With that is mind, there are a number of natural treatment options for warts and genital warts that you may want to explore. They encompass nutritional supplementation, herbal remedies, homeopathy, and other alternative medical interventions.

Almost every lesion in the skin, including genital warts, involves the immune system. Even before the genital wart forms, the immune system is what protects the body against human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The immune system also has the ability to detect and remove the abnormal skin cells that are rapidly reproducing and growing into a wart. In fact, some of the medical treatments for genital warts include drugs to stimulate or mimic the actions of the immune system. Therefore, natural treatments for genital warts primarily include things that help your body resist or fight HPV infection and to change the way the skin reacts to it.

Diet, nutrients and supplements

Numerous clinical studies have shown a positive link between exercise and the immune system. A person that exercises for 30 minutes per day, three to five times a week has a much stronger immune system than someone that leads a sedentary life. The type of exercise is not critically important, but you should get your heart pumping and try to break a sweat each time you exercise. While it is not clearly known how exercise boosts the immune system, it clearly does. Regular exercise can equip your body in the fight against genital warts (and many other diseases).

Another helpful intervention is to remove the things that may be taxing your immune system unnecessarily. Allergies drive the immune system—in fact, they put the immune system into overdrive and serve no known useful purpose. Identifying and eliminating allergens from the environment and from the diet can reduce the burden on the immune system.

Dust, molds, mites, and other microscopic substance can lead to allergic reactions and breathing problems. Using filtration devices (one brand name is a Hepa filter) can remove particles from circulating air. Make sure heating vents are clean, mattresses and bedding do not harbor allergens and that carpets are routinely cleaned (or avoided when possible). Animal dander is difficult since we love our pets, but it is just as easy to love a pet that has less dander or no dander; this should be considered before you get your next furry family member.

People often seem to underestimate the role of food allergens in health and disease. Since food allergens rarely lead to stuffy nose, sneezing, and breathing problems, most people do not seem to think of food as stoking up an allergy. In truth, doctors are recently beginning to appreciate the near-epidemic of food allergies. Food allergies cause upset stomach, headache, and, less frequently, they cause some more serious consequences. One common food allergen is milk, which can be an allergy to a protein in milk or lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is not an “allergy” but is caused by the inability to digest a sugar in milk. Another common food allergen is wheat or gluten. There are wheat allergies and the more serious celiac disease, which is a serious reaction to gluten in the gut. Aside from these examples, there are a large number of possible food allergens. It may be reasonable to be tested for the presence of food allergies if you are particularly sensitive.

Despite their robust reaction to foreign invaders, the cells of the immune system are fragile entities. In order to keep these important cells as healthy as possible, it is critical to give them a good home. Where is the immune system’s home? Their home is in blood, lymph nodes and other lymph tissues, mainly. The way to give them a good home is to protect them from destructive molecules, like free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Vitamins C and E are excellent antioxidants. Coenzyme Q10, resveratrol, and N-acetylcysteine are also very powerful at neutralizing reactive oxygen species.

Veregen is a green tea extract that has been developed into a medical treatment for genital warts. Veregen is prescription cream that is placed on genital warts, but green tea extract is available as a supplement without a prescription. The supplement is called Camellia sinensis and can be taken up to 250 to 500 mg per day to fight genital warts.

If you want to take the fight directly to the HPV, grapefruit seed extract (Citrus paradisi) has antiviral properties. Grapefruit seed extract comes in 100 mg capsules or can be added to beverages. Cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) has both antiviral properties and can boost the immune system. Cat’s claw can be taken as a 20 mg supplement, three times per day. Olive leaf (Olea europaea) is another antiviral and immune system enhancer. Like the green tea extract, it comes in 250 or 500 mg doses but can be taken up to three times per day. Finally, 150 to 300 mg of Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) can be taken up to three times daily for virus-fighting, immune-improving power.

