What to do if the wart becomes inflamed, red or swollen?

Warts are an extremely unpleasant aesthetic problem. If such a growth begins to become inflamed and swollen, causing physical discomfort, this causes even more concern and cannot be ignored. The reasons for this phenomenon may be different, but in any case, if the wart has changed, you should consult a dermatologist. Only a specialist will be able to determine how dangerous the change in growth is in each specific case, and will help eliminate the problem without consequences.

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What are warts

Warts and papillomas are growths on the skin and mucous membranes. They can be soft, papillary, on a thin stalk, or flat and covered with a hard crust. Their appearance is provoked by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which has many strains, and some of them can cause cancer.

The papillomavirus has a long incubation period - it may not appear at all throughout life. Growths appear in the presence of accompanying factors:

Decreased immunity;
Lack of hygiene;
Stress and depression;
Frequent direct contact with other people's warts.

Most often, these growths are harmless. However, even if they do not cause any particular inconvenience, it is advisable to consult a specialist and undergo a course of treatment for HPV. It is impossible to cure the virus completely, but you can prevent the appearance of new formations and other possible consequences.

Important!

An inflamed wart, if left untreated, can cause the virus to spread further throughout the body or develop into melanoma (skin cancer).

Purulent warts - photos, why they appear, symptoms, treatment

photo of a purulent wart

The cause of all types of warts, including purulent ones, is the human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus lives in almost every person; its genotypes are very diverse. This is due to the variety of transmission routes. Among them the main ones are:

contact, when infection occurs through direct contact of the skin of a healthy person with the epidermis of a person who has warts. In this case, infection will occur if the skin of a healthy person has damage in the form of scratches, cuts, cracks;
upon contact with contaminated surfaces on which viral particles may remain. At the same time, infection will occur if there are microtraumas of the epidermis, as well as if a person does not have the habit or opportunity to wash his hands after going outside.
self-infection when scratching the surface of the tumor, or tearing it off. Moreover, if your hands are dirty, a bacterial infection will inevitably occur, which will most likely lead to an inflammatory process and suppuration of papilloma.

Remember, it is the lack of personal hygiene rules that can lead to the appearance of purulent warts.

However, not all people develop warty growths. This is due to the protective function of the immune system, which prevents viral particles from multiplying. But if there is a malfunction in the functioning of the body, then a favorable environment is created for the development of papillomaviruses. Among these factors are the following:

failure of the immune system;
diseases of the humoral system, which is responsible for the production of hormones;
overexcitability of the nervous system, frequent stress, depression;
neglect of personal hygiene rules.

These are the main factors provoking the disease. Although the presence of even one of them does not mean that it will lead to the appearance of papillomas. Therefore, in order to avoid purulent and other growths on the skin, you need to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and have the right habits.

However, there are situations when a wart grows on the skin and, as a result of accidental damage, a bacterial infection enters the cavity of the neoplasm. In this case, signs of an inflammatory process appear:

photo of purulent inflammation of a wart

redness of the injury site, swelling, swelling around the wound. Subsequently, discharge of purulent contents from the wart;
presence of pain, burning sensation.

To avoid the appearance of purulent warts, it is necessary to protect against injury to wart-like growths, and to do this, under no circumstances should you comb or tear off papillomas.

It happens that the growth does not release a purulent substance, but blood. If asymmetry, tumor growth, or color changes are noticeable, you should immediately consult a doctor! Early stage skin cancer may show similar signs.

Treatment of purulent growths

Warts that appear on the skin must be removed in order to avoid the development of purulent papillomas due to infection. For this, modern medicine offers physiotherapeutic procedures and medications. Among the physical procedures used, the following are effective:

laser therapy , in which a laser beam is used to remove tumors;
cryodestruction or freezing of the wart using liquid nitrogen. After exposure of the papilloma to cold, tissue necrosis and death of the neoplasm occurs;
electrocoagulation or cauterization of papilloma. Electric current is used for this procedure. In this case, the connections between the blood vessels and nerves of the wart and the skin are interrupted;
radio wave treatment, which is carried out with a radio wave knife emitting high-frequency radio waves.

Using the above procedures, purulent warts can also be removed. Although these methods are effective, they are quite expensive compared to medications, which can also solve the problem.

Treatment with medications

Among the medications used to remove papillomas, the most commonly used are:

"Super celandine." This drug contains an alkali, which helps to corrode the wart. It works quite quickly, 2 times of use is enough to see the result.
Effective drugs are also Verrukacid, Solcoderm, Ferozol, Collomak, oxalic and salicylic ointment, Panavir gel, Cryopharma, a cream that freezes warty growths.

