Category: General Health

The Facts About Warts And Cervical Cancer

There are many varieties of warts, and many strains of the virus that causes them. In the instance of warts which can lead to cervical cancer, too much of the American population has too much misinformation. This leads many people to be in a panic, and this panic is unnecessary.

The first, and most important fact, is that the general types of warts which many people have are not a factor. The plantar warts which appear on the feet, for example, are not a casual factor in later cervical cancer, because they do not contain the specific strains of the virus which leads to cervical cancer.

Another misconception is many people are not aware of the fact that the childhood disease commonly known as chicken pox is also not relevant to later cervical cancer, as it too does not possess that strain of the virus.

The bottom line is that the specific strains of human papilloma virus which can lead to cervical cancer are sexually transmitted. When a person becomes infected with this virus through sexual contact with an infected person, the warts will usually develop. Not developing these warts is not a sign that one has not contracted the virus, as many can be symptom-free even if the virus is present in their system. An outbreak of genital warts, however, is a visible sign that one is infected. In such an instance, even if a person has the warts removed by a professional, the virus is still in one’s system.

Approximately seventy percent of cervical cancers are caused by approximately ten different strains of the human papilloma virus. There are more than thirty strains of this virus which are sexually transmitted, but they are not all cancer-causing viruses. Currently, there are a number of methods available in aiding one’s resistance against the genital warts, but none are one-hundred-percent effective, and some contain their own risks.

One is the new drug called Gardasil. In many areas, Gardasil being administered by vaccine is already in practice. It has been stated that the reason for giving this vaccine to little girls as young as nine years of age is to ensure protection against the genital warts and the particular strains of the cancer-causing virus before the girls become sexually active. One negative repercussion to this practice is that the vaccine has not been researched enough to ensure its safety, and a number of young girls have already died from receiving it. Another repercussion is that such a vaccine can promote early sexual activity.

Another method used to protect against genital warts are condoms. This is not effective, because regardless of the exact placement of the wart or cluster of warts, the virus is not localized solely to that particular point. The virus is not only in the wart or wart cluster itself, it is frequently also on the surrounding skin areas.

The main risk factors associated with genital warts are: beginning sexual activity at a young age; having multiple sexual partners; and not being aware of whether one’s partner is infected, whether he actually has visible warts or not. In other words, indiscriminate sexual activity is the number-one risk factor in acquiring genital warts, and, in women, the potential of cervical cancer. While plantar warts and the other common varieties are difficult enough in themselves, they are not related to the genital warts that can lead to cervical cancer.

The Link between Genital Warts and Cervical Cancer

You may have heard that there is some kind of link between genital warts and cervical cancer. Maybe you wonder if one causes the other. Almost every sexually active person has had genital warts at one time or another even if they didn’t know it. However, not all women have had cervical cancer. So, what is the link?

The answer to that question can be summed up in two words or explained in many. The two words are human papillomavirus (HPV). Both genital warts and cervical cancer start with HPV. The difference is in the different strains of the virus and what happens after the virus takes hold.

Of the many types of HPV, thirty are active in the genital area. Some of these cause genital warts. They can be spread by sexual contact of the genitals, the anus, the mouth and the throat with an infected partner’s. Genital warts are extremely contagious, especially when unprotected sex is involved.

Of the thirty strains of HPV that occur in genital areas, ten of them are called high risk. They are the most likely to cause cervical cancer. They usually do not produce visible genital warts, although they could.

Low risk variations of HPV cause visible and often troublesome genital warts. The good news is that they are less likely to cause cancer. If a woman has yearly Pap tests, her doctor can keep a close eye on her cervical health.

When a woman has an HPV infection, the body either fights off the virus or it doesn’t. If the virus is defeated, the woman will never know she had HPV. If the virus remains active, she will have some negative results. These can be genital warts or cervical cancer.

The gynecologist can determine if she has any HPV infections. Furthermore, care can be taken to watch for problems. Cervical cancer can arise suddenly. Or, genital warts can develop into cervical cancer.

Your gynecologist may tell you that you have cancerous or precancerous growth on your cervix. There is a good chance that the genetic information of HPV is in the affected tissue. This happens often to women who started out being diagnosed with HPV before their cervical cancer.

Having many sexual partners or starting to have sex at a young age are considered risks for cervical cancer. This is because the HPV is so very contagious. It is also because the HPV is linked to cervical cancer.

Gardisil, a new HPV vaccine has recently made the news with its introduction into medical practice. It is helpful in preventing two kinds of HPV that primarily cause cervical cancer. It also prevents two kinds of HPV that make up the causes for ninety percent of all genital warts.

In the end HPV causes genital warts, whether they are visible or not. Some of the strains cause cervical cancer. For these reasons, it is very important to seek professional treatment when you have any suspicion of either condition. Also, don’t forget to have a yearly Pap test.