For those that want a topical ointment for genital warts, you should avoid some of the natural remedies that are used for plain warts since these are ineffective and may not be safe for use near the genitals. These ineffective agents include banana peel patch and garlic patch. A topical treatment that is safe and may be helpful is to coat the genital warts in vitamin A (retinoic acid) or beta-carotene up to two times a day. For an added boost, you can add tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) and/or Echinacea to the treatment.

Homeopathic Remedies

Homeopathic remedies should only be used under the direct supervision of a trained homeopath. In addition to using the ingredients listed, the dilutions and the process of dilution of homeopathic treatments are very important according to homeopathy theory. Note that homeopathy should not be used instead of treatment by a trained medical doctor (allopath) but may be used to supplement traditional treatment.

A homeopath may recommend the use of Causticum for the treatment of genital warts. This agent may be best suited for fleshy warts. Another option is Nitricum acidum. In fact, Nitricum acidum might be the homeopathic treatment of choice for genital warts. It can be used on warts located on the genitals or anus (external use only). The third homeopathic treatment option is Thuja. Thuja is used for painful or bleeding warts of all kinds, including genital warts that cause pain or bleeding.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a therapeutic intervention that is derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine. It employs the use of thin metal needles placed in specific points across the body along meridians. Along these 14 to 20 meridians flow the life force known as qi. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, health and disease are determined by the flow of qi along these meridians in the body. If qi is blocked or stagnant, disease follows. Acupuncture seeks to locate and relieve these blockages and improve flow.

Doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine may use acupuncture, along with other remedies to treat genital warts and to improve the immune system in general. Acupuncture may take up to ten sessions, each lasting about an hour, to treat genital warts. In addition to needling, moxibustion and cupping may be added to the treatment plan. Moxibustion is the burning of dried herbs (moxa) near the skin. Cupping is the application of heated half-spheres to the skin to create a vacuum.

It is important to mention every skin lesion, including genital warts, to your acupuncture practitioner. Needles should not be applied to or near any skin lesion as this may push HPV deeper into the skin and into the bloodstream.

Massage therapy

While massage therapy is not a direct treatment for viral infection, it can create deep relaxation and stress relief. Since stress can interfere with the proper functioning of the immune system, massage therapy can be used to boost the immune system.

There are various forms of massage therapy. Many forms have the potential to be helpful, but for stress relief it is best to choose one that is less stimulating. For example, Thai traditional massage is more invigorating than relaxing. This form of massage is actually a series of forced yoga poses and may not be the best choice for genital wart treatment.

Of the Eastern traditions of massage therapy, Tui Na and Reiki may be the most appropriate. Considering the approach of Western massage techniques, any that primarily employ effleurage would be applicable. Effleurage is the form of Western massage in which the practitioner uses gliding hands. Effleurage may be more appropriate than deep friction approaches or percussion techniques (tapotement).

Please note that for any massage therapy style that requires nudity or near-nudity and the use of oils, it is critical that you mention your genital warts to the practitioner. This is especially true if you have symptomatic or broken skin lesions. You do not want to risk infection or inoculation of the massage therapist with human papillomavirus (HPV). While infection in this way is very unlikely, it should still be mentioned.

Yoga

Performing yoga serves two important functions in the fight against genital warts. First, it is an extremely good form of exercise. Yoga poses require strength, stamina, balance, and flexibility. Second, yoga can be both relaxing and energizing. Recent research suggests that yoga can improve or undo the damage that stress and harmful emotions can wreak on the immune system. Actively participating in yoga can influence the axis which is the system in the body that responds to stressors by releasing adrenalin and other factors into the blood.1 Yoga also may change neural pathways involved in acute and chronic stress.

There are several ways to incorporate yoga into your life. Videos and television programs now teach yoga poses and exercises. However, many yoga poses are tricky and should be performed properly to avoid injury. It may be best to seek out a class or a professional yoga instructor to demonstrate the proper technique before you go about it on your own.