Negative effects of inflammation

You should only worry about this if the growth degenerates into cancer. The first signs of the process are the following factors:

Swelling or pain in the area where papilloma develops.
Bleeding with the slightest pressure.
The formation darkens or blackens and enlarges.
Cracks or dark colored spots located on the wart.
A sharp change in shade to pink or red.

As a result of inflammation, the papilloma may turn black

Therefore, removal should never be carried out at home. Only a physician can carry out appropriate diagnostics to determine the nature of the growth and prescribe treatment, otherwise the person will develop papillomatosis. This is multiple formation of condylomas on different parts of the body.

Skin disease caused by papilloma virus

The reason for such formations is the introduction of the filtering papilloma virus into the human skin, both in a contagious way (shaking hands, through bath accessories and rugs, sharing household items) and through independent reproduction. However, it should be noted that in order to infect a person, certain prerequisites must be present: decreased immunity, violation of the integrity of the skin, etc. The incubation time of the virus varies from person to person: for some it is 2 weeks, and for others it is six months.

A wart of any type is always raised, but to varying degrees, above the skin and is a papule - a formation consisting of a single mass of tissue without a cavity. Its magnitude varies depending on the age of the patient.

The live virus culture itself cannot be isolated, but an electron microscope allows it to be seen. In the absence of pathological conditions, treating warts is simple but troublesome. If there are few warts, then it is enough to use the diathermocoagulation method under local anesthesia.

If there are a large number of them, they resort to surgery under general anesthesia.

If the wart becomes inflamed, then consultation with a dermatologist is necessary. It will help the patient relieve the inflammatory process using orthodox or traditional medicine.

For example, freshly squeezed milkweed cypress juice will quickly relieve inflammation, but we must remember that prolonged exposure to lotions from it can cause burns. A good effect is obtained by applying bandages with powdered thuja shoots to the affected area every day.

Some patients, after consultation, prefer to remove the wart with a laser and forget about it like a bad dream. Moreover, the capabilities of modern methods are great and allow the procedure to be carried out quickly and easily.

What to do if a wart is swollen?

Only a doctor should determine what to do if a wart is swollen. Treatment will be comprehensive.

The external growth is removed using one of the modern methods, and further activity of the virus is suppressed by medications used internally.

The treatment strategy is developed based on the patient’s test results, general health, the genotype of the virus that caused the wart, and a number of other indicators. In some cases, consultation with an immunologist and oncologist will be necessary.

Removing a wart that is swollen

When the reasons why the wart is swollen have been identified and eliminated, it is recommended to wait a few days and then make a second visit to the doctor. If the situation worsens and nearby tissues begin to become inflamed, complete removal of the formation will be recommended.

The destruction method is selected based on the size, shape, location of the wart, but also the capabilities of the patient himself:

Electric current removes almost any growth, but the procedure itself is quite painful, and the risk of secondary infection if the wound is treated incorrectly and scarring remains. But this method is chosen for its low cost and availability - electrocoagulation is carried out in almost every specialized institution. The procedure will cost 320 hryvnia, 750 rubles.
Liquid nitrogen is used to remove vulgar (ordinary) warts that are swollen. With the help of low temperature, even deep roots of the formation are removed. The disadvantages of the method include a relatively long recovery period, as well as the need to repeat the session if it was not possible to remove the entire structure in one procedure. One session of cryodestruction costs up to 300 hryvnia, 900 rubles.
Laser

Source: https://proctologi.com/kozha/gnojnye-borodavki-foto-pochemu-poyavlyayutsya-simptomy-lechenie.html

Why do changes occur in a wart?

If the wart is swollen and there is redness around it, this may be due to the following factors:

Friction on clothes . The growth, located in the armpit, groin area, neck and other “inconvenient” places, is often subject to constant pressure and irritation. It is advisable to remove such formations before signs of inflammation appear. Or you need to reduce this factor as much as possible - wear looser clothes and not allow them to come into close contact with the wart.
Mechanical damage . The growth may be accidentally damaged and swell. This is especially true for formations on the arms, legs and hair. There is a very high risk of damaging the wart while combing, working with tools, or kitchen utensils.
Chemical burn . Like human skin itself, growths on it do not tolerate interaction with various household chemicals and other aggressive substances.
Traditional removal methods . Self-medication of wart formations can lead to various types of inflammation - improvised means are not always able to eliminate the problem. It is especially not recommended to remove growths by tying them with thread or using aggressive means.
Exposure to sunlight . Ultraviolet radiation can cause changes in wart growths and, as a result, inflammatory processes inside them.
Transformation into oncology . This is a fairly rare occurrence, but you should always be aware of this danger. If the wart turns red, or it is swollen, painful, changed shape, bleeding, or has black spots on it, you should urgently contact a specialized institution for examination. The condition is especially dangerous when there are no visible reasons for inflammation.