Professional Treatments for Warts

Warts cause embarrassment and discomfort. Home remedies and over-the-counter preparations work for some people. However, there are times when it becomes advantageous to call in a professional to treat your warts.

Retinoid cream is prescribed by doctors as an experimental treatment to get rid of warts. It is composed of a substance that comes from Vitamin A, called tretinoin. It has been shown, in research studies, to work well. Eighty-five percent of children who used it had positive results.

Retinoid cream shouldn’t be used on pregnant women’s warts because it’s been associated with birth defects. It can also cause changes in the skin of those who do use it. Skin can become dry, sensitive, swollen, crusted, or blistered. It can become red or have other color changes. If you use it, your skin can become sensitive to the sun.

Rather than slow down skin cell growth, which is what retinoid cream does, contact sensitizers work with the immune system instead. The first thing the doctor will do is to apply a contact synthesizer to your arm or back. This will start a reaction in your immune system.

The next time the contact sensitizer is applied, an allergic reaction will ensue. After that, the substance will be put directly on the warts and it will destroy it by summoning your immune system. Eighty percent of people in one study were helped with this treatment.

A doctor might put Cantharidin on your warts and keep it there with a bandage. After awhile, the wart will have a blister around it. Then, the doctor can lift the warts off and remove it.

Warts can also be frozen off. This is called cryotherapy. There is actually at least one over-the-counter kit for this. If a doctor does it, he will apply liquid nitrogen to the wart. After a blister has formed, you have to wait for about a week. At this time, the wart will fall off.

Cryosurgery uses basically the same ingredients, but the deep freezing gets rid of the warts sooner. Or, the base of the warts can be destroyed by applying an electric needle to it. These are miner surgeries.

Laser surgery can be done to remove warts. It is usually reserved for special cases. A pregnant woman may have no other way to have warts removed. A person may have a great number of warts and they may be very large.

The laser is basically just a beam of light that is highly focused. It can burn off warts and leave surrounding tissue unharmed if done right. It may be done with local anesthesia. Or, if the warts cover a large area general anesthesia is called for.

Once the warts have been removed, there will be a wound. This will be painful for a few days, but it should feel better after that. If you have undergone this treatment, you should watch out for excessive pain that persists. Tell your doctor if you notice pus or run a fever. This method has been shown to be successful on warts sixty-six percent of the time.

Professional Treatments for Genital Warts

The best way to treat genital warts, caused by the human papilomavirus, is to seek help from a physician. A doctor can evaluate what kind of treatment needs to be done to your genital warts, or if any needs to be done at all. A professional can also make sure that you don’t have a more serious condition.

Doctors will often adopt a wait and see attitude at first. This is because genital warts often go away spontaneously. Depending on the extent of the problem, the waiting period may be short or longer. Once it is past, if the genital warts are still there, treatment will begin.

There are several creams that are used for genital warts. A doctor may prescribe Podofilox for use at home. The doctor will explain how to use the cream. Another cream that might be prescribed is Aldara. This medication aids the immune system in fighting off the virus. It has a very high success rate with low recurrence.

Fluorouracil is a medication in a cream. This medication prevents HPV and this stops warts from multiplying. It can also get rid of existing warts. The doctor can tell you how to use it. You will need to protect the healthy skin with petroleum jelly.

Fluorouracil is very good for treating all the sensitive areas of the genitals. However, pregnant women can’t use this treatment. Also, people often have to stop treatment after having a severe reaction to the cream.

Podophyllum resin can only be applied by a doctor. The doctor oversees treatment once a week for at least six weeks. A different version of the same substance, podofilox lotion, can be used by the patient at home with a few instructions from the doctor.

Health care professionals are also responsible for the application of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or bichloroacetic acid (BCA). This medication works by destroying proteins in cells. Thus, it is important to only treat the genital warts and not the surrounding tissue.

Interferon is a product that has been used to treat immunity problems of all kinds. It attacks HPV and boosts the immune system. The methods of delivery are cream, lotion, or injection at the base of the genital warts. It has some side effects, especially for pregnant women.

Surgery may be required for some genital warts. Simple excision, or cutting off, of warts is done in some cases. It is especially effective on genital warts of the vagina, the penis, and around the anus. The area should be healed in three weeks at most, if all goes well.

Sometimes doctors use an electric probe to burn off genital warts. This is called electrocautery and is most useful for genital warts around the anus, on the penis and on the vulva. Local or general anesthesia is used, depending on the severity of the problem. The healing should be finished in a month or less.

Laser surgery can also be effective when all else fails, or if the patient is pregnant and needs warts removed. The genital warts are burned off with the laser. They heal within a month.