change in the structure of the cell. The virus can be diagnosed by the same methods; colposcopy is also practiced.
- Carcinoma. Mutations occur at the cellular level, cancer cells become active. Identify by any diagnostic methods.
A photo of the symptoms of the human papilloma virus is presented in the article.
Papillomavirus infection in women
It can be asymptomatic in a latent form, as well as in severe, causing the development of the following neoplasms and diseases:
- Diseases of the cervix uteri: erosion and cancer. The last disease develops from the superficial epithelial layer.
- Dysplasia (precancerous condition). In this case, a violation of cell maturation is observed. The two initial stages of the disease in women with the human papillomavirus are considered relatively safe, however, the transition to the third indicates the beginning of the development of oncology. It is caused by types 16 and 18.
- Development of genital warts on the genitals. They appear 3 months after the virus enters the body. They can be located on the labia minora, in the oral cavity, cervix, vaginal mucosa. The human papilloma virus in women can cause the appearance of endophytic condylomas, which grow inside the body and are not detected by visual inspection. With the location of their pointed species on the cervix or its channel, the prognosis of the disease is considered unfavorable, since the risk of developing oncology increases.
The danger is that the symptoms of the human papillomavirus are not always clearly expressed. In gynecology, little attention is paid to this disease. The infection is in a "sleeping" state for a long time, and a person may not even suspect its existence. In a woman, it can be activated during menopause.
The human papilloma virus in gynecology is most often diagnosed in women who have an active sex life between the ages of 16-30.
Neoplasms in the vagina are not felt. However, they can be injured during intercourse, which leads to the appearance of the following symptoms:
- the appearance of abundant vaginal discharge;
- the presence of blood in them;
- pain with coition;
- burning sensation when urinating.
Therefore, it is so important to undergo an annual examination, the activation of the virus can occur at any time. Now you know how to recognize the symptoms of human papillomavirus (photo) in women.
Male infection
The disease can be hidden or pronounced, manifesting as papillomas on the penis or in the anus. Genital warts can degenerate into cancerous tumors.
Symptoms of the human papillomavirus in men are manifested in the form of corresponding rashes in the following areas:
- anus area;
- urethral opening
- scrotum;
- head and frenum of the penis.
Also, men are characterized by laryngeal papillomatosis in a returnable form. Recently, diseases caused by this virus include malignant processes that occur in the bladder. Treatment of symptoms of human papillomavirus in men should be carried out without fail, despite the fact that most often the stronger sex is only a carrier. HPV can cause penile cancer, and although the disease is rare, it is necessary to conduct preventive examinations and treatment if an ailment is detected at an early stage.
Thus, representatives of the stronger sex also must undergo a preventive examination by a doctor every year, not to mention situations where men have symptoms of human papillomavirus. In the photo you can see how various types of HPV manifest themselves.
Diagnostics
The simplest method is a visual examination of the patient. In addition, a series of tests are carried out to identify the type of pathogen. These include:
- PCR;
- histology of tissues;
- cytological examination of a smear from the cervix to detect the human papillomavirus in women;
- colposcopy.
The most informative method is PCR. The experimental technique allows you to detect the virus, as well as determine its type. In addition, you can do this using the Digene test.
Colposcopy is prescribed to women after a visual examination by a gynecologist of the vagina and cervix. Also, in many cases, a biopsy is performed - a fence of a small area of tissue for histological studies.
To identify the symptoms of the human papillomavirus in women, the cervix can be treated with acetic acid, and on top with a solution of Lugol on iodine. Uneven absorption of the latter indicates the presence of the virus.
Physiotherapeutic treatment
Today there are no treatment regimens for human papillomavirus symptoms in women and men working with a 100% guarantee. The choice of method is determined by the type of virus and the pathology that it caused. Most often, antiviral drugs are prescribed, and tumors are also surgically removed.
If there are pronounced symptoms of the human papillomavirus in men, the treatment is carried out by physiotherapeutic methods or through surgical intervention. The same methods are used for women.
These include:
- Radiosurgery. One of the modern treatment methods with a short rehabilitation period, high efficiency and the absence of complications. Neoplasms are removed by exposure to high frequency radio waves. However, the method is expensive, which did not allow it to be widely used. Radiosurgical method for the treatment of human papillomavirus - in the photo below.