Mediation

Many of the stresses that affect us in our daily lives—work, school, finances, family—can slowly eat away at our immune system. This gives genital warts a foothold and then a stronghold. Removing this stress from our lives is often as simple as setting aside some quiet time each day for personal reflection. In more formal terms, this “rebooting” is called meditation.

People tend to shy away from many meditation traditions because of the associated mysticism and religious affiliations. In truth, many forms of mediation are devoid of mystical or religious practices and these can be avoided altogether and still receive many of the benefits of meditation. If you are looking for spiritual mediation techniques, these certainly exist as well, but are beyond the scope of this article.

Meditation can be as simple as being quiet and alone for a period of time. The length of time that people can devote to meditation varies, but you should try to set aside 20 minutes at the very least in order to realize the healing benefits of meditation. This time can be increased, but, as you become better at meditation, you may not need more than 20 minutes per day.

In the simplest form, meditation involves clearing the mind of all distractions and thought. It should be done in a quiet, softly lit or dark room. The goal is not to sleep but to remain conscious and awake during meditation. One easy meditation technique is to pick a neutral, two-syllable word and repeat it in your mind. As thoughts of the day and life try to invade your attention, elevate the “volume” of your mind’s voice to overcome the intrusion. “Say” the word faster in your mind. As the impetuous thoughts start to quiet, you can lower the mental volume and slow down the speed of the syllables. Towards the end of the 20 minutes you should have cleared your mind and, perhaps surprisingly, you will feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

Reference List
(1) Kulkarni DD, Bera TK. Yogic exercises and health–a psycho-neuro immunological approach. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2009;53:3-15.

Despite the various locations that can serve as a reservoir for human papillomavirus (HPV) and its DNA, the lion’s share of the virus and, by extension, the greatest chance for infection, is in the genital wart itself. Therefore most of the therapeutic interventions are designed to remove the wart and destroy the virus contained inside of them.

Not all treatments are equally effective at clearing the wart and not one is 100% effective. However, in some clinical studies, certain treatments were as high as 90% effective at eradicating the genital warts. Among the most successful treatments are cryotherapy, interferon placed on the wart, electrosurgery.

The various clearance rates of selected therapies are shown in the table. Note that there is significant discrepancy in the clearance rates listed for topical interferon (placed on the wart). The range of clearance rates across studies is 6 to 90%. In other words, while this may be a potentially successful treatment approach, it may not be terribly reliable and is not often used.

• Cryotherapy 63–88%
• Electrosurgery 61–94%
• Imiquimod 37–56%
• Interferon (topical) 6–90%
• Interferon (intralesional) 17–63%
• Laser surgery 23–52%
• Podofilox 45–77%
• Podophyllin 32–79%
• Surgical excision 35–72%
• Trichloroacetic acid 50–81%
• Placebo or no treatment 0–56%

Finally, since the primary concern with human papillomavirus is cervical cancer and men are born without that anatomical structure, they feel an unwarranted sense of protection.

In truth, there are many reasons why men should be concerned with human papillomavirus (HPV). If for no other reason, human papillomavirus causes genital warts in women and men. While the rates of infection may be higher in women, HPV infection and genital warts are still the most common sexually transmitted disease.
Another reason for concern is that men may be infecting their sexual partners even though they have no apparent symptoms.

The lesions that occur on men may be nearly impossible to see with the naked eye. While many men may not recognize genital warts, once men have this HPV infection they become a “reservoir” for the virus. Human papillomavirus can live in the vas deferens (the tube that brings semen from the testes), the prostate gland, pubic hair follicles, and within the urethra (the tube through which urine exits the body).

While they are fairly rare, human papillomavirus infection has been associated with cancers of the penis and cancers of the urethra and anus in men. In fact, several of the over 80 identified types of HPV can cause cancer in men. For all of these reasons, it is important that men be aware of the problems that human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause, how to recognize the associated illnesses, and how to access the help that they need.