First aid for a festering wart

Pus is a sign of bacterial contamination of a skin formation; it is necessary to first treat the site of suppuration and the surrounding area with an antiseptic solution (chlorhexidine, miramistin, alcohol solution of chlorophyllipt, betadine) and treat it with a local agent with an antibacterial component (Levomekol-cream, Baneocin, Tetracycline ointment, Levomycetin). At night, apply a sterile bandage over the treated area to avoid friction with clothing and bedding.

After the wound has healed, you can cauterize the wart with iodine or brilliant green to speed up the healing process.

If you cannot see a doctor, you can use first aid using traditional methods of therapy:

You can stop bleeding by applying plantain, yarrow, horsetail, raspberry leaves, aloe;
You can cauterize a wound that is ripped off or suppurating using celandine, onion juice, 1 drop of essential oil (tea tree, pine oils).

What to do with an inflamed wart

If an inflammatory process is detected in a growth, under no circumstances should you remove it yourself, or try to cauterize or cure it. The only thing that can be done is to disinfect it and try to relieve inflammation with special ointments. It is important to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms:

Soreness;
Increase in size;
Bleeding;
Changes in pigmentation (black coloring should be especially alarming);
Itching, burning;
Uneven contour.

If at least one of these signs is present, it is necessary to contact a dermatologist as soon as possible, as this indicates a serious pathological process.

If the damage to the wart is minor, and it occurred due to rubbing, the cause must be eliminated. If there is no improvement within a few days, you should also consult your doctor.

Important!

Blood from a wart or its particles should not get on healthy areas of the skin - this can lead to self-infection or transmission of the virus to other family members.

What to do if the wound festers after removal of the papilloma?

If, after removing the papilloma, an abscess appears or an inflammatory process begins, you should immediately go to the doctor for a consultation. It must be remembered that papillomas are viral tumors that can become malignant. Therefore, any complications should be treated carefully.

As a rule, a specialist prescribes medications for external treatment of a wound, based on the patient’s individual indications - the location of the injury, the general condition of the skin and immunity, and other characteristics. However, it is imperative to use anti-inflammatory and antiseptic drugs to treat complications if the wound festers after papilloma.

If there is active discharge of pus and signs of a bacterial infection, the doctor should remove the accumulated exudate. After this, the wound is treated with a solution of furatsilin or hydrogen peroxide.

Next, the specialist may prescribe antimicrobial therapy. For example, Baneocin ointment or the Bactroban analogue. After treating the wound with antimicrobial ointment, it must be protected with a gauze bandage to prevent microorganisms from entering the damaged surface in the future.

You also need to find out what to do if the wound no longer festers after removal of the papilloma, but a dry crust appears. It should continue to be treated with disinfecting solutions. For example, brilliant green (from 14 rubles) or analogues - iodine solution, potassium permanganate. However, at this stage it is no longer possible to seal the wound with an adhesive plaster.

It is also not recommended to treat the resulting scab with high concentration alcohol. This can dry out the surface of the skin, which will lead to the formation of cracks, and the healing process will take longer.

When the wound no longer festers after removal of the papilloma, and the crust begins to peel off, you can use hydrocortisone ointment 1% (from 33 rubles). It will help speed up the process of wound healing and regeneration, as well as avoid scars.

Treatment options

In most cases, there is only one treatment - removal of the growth. However, when the formation is inflamed, doing it yourself is strictly not recommended. It happens that the formations heal themselves - they turn black and fall off. You shouldn’t wait for this if the warts are swollen and reddened.

Therapy for warts (no matter whether they are inflamed or not) should always be comprehensive. To reduce the activity of the virus, antiviral agents and immunomodulators are prescribed. It is advisable to remove even non-dangerous growths, since HPV cells are concentrated in them. You can get rid of warts with medication or radically in a hospital setting.

Drug treatment

Remedies for warts are available in the form of ointments, creams, sprays and patches. The most effective preparations are based on salicylic acid and celandine. Using medications for 1 to 2 weeks leads to complete burning of the growth. It is important not to damage healthy tissue around it. However, if the wart is inflamed, such methods can be dangerous.

The doctor can determine the possibility of using local agents during a visual examination. Most often, in such cases, a decision is made on the surgical method. This option is the most justified, as it significantly reduces the likelihood of inflammation spreading and worsening the situation.

Indications for removal of growths

If warts do not hurt , do not become inflamed, do not cause complexes about their appearance, and are not irritated by clothing and household chemicals, then it is not necessary to treat or remove them .

