Penile warts are small scales located in the foreskin, frenulum, glans or penis shaft. They are also called genital warts. It inspired the pathology of certain strains of papillomavirus, which is prone to recurrence and will never be completely eliminated from the body.
Causes of warts on the male penis
Warts are viral growth caused by human papillomavirus. HPV is a large group of pathogenic microorganisms. About 100 such pathogens have been studied. Similarly, these viruses are also divided into different categories according to the level of carcinogenesis.
According to a rough estimate, about 90% of the world’s population is infected with one or another papillomavirus. Pathogens barely survive in the external environment and die quickly. Most of them are spread through sexual contact, and less spread in daily life or from mother to child. The viral agent is located on the surface of the mucosa and epidermis.
As for the warts on the male penis, they are caused by types 6 and 11. These are conditional non-carcinogenic types and rarely cause tumor malignancy.
In order for the virus to enter the body, the infected skin or mucous membrane must be in direct contact with healthy skin. This usually happens during unprotected sex. If there are minor injuries on the surface of the body, the risk of infection increases, such as abrasions, cracks, and scratches. The virus penetrates these damages very easily and quickly.
HPV reproduction occurs in the deep layers of the skin inside human epidermal cells. As the disease progresses, epithelial cells move upward together with viral factors. Therefore, the papilloma virus reaches the surface of the skin and causes the rapid chaotic growth of epidermal cells. This causes warts to form on the penis. A distinctive feature of papillomavirus is that it can stay in the deep layer of the dermis for a long time in a "dormant" state. Various factors can stimulate its progress. For example, weakened immune system, hypothermia, taking antibiotics, stress, fatigue, malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, hormonal imbalance, etc.However, even if the virus is latent, people are potentially dangerous in transmitting HPV to their partners. Knowing the cause of warts on the penis, we can conclude that these forms can appear in adolescents and elderly people who are just beginning to have sex.
Symptoms and types of warts on the penis
In most male patients, usually, warts on the penis do not show up in any way. Usually, they form in places that are easily injured during sex. Therefore, vegetation can be found on the head, bri, and foreskin. Less commonly, they appear on the torso of the penis and scrotum, and testicles.
Warts on the penis usually look like tiny pink, beige, whitish shades and are 2-30 mm in size. They can be single or stray, forming tumors similar to chicken crowns.
During active growth, when the immune system fails, warts on the penis can cause itching and burns on the affected area. In addition, sometimes the tumor can be palpable during sexual intercourse. Under normal conditions, these growths are painless and do not cause any significant discomfort.
Conjunctions usually do not affect a limited area of the reproductive organs, but affect a large area. Therefore, the warts that are often on the head of the penis gradually spread to the entire groin area, affecting the anus.
The type of wart on the penis depends on the strain of the virus that infects the person and its location.
Let us consider their main types:
- In the foreskin area, the appearance of tumor nodules is lighter than the skin. Sometimes their legs are very thin. Initially, a single wart appears, and over time, clusters of genital warts may form.
- On the frenulum, the warts look like small white nodules, arranged chaotically.
- The warts on the head of the penis look like pale pink finger-like products. Usually they form clusters similar to broccoli inflorescences.
- Sometimes a giant Bushick-Levinsjoin tumor forms on the shaft of the penis. They are several warts that grow together. This is a rare but dangerous pathology, full of malignant transformation, because tumor cells are prone to rapid mutations.
If suspicious growth is found on the penis, the man should consult a specialist immediately. The urologist examines and interviews the patient. In addition to the penis, the urologist must also examine the scrotum, perianal area, and groin. Usually, visual inspection is sufficient to make a diagnosis. In some cases, the doctor may refer the man for other tests.
In order to determine the pathogen strain and carcinogenic risk, patients must donate blood for PCR testing. Similarly, if the frenulum is damaged, a flesh-eye examination may be necessary to determine whether there are warts in the urethra.
It should be remembered that warts on the penis and head of the scrotum may look like tumors of different nature. For example, papillomatosis in the second stage of syphilis is also characterized by the appearance of small tumors. In order to rule out other sexually transmitted diseases, it is also necessary to test for common sexual infections-syphilis, HIV, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, etc.
The danger of warts on the male penis
Initially, warts on the penis represented aesthetic defects rather than serious pathologies that threatened human health. However, this does not mean that it does not need to be treated. If the disease is allowed to progress, it may cause more serious problems in the future.