Genital warts can be skin-colored, whitish or gray. They are often raised above the level of the skin, but in men, maybe only slightly. In fact, it has been suggested that most men with genital warts only get a slightly raised, flat lesion that is barely noticeable. Also, symptoms may not ever occur with the eruption of genital warts in men.

Therefore men may not seek treatment. Another factor that makes genital warts in men difficult to detect is the fact that they may occur in areas obscured by pubic hair or behind the scrotum and are therefore rarely seen.

Genital warts may occur in any location on the body, even the mouth, throat, lungs, arms, or legs; however, genital warts in these locations are rare. In most cases, men will have genital warts:

• On the head or shaft of the penis
• Inside the urethra (the tube within the penis that passes urine)
• Within the foreskin of uncircumcised men (perhaps on the inside fold)
• Between the scrotum and the anus
• On the scrotum
• In the fold of the leg at the inner thigh
• On and around the anal sphincter
• Within the anus itself

Because genital warts on men can be so difficult to detect, a physician may need to perform a test for warts that are not immediately visible to the naked eye. By placing a small amount of acetic acid (vinegar) on a suspected wart, the area that made up of warty cells will turn white. Unfortunately the acetic acid test is not very sensitive or specific. In other words, it may miss a lot of genital warts that are really there and in other cases normal skin may show up like a wart. While there are more sophisticated tests available to detect the presence of HPV (by testing for human papillomavirus DNA) these are only used in a laboratory and clinical research settings and are not routinely commercially available.

It is reasonable to be as cautious as possible when it comes to human papillomavirus infection. Condoms do not fully prevent transmission of HPV, but using them properly and consistently can greatly reduce the risk. Since many genital warts on men are believed to be barely visible flat lesions on the shaft of the penis, covering that area with a latex condom separates the wart from the sexual partner. Since the highest concentration of HPV is in the genital wart itself, physical separation is an excellent way to reduce spread.
It is also important to know your sexual partner. Do not have sexual intercourse (vaginal, oral, or anal) with someone that has visible genital warts. It is difficult to know if the lesions are genital warts and if they are infectious at the time, but the transmission rate of HPV after a single sexual encounter with an infected person is 60%–that is extremely high. It is always best to encourage anyone with genital lesions or sores to seek medical advice and to avoid sexual intercourse until the condition is properly identified and treated.
The risk of genital warts and HPV-related cancers is higher in homosexual men, especially in men who participate in receptive intercourse with other men. While men and woman can get genital warts around the outside of the anus, it is exceeding rare to get genital warts inside of the anus without receptive anal intercourse with an infected person. Anal cancer occurs about 10 to 15 times as often in homosexual men than in heterosexual men (when both groups are actively having sex).

Also, men with HIV/AIDS are at greater risk for all HPV-related illnesses, including cancers. It is particularly important for men who have sex with men to routinely and consistently wear barrier protection (condoms) and to be completely open and forthcoming with the physicians that provide them with medical care.

Currently, the vaccine that is used to immunize against certain types of HPV is not available or approved by the FDA for use in men. Studies are currently being done to determine if the vaccine is effective in men at stopping the spread of HPV and if that translates into reduced rates of genital warts and certain cancers. If the research results are as expected, it could represent a huge breakthrough in the fight against human papillomavirus and genital warts in men.

What is worse is that several of the over 80 identified types of human papillomavirus can cause serious diseases in women including genital warts, cervical cancers, and cancers of vulva, vagina, urethra, and anus. Because sexually active, heterosexual women primarily engage in receptive intercourse (oral, anal, and vaginal) their risk for contracting these diseases is higher than it is in men.

