Tag: genital warts

How to Treat Genital Warts at Home

Genital warts are usually treated by professionals. Some people, though, have found that they are able to treat genital warts in the privacy of their own homes. They find these methods preferable to subjecting themselves to a doctor’s treatments.

Some home remedies for genital warts involve some form of vinegar. You can dab cider vinegar on the warts. You can also use red wine vinegar and mix it with garlic to put on the warts. Or, you can use white vinegar. White vinegar has no unpleasant odor.

Certain oils have been used. Coconut oil removes warts, and is soothing as well. Vitamin E oil is also a good choice. It loosens the wart. At the same time, it is good for the surrounding skin.

Herbal remedies are numerous. There is a powder called Job’s Tears, a plant extract called hatomugi. It can be found in Chinese medicine shops. It also comes in tea and bags of dried herbs. If you take this substance for a few days, genital warts will fall off.

Other herbs are used in an effort to boost your immune system. Genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus. This is why when you have one, you often have many. To help your body fight the virus, you can use herbs along with other immune system building activities.

Echinacea helps to fight off viruses by using the natural acids of your own body. Goldenseal has been used for centuries for wound care. It has recently been discovered that goldenseal has antibiotic properties. It can be used, and works especially well with prescription medications for genital warts.

Astragalus is another Chinese herb that has been used for thousands of years. It has been used as a remedy for genital warts. Today, there is proof that this herb actually does energize the immune system. This helps it fight off the virus that causes genital warts.

Some other herbs used in the treatment of genital warts are St. John’s Wort, Ginkgo biloba, and Olive leaf. These herbs are usually taken orally to help the body combat the virus. The herbs are easy to find in any pharmacy or health food store.

To go along with these herbal treatments, you should be taking time to care for yourself, too. Eat healthily, drink plenty of water, and get an adequate amount of sleep. Exercise is also helpful in helping to boost your natural immune system.

Garlic, in its many forms, has been used for a long time to fight genital warts. It can be used raw, or it can be found in capsules or ointments. You can take it by mouth or you can put it directly on the wart. It will not injure the surrounding tissue, so it is perfectly safe.

Actually, the most unsafe thing about these home remedies is that your condition may need to be seen by a physician. As little as you would like to tell someone about this problem, it may be necessary. When left untreated, genital warts can be very dangerous at times. If you have them, it’s best to ask a doctor before you try a home remedy anyway.

Genital Warts: Men Need To Be Concerned Too

Only females can die from cervical cancer. Perhaps that is the reason why there has been so much recent emphasis and debate on producing and mandating a vaccine to prevent girls from acquiring the virus which causes the genital warts. Perhaps it is also the reason why most talk about irresponsible sexual activity is generally focused on girls and women. Where there is less focus, however, is that males can be equally responsible in preventing genital warts in themselves. Males can avoid contracting these warts, and can also avoid passing them on if they do become infected.

Given the status of American society today, it should not be surprising that for males as well as females the focus is not on conducing oneself in a responsible manner, but to take preventive measures while continuing risky behavior. Although males generally have much less chance of genital warts leading to life-threatening illnesses, studies show an average of an eighty-percent risk of acquiring genital warts during their lifetimes.

Studies rarely add that the primary risk factor is that of having numerous sexual partners. In that genital warts in men rarely lead to serious health conditions in themselves, the main concern is to not infect their partners with these warts.

One of the most recent studies on the subject of these warts has been by the Medical College of Georgia. The goal of these studies has been to perfect a vaccine made especially for men. The concept behind these studies was that even though men do not usually have life-threatening risks from warts, transmitting the infection to their partners is reason enough to take the issue seriously. Preventing males from acquiring any of the four strains of the virus which cause these warts would in turn prevent outbreaks of warts. This in turn would ensure the safety of their partners.

Although the Medical College of Georgia began its studies into the possibility of such a vaccine a number of years ago, at last check there have been no conclusive results. The College had been seeking test-subjects who had not yet developed genital warts. They were specifically looking for sexually-active males who were between the ages of sixteen and twenty-three, to participate in these research studies.

But while the Medical College of Georgia was also responsible for the largest similar research on this vaccine in women, the vaccine has not only been approved for but distributed to girls, while the vaccine for males has not been. As both males and females are susceptible to this virus, it would seem that preventing both from acquiring genital warts should be the same priority.

As those who have been conducting this research have lacked this priority, it leaves the subject of responsible conduct in the hands of men themselves.

Contracting Warts: The Basics

How likely are you to acquire warts? Do you know the answer to that question? If not, you can get an estimated answer by assessing your own personal risk factors. Never mind statistics; instead, simply get a clear picture on how this subject relates to you and to your lifestyle. After doing so, you can decide whether you wish to take the steps necessary in order to decrease your risk. Prevention is more sensible than treating warts after one already has them; and knowing where you yourself stand is the best defense.

One of the most annoying forms of warts are plantar warts. Assuming you probably do not wish to find out exactly how troublesome they actually are, you can simply take some measures to safeguard yourself against these pesky warts. As the usual way in which a person contracts plantar warts is by having one’s bare feet come in contact with infected surfaces, you can greatly reduce your chance of getting plantar warts by wearing protective covering when in public areas where the virus is likely to be present. Not wearing someone else’s shoes or socks is also a good preventative measure. Some products designed especially for foot and shoe care contain the type of disinfectant which will kill the wart-producing virus on these surfaces; others do not. Check the label on the products you wish to use to see if this is included.

One of the main factors which contribute to seed warts is direct sunlight. Although it is rare for young people to acquire this type of wart, the potential for it increases with age. In addition to exercising common sense in limiting your exposure to the sun for reasons such as avoiding skin cancer, it will also go a long way in helping you to not acquire seed warts when you are older. The more time you spend in the sun on an everyday basis, and the longer you do so, the more likely you are to eventually have seed warts as a result.

Genital warts are spread by sexual contact. Although it is possible to contract them from an infected partner, the two main factors assessed as being most relevant are sexual activity at a young age, and having multiple partners. These factors are generally within one’s own control, and therefore it is not difficult to both assess one’s degree of risk and alter one’s own lifestyle to reduce the risk.

As a compromised immune system places a person at a much higher risk of contracting warts due to having a lesser immunity against the virus which causes them, Although those who have serious medical problems which affect the immune system do not have as much control over it, the average person who is in good health does. The simple basics of having a healthy diet and getting a proper amount of sleep are well within the range of most people’s capabilities; and these two basics are two of the strongest contributing factors in gaining and keeping the immune system functioning at its best.

Most warts can be spread by a healthy person using personal items of an infected person, such as towels, washcloths, and intimate clothing. In most cases you have the option of either making sure such items are clean and sterile, or else to not use them at all.

Checking to see which risk factors are relevant to you is the first step in determining how likely you may be to contract warts. The next step is to turn that awareness into action, and reduce your risk.