The risks of these tumors are as follows:
- The development of phimosis.In this case, the foreskin merges with the glans of the penis. Therefore, there may be problems with normal ejaculation, pathogens may accumulate in the space under the foreskin, and inflammation may occur.
- Inflammation of the head and shaft of the penis.When bacteria penetrate under the foreskin and spread further, this pathology is the complexity of the above situation.
- Genital erosion.In most cases, they are formed due to systemic damage to the warts on the penis. This happens during sex, shaving, and wearing tight underwear.
- The tumor degenerated into a cancerous tumor.This condition is rare, but it is potentially dangerous, especially if the warts on the penis are often damaged.
Also, don’t forget that active tumors are dangerous to the infected person. Moreover, even condoms are not always able to protect people from infection.
Treatment methods for penile warts
Since the appearance of warts on the penis is directly related to the general decline in immunity, the methods for dealing with this pathology should be complicated and comprehensive. Basically, regarding tumors, various destruction methods are used. In order to improve immunity and suppress the virus, drugs are used.
How to remove penile warts
The exposed tools and chemical methods are used to remove warts from the penis. It is worth remembering that these growths are extremely rare in themselves, so if a man tries to minimize the risk of complications, they must be removed.
There are several ways to get rid of warts on the penis:
- Laser destruction.The laser beam evaporates the accumulated liquid, dries out, is covered with crust, and falls after a few days. Usually, there is no trace of the treatment site. The procedure is painless and rarely causes recurrence and complications.
- Freeze removal.Cold liquid nitrogen is applied point by point to the tumor, causing it to freeze and then die. After treatment, a crust will form at the crust, and after a few days, the crust will disappear and the rest will disappear.
- Radiosurgery resection.The tumor is affected by radio waves, destroying the growing tissue. This is one of the most accurate, effective and safe methods to remove penile warts. After removing the radio waves, there are no traces on the skin.
- Electrocoagulation.At a certain frequency, current will be applied to the electrode, thereby destroying the formation. This procedure to remove warts on the penis may cause burns and subsequent scarring. Therefore, please proceed with caution.
- Surgical removal.If the wart on the penis is too large, it can be removed with a scalpel in extreme cases. But they rarely take this kind of surgery because of the risk of severe bleeding and the spread of infection. Similarly, for extensive wart lesions, a complete circular resection of the foreskin is required.
The doctor can also order the removal of chemicals. This process is carried out by using cautery.
Penile warts medication
In order to eliminate the risk of warts recurring on the head of the penis or other parts of the genitals, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system and suppress the virus in the body. For this purpose, various drugs-antiviral drugs and immunomodulators-are used.
Similarly, for HPV, stimulating the body's defenses is also very important. For some reason, these defenses are in a state of depression. Immunity will actively fight pathogens and reduce the risk of warts appearing on the penis again.
Folk remedies for penile warts
If you are considering how to treat penile warts, you can find help in traditional medicine. However, remember that these techniques should only be used after consulting a doctor. Self-medication is at least futile and, in the worst case, can lead to serious complications.
The following tools are popular:
- Tea tree oil.A powerful herbal antiviral agent that helps inhibit the activity of pathogens. This substance must be rubbed into the wart on the head of the penis several times a day until the growth is completely eliminated.
- Propolis.Another natural medicine that helps fight the virus. To remove warts on the penis, sleep in bed for 10-14 days a day, and then apply it to the growths.
- Egg white.It is necessary to take the original protein several times a day and use it to lubricate the tumor.
- Vinegar.Acid will actively corrode pathological tissues, so you need to be careful not to damage the surrounding healthy areas. You need to lubricate carefully and targeted.
- Ron juice.Acidic substances include plant fungicides with antiviral effects. Lubricate the penis with freshly squeezed liquid warts every day.
The above formula is only applicable if you are sure to treat HPV and the tumor is small and single. Otherwise, you cannot live without special treatment.
Prevent penile warts
Timely treatment of penile warts can greatly reduce the risk of complications and recurrence in the future. This is also a way to avoid spreading the virus to sexual partners.
One of the most effective prevention methods is to get a special multivalent vaccine. They can fight against type 6, 11, 16 and 18 pathogens-the ones that cause genital warts.
Although condoms cannot guarantee 100% resistance to HPV, they should be used because they can reduce the risk of infection by 20-30%. Including, it can prevent other sexually transmitted infections.
If a person is already infected with HPV, it is necessary to follow the rules of a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of penile warts. It is very important to suppress the aggravation of chronic diseases in time, eat correctly, take physical exercises and maintain immunity in a "combat ready" state.