In cases where skin growths appear in large quantities , in addition to removal , their therapeutic treatment with the use of antiviral drugs and immunity-boosting agents is indicated.

Photo 2. A visit to the doctor should dispel all doubts regarding suspicious warts. Source: Flickr (Hamza Butt)

How to remove different types of warts

Removal of ordinary and flat varieties in the absence of inflammation is possible with special chemicals containing acids or alkali.

Genital warts are removed mainly surgically .

For plantar plaques, the method of repeated injections of novocaine under their base is often used.

Other types of non-inflamed warts can be removed using freezing methods , electrocoagulation , or a radio wave knife .

If a wart is inflamed and painful, it is usually prescribed to remove it surgically, using a radio wave knife or electrocoagulation with mandatory histological examination of the removed tissue.

Recovery period

After removing a wart by any method, you must follow your doctor's instructions. Typically, recommendations in the postoperative period are as follows:

Apply hydrocortisone ointment to the removal site - do not use other means not prescribed by your doctor;
Do not expose the wound to sunlight;
Do not pick off the crust that has formed at the site of the wart - inflammation may begin or a scar will remain;
It is advisable to cover the cleaned area with a plaster so as not to accidentally damage it;
Avoid prolonged contact with water - the wound needs to dry out;

Important!

You should not use cosmetics at the removal site until the redness goes away and the skin returns to its normal color.

Is it necessary to go to the doctor?

Is it necessary to visit a dermatologist if a wart hurts or bleeds?

Even if it was a mechanical injury and after all the measures taken the wound began to heal, it is still worth going to see a specialist. In damaged growths, various processes may occur that are invisible to the eye, which will only appear after some time. It is better to immediately protect yourself by showing the wart to a doctor and, if necessary, getting tested.

It is better to entrust the removal of warts to a specialist.

When warts hurt in several places at once, the cause may be hidden in diseases of the internal organs. Timely diagnosis will allow the disease to be detected and treated.

Prevention

If you follow a few simple rules, the likelihood of complications with HPV is minimized:

Warts located in areas of constant friction must be removed as early as possible;
Under no circumstances should you remove growths yourself without first consulting a doctor;
Avoid damaging warts and exposing them to chemicals;
Try to avoid stress;
Maintain immunity, lead a healthy lifestyle;
Maintain personal hygiene;
Avoid frequent contact with the contaminated surface of any warts – both your own and others’;
Use a separate towel and do not wear someone else’s shoes or clothes.

If it is not possible to remove warts clinically, it is necessary to constantly monitor them and monitor changes in their color and shape. Simultaneous infection with several strains of the papilloma virus occurs. Therefore, if a blood test reveals a non-dangerous type, this does not mean that the growth cannot develop into cancer - perhaps it is caused by another type.

What to do at home

At home, you can use various compresses and lotions for inflammation. It is important to first coordinate your actions with your doctor.

Cream based on crushed garlic, mixed with sour cream or baby cream. Apply to the wart under a bandage for no more than 2-3 hours.
Compresses from decoctions of chamomile, calendula, burdock root, barberry, and wormwood. The herbs are brought to a boil, allowed to settle, and a cotton swab is moistened and used to wipe the papillomatous growth.
The use of herbal teas to strengthen the immune system, decoctions, teas are prepared from herbs (rose hips, fir cones, echinacea) and drink 1 tbsp. spoon three times a day, course 1 month.

Prevention of injuries and malignancy of warts

To avoid any problems with warts, it is better to have them removed in a specialized center. Until this point, neoplasms must be handled carefully. If they are located on the body, wear loose clothing without chafing straps, belts, or seams. To protect your hands, use household gloves when working in the garden, with water, and household chemicals. If the wart is located on the foot, choose soft, non-pressure and breathable shoes without heels.

Causes of painful changes

Warts, especially soft ones and those with a thin stalk, are very easily damaged and begin to bleed. This can happen for various reasons:

mechanical damage (friction against clothing, jewelry, combing with nails, shaving, dressing and undressing, wearing tight shoes, working with tools, washing with a hard washcloth, etc.);

chemical burns from aggressive detergents/cleaning agents;
unsuccessful and inept removal attempts;
sunburn;
the process of malignancy is a rare but dangerous cause of inflammation.

If a wart with a stem, the so-called spine, hurts, this is not a sign of inflammation. It’s just that the hard root puts pressure on the surrounding tissue. All other types of warts are normally not painful when pressed.

Video on topic

Wound suppuration after papilloma removal is a fairly common complication if the patient does not follow the doctor’s recommendations for caring for the damaged area of skin. If the wound festers after removal of the papilloma, it means that pathogenic microorganisms have entered it from the outside or through the bloodstream in the presence of an internal infectious-inflammatory process.