Archive for the ‘Genital Warts’ Category
What Causes Unsightly Warts?
Over the ages, there have been many theories as to what causes warts with perhaps the most popular being the theory that they come from toads! While toads are a little warty in appearance, rest assured that you cannot get warts by handling them. You can get warts, however from other people that have warts. This is because warts are actually caused by a virus which attacks your skin cells causing them to grow at a faster rate than they should which in turn creates a benign tumor commonly called a wart.
The Wart Virus
The virus that causes warts is called the human papillomavirus. It can be spread from person to person and it can also spread from one place on your body to another. The virus gets in through breaks in the skin and it thrives in warm moist places so it is often associated with public showers and locker rooms where you would often have skin contact with wet floors where other people have also been walking.
Taking a closer look at what causes warts, one might note that warts could be avoided by always wearing something on your feet at the pool or gym and avoiding sharing personal items with other people such as razors and towels. The interesting thing about the human papilloma virus is that it has an incubation period and can take up to nine months after exposure to actually show up as a wart.
Anyone Can Get Warts
While most anyone can get warts, not everyone does. Some people seem to be more susceptible to them than others. Often younger people under the age of 30 and people with reduced immune function are prone to warts. That’s because warts, being a virus, would have a better chance of settling in on people who were ill-prepared to fight it off. Not everyone who is exposed to the human papillomavirus will get warts because most people have antibodies in their system that will kill off the virus before it can affect their skin cells.
Warts Can Appear Anywhere
Warts can appear anywhere on your body, but are most often seen on the hands, elbows, knees and ankles. Plantar warts are those found in the bottom of your feet and, while they might be different in appearance than warts and other places they are still the same type of wart just compressed and flattened due to the pressure of walking on them. Genital warts, are an extremely contagious type of wart in the genital area also caused by the human papillomavirus.
So now that you know what causes warts, you’re probably wondering how to get rid of them. There are actually several treatments however, it should be noted, that not every treatment works the same on every one. If you have tried a treatment and it hasn’t worked, don’t feel like you’re “stuck with your warts”, try another treatment until you find one that does work for you. Sometimes warts go away on their own, but if you can wait that long come up with a treatment plan and try many different things until you find something that works effectively for you.
By: Sheri Cole
About the Author:
How To Identify the Beginning Stages of Genital Warts
Coming face to face with a diagnosis of genital warts can be daunting, especially if you don’t know much about it. Hearing that it is caused by the incurable HPV, human papilloma virus sounds scary but the fact of the matter is that it is treatable and you can live a normal life. However, how do you know if you are in the beginning stages of genital warts in the first place?
Everyone experiences some type of minor itching or burning sensations in the genital area at some point as both men and women get yeast infections and other curable conditions. Therefore, minor irritation caused by genital warts may not cause much of a stir. However, if you do experience some type of irritation or notice a bump or rough patch days or weeks after having sex with a partner, chances are that genital warts may be the culprit.
Identifying those Beginning Stages of Genital Warts
Genital warts may pop up innocuously with a few bumps or a tiny cluster of bumps in the genital area that may or may not have some color to them. While you can experience the recognizable cauliflower like growth of warts in the genital area, chances are that the beginning stages of genital warts will just look like discolored bumps of flesh or even appear as rough patches of skin.
For women with genital warts inside the cervix, these are more difficult to detect and many times are not felt, even during sex. These are often identified when a women sees her gynecologist for a well woman exam and Pap smear. Because HPV is one of the leading causes of cervical cancer, many doctors are cognizant of genital warts and often look for signs of them.
Why It’s Important To Catch Genital Warts in the Beginning Stages
Don’t avoid going to the doctor, even if they believe they exhibit the beginning stages of genital warts. Avoidance is not the thing to practice in this case as early treatment can go a long way toward preventing future outbreaks. In fact, the earlier you treat the beginning stages of genital warts, the more likely that HPV will go dormant which means a lot fewer outbreaks for you.
For the most part, it is a privacy issue when it comes to going to the doctor as people do not like having their “nether regions” examined so closely. Embarrassment should be the last thing holding you back when you are in the beginning stages of genital warts. Think of how embarrassing it will be if you end up having your entire genital area covered in enough warts to play connect the dots.
Do yourself a favor as well as your significant other and make that doctor’s appointment to verify those beginning stages of genital warts. The quicker the diagnosis, the quicker you will be treated and rid of them.
Understanding Genital Warts
What Genital Warts Look Like
Genital warts are very unattractive. They are marked by white, cauliflower looking bumps on or around the penis or vagina. They can also be found around the anus in some individuals. These bumps are not only unsightly, but they can also cause great mental trauma in those that have them. That’s because they fear about other sexual partners finding out about them. Unlike other sexually transmitted diseases that are otherwise invisible, warts are hard to hide. There is hope, however, because they can be treated. Doctors have had success freezing them off with liquid nitrogen. This can lead to scarring but it can get rid of the genital warts that are causing so much stress to the sufferer.
Using Creams and Other Treatments
There are creams and other treatments that have shown promise in getting rid of genital warts. These creams are prescribed by your doctor and should never be used unless approved. Most are prescription strength, so ask your doctor if they’ve heard of them. If you’re too embarrassed to see a doctor about genital warts, do it for yourself and also for any future sexual partners. After all, you don’t want to spread them to other people if you can help it. So make sure you seek out treatment as there are several treatment options available.
There is no cure for HPV or genital warts, but sometimes a person’s immune system will eradicate them on its own. The best thing to do if you have genital warts is to see your doctor. You should do this not only for your own peace of mind, but also the health of any of your future sexual partners. Having this STD isn’t the end of the world, though it can seem that way to anyone who suffers from them. Just know that you’re not alone as warts and HPV are the most common STD around today. Knowing that can make dealing with them a little easier.
Prevention Is Key With Genital Warts
When you have sex, there are more than a few things to worry about. There’s pregnancy and then there are STD’s. One of the most common of these STD’s is genital warts. Genital warts are caused by direct contact by the skin of an infected person. The warts are actually caused by a strain of HPV, or Human Papilloma Virus. Genital warts are not only unattractive but they can lead to cancer if not treated. The best thing to do, however, is practice prevention so that you don’t get genital warts in the first place. Always use a condom during sex and try to limit your sexual partners. These prevention techniques can protect against warts as well as a number of other STD’s. There is no cure for genital warts, but sometimes they will go away on their own. You can have them treated, however, for aesthetic reasons and for peace of mind.