Most people do not see the potential danger of the appearance of small epithelial tumors on the body, but papillomas are not only a cosmetic defect. In some cases, they can lead to irreversible consequences. Growths appear as a result of infection with HPV - a highly contagious virus that has more than 100 genotypes, and some of its types can provoke the development of oncological processes. It is easy to get infected with the papilloma virus, so to avoid infection, you need to know how the human papilloma virus is transmitted and what factors contribute to the spread of virions.
All routes of HPV infection
There is a tendency in families where there is one virus carrier, in 50-70% of cases the people around him become infected. The main danger is that the infection entered the body does not manifest itself immediately, so a person may not know about the infection for a long time and continue to be in close contact with relatives.
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The absence of external manifestations of HPV does not guarantee that the infected person is absolutely safe for his close circle.
Infection through household contact
The carrier of the virus can transmit a pathogenic virion (virus particle) to a healthy person by:
- Simple tactile contact, eg hugs, handshakes. The probability of HPV infection increases if there are skin lesions (even small wounds, abrasions or scratches are enough for the infection to penetrate a healthy body);
- Use of personal belongings of a sick person. Virus particles can live for a long time on bedding, towels, underwear, towels and other products for daily use;
- While kissing. HPV DNA is not only found in the epithelium, it is present in all biological fluids of an infected person and therefore can be transmitted through saliva during a kiss.
In addition, you can get infected with HPV when visiting public places such as a sauna, swimming pool, fitness center, where there are large crowds of people, many of whom ignore basic rules of protection. That is why you should exclusively use personal care and household products.
Sexual transmission of the virus
The most common route of transmission of the human papillomavirus infection is through sexual contact. If one partner, whether male or female, is a carrier of the virus, then it is enough to have sexual intercourse once to become infected with HPV (infection occurs in 95% of cases).
The virus is transmitted through any type of sexual interaction, be it oral, vaginal or anal sex, and the presence of genital warts in the partner's anogenital area increases the risk of infection by up to 100%.
Interestingly, even a condom cannot completely protect against possible infection:
- First, papillomatous rashes can be localized not only on the genitals, but also in the groin and anus. Therefore, in contact with unprotected parts of the body, the virus can easily be transmitted from one partner to another;
- Second, the latex from which the condom is made has quite large pores. Virus particles penetrate through them unhindered.
Infection with oncogenically dangerous types of papillomavirus occurs mainly during sexual contact. If the cancerous type of HPV is transmitted to women, they develop neoplasia, which can develop into cervical cancer.
Despite the fact that oncological pathologies of the genital organs are less common in men, the presence of genital papillomas increases the risk of malignancy. If infection with a carcinogenic virus occurs during oral sex, the likelihood of developing tonsil cancer increases.
Vertical infection (from mother to child)
Children can become infected with papillomavirus in the womb or immediately at the time of birth (during passage through the natural birth canal). In addition, if the mother's HPV has progressed (is in an active phase), the baby's risk of infection increases.
Intrauterine infection is extremely rare, since the placenta is able to protect the embryo from many pathogenic factors, including viral infections. Cases of transmission of HPV to a baby during passage through the birth canal of an infected mother are recorded a little more often.
During the birth of the child, the mucous membranes of the larynx and trachea are affected, which subsequently leads to recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). This is a dangerous pathology that poses a threat to the life of the baby. Over 1-2 years, children with RRP develop benign neoplasms of the trachea and larynx that block the airway and cause suffocation.
In such a situation, only surgical removal of papillomatous growths will help, but even after destruction, tumors usually reappear. Parents whose children suffer from RRP should carefully monitor the state of their immune system, as reduced immunity increases the risk of relapse.
Some women who are preparing to become mothers are worried that the papillomavirus can be inherited from the child, but this is not the case. The ways of infection are described above, the hereditary factor is completely excluded - HPV is a virus that is not genetically transmitted.
