Do I need to treat flat warts?

The wart, which is a benign neoplasm of the skin, occurs as a result of infection with varieties of human papillomavirus. Some types of warts tend to be transformed into malignant tumors. Human papillomavirus # 1 promotes the formation of hyperkeratotic warts, # 2 - common, # 3 - flat, # 4 - superficial palmar-plantar.

Warts are very common and occur in 8-10% of the population, most of them are children and adolescents, in adults and elderly people warts are extremely rare. There are three main types: condyloma spiky, palmar-plantar and flat warts. The incubation period of the disease can be several days, and sometimes several months, a method of transferring contact-household: with direct contact (hugs and handshakes), through infected toys, clothes, household items, armchairs and handrails in public transport.

In the external environment, the virus lives for about three hours, but this is enough to get someone infected. Once introduced into the mucous membrane or skin, the virus enters the body, then penetrates the subepithelial layer and further into the nerve tissue. After the introduction, he never leaves the body, he can "doze" for a long time without creating any problems, can "travel" inside the body along the nervous pathways and even "settle" in the spinal cord. Many of us are carriers of viruses, without even knowing about it until a certain moment, it is very agitated and it will come to the surface of the skin under the guise of a wart.

Most often, children and adolescents develop flat warts, which are smooth, clearly delineated hills on the skin with a diameter of one to five millimeters. The height of the elevation above the skin is one to two millimeters. Usually flat warts have the color of a normal healthy skin, sometimes they acquire a pinkish or light brown hue. They are always multiple elements, located separately in small groups, in places of injury they can be located linearly. Quite often develop flat warts on the face, on the back of the hands, and also on the legs.

The size and appearance of warts depends on the degree of their injury and irritation, as well as on their localization. Infection manifests itself as a single, and multiple warts. Quite often they eventually disappear spontaneously, or, after disappearing in one place, appear in another.

Flat warts are considered the most harmless because of their small size and imperceptibility. However, if he begins to multiply actively, then they can quickly fill the neck, face and hands, in which case getting rid of them will be much more difficult. Particularly unesthetically look flat warts on the face, the treatment of which requires compulsory specialist advice.

You can not treat yourself flat warts located on the face, as there is a high probability of burns and scars, as well as repeated relapse. In this case, the intake of magnesium oxide is recommended (the course of treatment is two to three weeks). As a topical treatment, ointments containing salicylic and benzoic acids, tretinoin (course of treatment for weeks), as well as phonophoresis with interferon ointment (50%) are used. As an aid in the treatment of warts, antiviral drugs may be prescribed.

In the treatment of flat warts, the prognosis is quite favorable, however, some patients still experience relapses. In most cases (about 45%) warts pass independently and do not require treatment.