- Laser Therapy With its help, tissue tumors are burned and blood vessels are burned, which eliminates the risk of secondary infections and prevents bleeding. However, the use of this method leads to an increase in the likelihood of malignancy of papillomas, that is, their degeneration into malignant formations.
- Electrocoagulation Burning papillomas with a high-frequency electric current. After the session, a scab forms at the site of the neoplasm, which after several days dries up and disappears, and clean skin remains underneath.
- Cryodestruction. Various neoplasms are affected by liquid nitrogen, as a result of which they are destroyed and disappear. This jewelry work, because you need to determine the depth of penetration of the product and not damage the surrounding tissue. It is carried out only in a medical facility.
- Chemical destruction. This method is practiced at home, with caution. A drop of the drug containing aggressive substances (alkali, acid) that destroy the tumor tissue is applied to the neoplasm.
Surgical methods of treatment are rarely used at present, since they can lead to various complications, they have a long recovery period and trauma. If they are used, then within a month after the operation it is necessary to take methionine, which will avoid the return of the disease.
Removal of the virus does not give any guarantees, relapse in the future is not excluded. This is due to the fact that the virus remains in the human body, therefore physiotherapeutic methods must be supplemented with antiviral treatment.
Antiviral drugs
They block the reproduction of the virus and help strengthen the immune system. Similar funds are released in various forms:
- solutions for injection;
- tablets;
- rectal and vaginal suppositories;
- creams and ointments.
The main groups of drugs that are used to treat human papilloma virus in gynecology and other fields of medicine:
- drugs that suppress the process of division of affected cells: "5-fluorouracil Condilin", "Podophyllin";
- drugs that stimulate the production of their own interferons: Cycloferon, Amiksin;
- interferons are drugs that possess not only antitumor and immunostimulating properties, but also many side effects and contraindications, so the doctor should choose them.
The most effective drugs are:
- "Papillock" - from papillomas;
- "Epigen intim" - a drug with pronounced antiviral and regenerating properties, it is used against highly oncogenic types of the virus;
- "Immunomax" - an immunomodulator in the form of a powder for intramuscular administration;
- "Isoprinosine" - an immunostimulant in the form of tablets;
- "Allokin-alpha" - an immunomodulator and antiviral agent, is used against oncogenic and non-oncogenic types, it is used to treat the symptoms of human papilloma virus in women with complex therapy of cervical diseases;
- "Genferon" - a local immunomodulator in the form of vaginal and rectal suppositories, used in conjunction with other antiviral drugs;
- "Viferon" - has a local antiviral immunomodulating effect, helps with concomitant genital infections.
Vaccination
Its implementation contributes to the emergence of increased persistent immunity, providing reliable protection against the virus in question for life. It is most effectively carried out before the onset of sexual activity.
Today, two vaccines have been developed to combat the human papillomavirus. Cervarix is undergoing clinical trials. The drug "Gardasil" is allowed in most states, and in some of them (Germany, USA, France) is included in the compulsory vaccination plan.
Vaccination is carried out in three stages. The interval between the first and second injections is 2 months, the final injection is done after another four months. The effectiveness in the case of three injections is 95-100%.
Prevention
To prevent the ingestion of the most dangerous types, it is necessary to conduct an explanatory conversation with adolescents about the rules of contraception and perform periodic examinations to identify the disease in the early stages. Women should visit the gynecologist every year to conduct a comprehensive examination that will identify cervical oncology in the early stages, which will help save a life.
Specialists to be contacted for various diseases associated with the human papillomavirus
HPV can cause various diseases, therefore, the doctors to whom you need to go for help are different.
So, to remove flat warts you need to go to an appointment with a dermatologist. Plantar formations can be removed by both a previous specialist and a surgeon.
If a man has genital warts on the foreskin or head of the penis, you need to contact a urologist. If there are any in women on the labia and the entrance to the vagina, the entry is made to the gynecologist.
If condylomas are located in the rectal opening, then they turn to a proctologist.
In the absence of the above three doctors, they go to the surgeon for an appointment.
Warty epidermodysplasia involves an appointment with a dermatologist or oncologist, laryngeal papillomatosis with an ENT doctor or surgeon, and bauenoid papulosis with a urologist or venereologist.
Finally
Symptoms of the human papillomavirus can manifest themselves in different ways.Some types of HPV are safe for the body, others can provoke the occurrence of various oncological diseases, especially organs of the genitourinary system. A person of any gender should periodically undergo examinations by appropriate specialists to identify ailments in the early stages when they respond to successful treatment.