Autoinoculation method of infection
Self-infection (autoinoculation) is a fairly common type of infection. The infected person must understand that any trauma to the tumor can cause the formation of additional growths.
Papillomas located on the face, neck, armpits or groin are often cut with a razor, scratched or torn during hygiene procedures. When the integrity of the growth is disturbed, blood flows from it and flows into healthy adjacent areas of the body. Since viral particles are present in all biological fluids of the patient, the blood entering the clean epithelium causes the spread of the infection and the formation of multiple papillomatous rashes.
In addition, when scratching growths with nails, particles of pathogenic epithelium remain under the plates, which also often contributes to self-infection. For example, after a person has scratched a papilloma with his nails and he suddenly decides to scratch his ear or nose, then if there is even the slightest damage to the epithelium, the virus will definitely "settle" in it and then manifest itself as characteristicgrowths.
After introduction into the body, the activation of HPV is not immediately observed, the virus requires certain conditions for full functioning.
When and what triggers HPV activation
How quickly and actively the papillomavirus begins to behave after infection is determined by the immune status of the infected person. HPV is part of the group of immune-dependent viruses, so during a decrease in immune protection, its activation occurs.
The body of a healthy person, even after infection, is able to produce a sufficient amount of antibodies to fully resist viral attacks. In such people, the disease is latent (in a passive state), so there are no epithelial tumors on the body.
When the immune system is weakened, it produces a significantly smaller amount of antibodies that cannot independently suppress the virus, then HPV is activated with the formation of a papillomatous rash. The following adverse factors can provoke the transition of the papilloma virus to an active phase:
- any recently suffered pathologies of an infectious nature;
- long-term use of oral contraceptives;
- uncontrolled use of cytostatic drugs (suppress the immune system);
- dysfunction in the endocrine system;
- pathological condition of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular intestinal dysbiosis;
- psycho-emotional disorders associated with frequent stress, nervousness, fatigue;
- helminthic infestations;
- frequent inflammatory skin diseases;
- presence of bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol, drugs).
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All factors that reduce the effectiveness of the human immune system can cause HPV activation.
The formation of the first growths is a reason to consult a doctor. It is not necessary to self-medicate, because in some cases inadequate therapy of papillomas leads to the development of cancerous tumors.
Treatment of papilloma virus
Since drugs that can cure the papillomavirus have not yet been invented, it is impossible to completely remove it from a person's body after the age of 30. Cases of elimination of HPV are registered only in young people under 25 years of age.
Treatment of papillomatosis is carried out in three directions:
- suppression of viral activity (returning it to a latent state) by taking antiviral drugs;
- increasing the patient's immune status through the use of interferon drugs;
- destruction of pathological neoplasms using minimally invasive hardware techniques;
- cytostatic drugs are prescribed when there is a high probability of malignancy of papillomas (they disrupt the process of division of atypical cells).
Antiviral drugs prescribed by a doctor can be for oral, topical, injection or rectal use:
- Tablets (oral administration);
- Gels, ointments (external use);
- Injections (shots);
- Suppositories (rectal suppositories).
Immunomodulators can also be prescribed in different forms, most often these are tablets and gels for the external treatment of tumors.
Cytostatic drugs are prescribed if, after diagnosis, it is established that papillomatous rashes are provoked by a highly oncogenic type of HPV.
The destructive techniques most often used to remove pathological tumors are:
- Electrocoagulation- burning growths with electric current. The procedure is painful and leaves noticeable scars;
- Cryotherapy– the papilloma freezes under the influence of liquid nitrogen without leaving traces behind, but the procedure is recommended for the removal of small superficial tumors;
- Laser destruction– suitable for removing superficial and deep papillomas, a good cosmetic effect allows for use on exposed parts of the body;
- Radio wave technology- non-contact removal of growths is performed, with a short recovery period, after the intervention there are no traces and scars.
After completing the course of treatment, do not forget about preventive medical examinations. It is necessary to periodically (preferably every year) be examined for HPV, as well as carefully monitor the state of the immune system.