Genital warts in women can appear in many different forms and in many different locations. In general, genital warts are flesh-colored and elevated slightly above the surface of the skin. They can also be white, gray, pink, or slightly purple and flat or shaped like the head of a cauliflower. They can occur anywhere on the surface of the body, even the hands and feet, though these locations are uncommon sites for genital warts. Genital warts in women appear most often:

• Around the vagina
• On the vulva
• Inside the vagina
• On or around the cervix
• In the mouth and/or throat
• Between the vagina and the anus
• In the folds between the legs and the genitals
• On and around the anal sphincter
• Within the anus itself

While women can get genital warts on and around the anal sphincter, it is extremely uncommon for them to occur inside the anus without the person having engaged in receptive anal intercourse with an infected person. The same holds true for genital warts within the vagina; they are rare unless the woman engages in receptive vaginal intercourse with an infected partner.

It is quite possible to have genital warts that cause no symptoms whatsoever. If they do cause symptoms, the symptoms are usually pain, tenderness and itchiness around the genital wart. genital warts may bleed or discharge a liquid. When they occur inside the vagina, genital warts may cause bleeding or discharge that is not associated with menstruation or ovulation. If they become quite large it is possible that the genital warts obstruct urine flow, obstruct the flow of stool, or make intercourse too painful or physically impossible (these occur very rarely).

Protection against HPV infection is a reasonable first goal when it comes to genital warts in women. Women and girls between the ages of 9 and 26 are eligible to receive a vaccine that provides immunity and protection against the four main types of HPV that most commonly cause serious diseases: HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. These four types cause the majority of genital warts and cervical cancers. The vaccination takes place over six months and three separate injections are required; however, once the immune system has been fully immunized, the transmission rate of these four types of human papillomavirus decreases dramatically.

If you do not fall within this age range or you have decided with your doctor that the HPV vaccine is not right for you, you can still take steps to improve your chances of staying free of infection. While they are not 100 percent effective at blocking HPV transmission, barrier protection (either male or female condoms) can reduce the risk somewhat. Moreover, you should avoid having sexual intercourse of any kind with a partner that has suspicious genital lesions until they have been examined by a doctor and treated. Since genital warts contain high amounts of human papillomavirus and that this virus gains access to others through breaks in the skin and mucous membranes, limiting exposure reduces HPV infection.

There is no complete cure once genital warts do occur but there are several treatment options that can eliminate the appearance of the warts and reduce the chance of infecting others with HPV. Often the procedures that destroy the genital warts are the most effective. These include cryotherapy (freezing the genital warts), electrosurgery (cutting and cauterizing the warts with an instrument that provides electrical cutting ability), and acid ablation (burning the genital wart with trichloroacetic acid, for example). Medical therapy includes podophyllum resin, interferon alfa-2b (Intron A), 5-fluorouracil, podofilox , imiquimod (Aldara) and Veregen.

Some creams and local injections can be helpful as well though special care must be taken with these treatments when there is a chance of pregnancy. In fact, trichloroacetic acid or TCA is usually the treatment of choice for genital warts in women of childbearing age. The genital warts may be burnt and destroyed using a laser as this poses little threat to the fetus.
Genital warts that occur inside the anus or vagina are particularly challenging for women. Not only may they cause symptoms during bowel movements or sexual intercourse, but they also increase the risk of infection to sexual partners because of their location. Moreover, they are difficult to treat because many of the existing genital wart treatments are intended to treat external warts.

For genital warts inside the vagina or anus, it may be perfectly reasonable to wait to see if they heal on their own—a course of action known as “watchful waiting.” This may be the best course of action during periods of sexual abstinence or when the warts are not causing distressing symptoms. When active treatment is desired, cryotherapy is the treatment of choice for internal lesions. Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and laser ablation are also possible treatment options for internal genital warts.

An alternative treatment for vaginal warts that is not currently used very often is 5-FU or 5-fluorouracil. This is a chemotherapeutic agent that can be infused deep within the vagina and will destroy HPV-infected cells. If this approach is used, the areas without warts should be protected with petroleum jelly and a tampon may be kept in place to prevent leakage. Even though the drug stays mostly within the region close to the vagina, this risk of potentially serious side effects makes 5-FU use a less attractive option than others.

