Treatment genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus and can appear anywhere in the genital regions of both males and females. Genital warts can be recognized as small flesh or gray colored small bumps and a different strain of HPV from the warts that you might find growing on other parts of your body. Normally painless these warts may occur alone or in groups. The warts are most often painless and may even go unnoticed in women until they go in for an exam.
Genital warts are transmitted by skin to skin contact or thru the transfer of genital fluids that are infected with the virus. Before considering treatment for genital warts you will want to have the condition diagnosed by a doctor who can usually diagnose either by visual inspection or can use a solution that will turn the warts white, this is often used if the warts are not easily apparent.
There is no one single treatment for genital warts and often times the best course of treatment is to control the warts until virus subsides on its own. For some people the virus may linger for lengthy periods of time, meaning that the warts may reappear even after treatment. There are several different treatments for genital warts depending on the severity and placement of the warts.
The most common treatment for genital warts in the past has been the use of Cryocautery or liquid nitrogen to freeze off the warts. This is often used if the warts are in difficult places, are persistent or wide spread. It can be painful so it is not normally recommended for small children.
Podofilox resin is a brown liquid that must be applied by a professional in the doctor’s office as it can affect healthy tissue as well as the wart. Podofilox works by stopping the cell growth of the genital wart, and must be applied several times to be effective. Podofilox is also available in a lotion that can be used at home. This lotion has none of the side effects of the resin and can be used at home safely. This lotion might be a good option for a very mild case of genital warts or for a small child.
If genital warts become difficult to treat then the doctor may consider laser treatments, electrocautery or surgical excision, these are treatments of last resort and can be expensive and require a sterile place where surgery is performed to carry out. With laser treatments the wart is destroyed with the laser under a local anesthesia. Electrocautery uses an electrical current to super heat a needle that burns the wart cells, this treatment must also be done under a local anesthetic as it is quite painful.
The treatment genital warts that you will require will depend greatly on how promptly you see a doctor, many people avoid seeing the doctor because of embarrassment and this only makes the problem more difficult to treat so it is best to see a doctor as soon as you notice any sign of genital warts.