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2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14
HPV is a human papillomavirus that is, unfortunately, common as a sexually transmitted infection. Why is the virus dangerous and how to avoid it?
Infection routes
The disease is sexually transmitted, transmitted from a carrier to a healthy person. Unfortunately, human papillomavirus type 56 infection is so common that virtually all women who are sexually active contract the virus throughout their lives. A condom cannot completely protect against infection, as infection cells may be in place that the condom does not cover.
Fortunately. Our immune system is capable of killing infection cells, and a woman does not get sick. The virus can remain in the body for a long time and cause health problems, but this is extremely rare.
Infection can occur from both vaginal and anal, oral sex. The virus enters through open wounds, microcracks, mucous membranes. Therefore, through a kiss, you can get infected, provided that a healthy person has bleeding gums or there is another wound in the mouth.
In a household way, the infection will not be able to infect the body of a healthy person.
What is HPV
The papillomavirus exists in more than 200 varieties studied by scientists. They are all divided into those that increase the risk of cancer, and those that do not significantly increase the risk of cancer cells. The 56th type of human papilloma belongs to the first category.
Each type of human papilloma disease affects the body in the same way. It gets through the damaged skin (mucous) cover on the body and "hides" in the deep layers. The virus remains in a state of "rest" until, together with the maturing cells of the deep layer of the skin, it reaches the surface. Once this has happened, the human papillomavirus begins to multiply. The infection affects neighboring cells, which causes a very rapid multiplication.
This infection has a peculiarity in localization - it affects only specific places. That is, only the skin or only the mucous membrane is affected.
The papilloma virus type 56 is considered "scary" for women, as it causes cancerous changes in the cervix. Infection occurs imperceptibly for a woman, but also imperceptibly and leaves the body (if not infected). The immune system does an excellent job with parasitic cells, and 90% of women stay healthy. The virus in women can pass for several months, or even years, but without causing any disease and without leaving any consequences.
If we turn to statistical data, then 5% of infected women in 2-3 years will be found qualitative changes in the cervix, of course, not for the better. Of these 5%, only 20% can develop cervical cancer within another 5 years. Judging by such data, cancer of the genital organ in women can develop in less than half of those infected with human papillomavirus type 56.
Symptoms
The latent form of human papillomavirus type 56 infection can last up to 9 months. But it happens that the infection stays in a "dormant" mode (incubation period) for years in a patient.
The type 56 virus can manifest itself on the mucous membranes and on the skin with rashes - small pimples, which in appearance may resemble a mini cauliflower head of cabbage. In this and any other case, when any formations or rashes appear on the mucous membranes of the genital organs, you should consult a gynecologist immediately.
Changes not for the better on the walls of the vagina or cervix will help to detect the colposcopy procedure. Since in the early stages the gynecologist will not be able to detect the disease, it is worth checking at least once a year, especially for women after 30 years.
Papilloma infection treatment
Treatment can "wait" in the wings for about a year, after entering the body. That is, within a year, the virus can leave the body on its own, and our immune system will drive it out. But, if a year after the detection of an infection in the body, it is not killed by the immune system, you should think about treatment.
Unfortunately, medication alone will not cure the infection. To maintain the strength of the body's immunity, drugs based on interferon are prescribed. Interferon is a human protein that is designed to stimulate the body's defenses to fight infection.
Since treatment with medication alone will not kill the infection, surgical procedures are prescribed that remove an area from the surface of the skin or mucous membrane where there are visible changes due to the virus. Unfortunately, such procedures do not give a 100% guarantee of cure. This is due to the fact that adjacent tissues can also be infected, but have not yet changed externally. That is, there are no more visible signs, but the absence of a virus in the body in this case cannot be proven.
Therefore, in order to most likely eliminate the disease from the body, dual therapy is prescribed. Treatment consists of both medications and surgery. The procedure is prescribed by a doctor, based on the patient's condition and the characteristics of his body (possible allergies, diseases of internal organs, etc.). Among medicines, immunomodulating and antiviral drugs prevail.
Allokin-alpha. Immunomodulatory and antiviral drug. Affects oncogenic and non-oncogenic infections. It is discharged as part of complex therapy against papilloma infection. Cannot be used in patients with individual intolerance, autoimmune diseases, the presence of a lesion of the cervix.
Isoprinosine. An immunomodulatory agent used to enhance the effect of antiviral drugs. Cannot be taken by persons who weigh less than 20kg, have arrhythmia, kidney or gallbladder stones, chronic renal failure.
Disease prevention
Naturally, the first thing that comes to mind is a safe sex life. The best prevention of genital disease is protected sex. By choosing this type of sex life, a woman (and a man) will significantly reduce the risk of the virus entering the body. But a condom does not guarantee 100% protection, so you need to be examined at least once a year. A regular examination procedure can help you recognize the problem in time and get rid of it faster and easier.
Medicine also offers vaccinations. The best time to spend is before the onset of sexual activity and before conceiving a child. The vaccine contains different types of virus that increase the risk of genital cancer more than others in both women and men.
Contraindications for vaccination are the same as for influenza vaccination - pregnancy, severe allergic reactions and exacerbation of diseases of internal organs.
Every patient should have preventive measures, because it is not just that doctors insist on an annual examination. The sooner a disease is detected, especially such as cancer or the risk of acquiring it, the easier and faster treatment is.
The most important thing is that the treatment will help and the person will not get big health problems.