Avoiding HPV infection

Genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease. In fact, HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Fighting the disease begins with prevention. Heterosexual women are at increased risk for contracting genital warts over heterosexual men because of the mechanics of heterosexual intercourse. Participants that receive bodily fluids during intercourse are more likely to become infected with human papillomavirus and, as a result, develop genital warts and other diseases. Therefore the first step of protecting yourself and your unborn fetus is through prevention.

Unfortunately, barrier protection is only partially protective against HPV transmission. That is because the genital warts themselves have a significant amount of virus in them. Whether you use male or female condoms, various forms of sexual intercourse can still transmit HPV. While you should still use a condom during every sexual encounter, it is important to realize that condom use does not provide complete protection.

Abstinence is the only complete protection from HPV infection or inoculation. If total abstinence is not feasible, sexual contact should be avoided if one participant has visible, internal or external genital warts. This is especially true if the warts are bleeding, oozing, or the skin in or around the lesion is broken. However, genital warts can still shed virus when they appear dormant or stable. Thus the best solution is to postpone sexual relations until the infected party is treated. Even after treatment, the risk of sexual transmission of HPV is not zero.

Changes that occur during pregnancy and genital warts

If you ask any woman that has been pregnant, she will tell you how radically the body changes during pregnancy. From a physiological perspective, essentially every organ and cellular system in the body changes in some way during pregnancy. The skin and immune system are no different.

Several dermatologists and OB/GYN physicians have documented the changes that can occur with genital warts during pregnancy. Women that apparently have their HPV and genital warts under good control before pregnancy often notice a flare-up once they become pregnant. The immune system and skin go through major changes. Previously quiet or dormant genital warts can become active during pregnancy. In fact, it is not unusual for the most abundant and aggressive lesions to occur exclusively during pregnancy.

The prevalence of genital warts increases from the first to the third trimester. After birth, the lesions seem to “quiet” very quickly. Thus something about the HPV infection is fundamentally different during pregnancy. The risk of genital warts doubles during this time. If genital warts do occur during pregnancy, they can become very large, very rapidly. The growth of the genital warts is so rapid that the skin can break down. If this occurs, prompt medical or surgical treatment is usually required.

It is not clear whether women are more susceptible to contracting an HPV infection when they are pregnant. However, the rate of HPV infection certainly increases during pregnancy. Whether this increase represents new infection or simply the eruption of genital warts that were dormant or latent is not known. The prudent approach would be for women to be additionally careful about not contracting HPV during pregnancy.

HPV diagnosis during pregnancy

Pregnant women that receive appropriate prenatal care will be subjected to a battery of prenatal screening tests. These include blood type testing, sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing, along with testing for other infections. Despite this extensive testing process, human papillomavirus is not one of the STDs or infections that is tested.

This lack of testing is not an oversight, per se, but rather it is a matter of pragmatism and economics. The rate of HPV infection in the population is so high—approximately 24 million people in the United States have HPV—that diagnosis is not always needed. In most cases, unless there is an active genital wart lesion, the overall risk to the baby is low. However, under some circumstances, special considerations must be made.

First, it is possible to pass genital warts from mother to newborn, but the manner in which the virus is transmitted is not known. It does not seem that HPV crosses the placenta to any great degree. What is much more likely is that genital warts are passed to the newborn during vaginal delivery.

If genital warts are passed from mom to baby, the most worrisome outcome is childhood laryngeal papillomatosis or recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. This condition is rare but can be dangerous if it occurs. Large genital wart lesions in the airway can interfere with baby’s breathing.

In most cases, genital warts will not need to be removed prior to delivery, however if genital warts are on or near the cervix, inside the vagina, or on the vulva, it is reasonable to remove them prior to delivery. If it is not possible to remove all genital warts before delivery, the baby may be delivered through Cesarean section to avoid vaginal inoculation.

HPV treatment during pregnancy

Unfortunately many of the main drugs that are used to treat genital warts are not safe for use in pregnant women. They can cause irreparable damage to the developing infant or their effects on the unborn baby are not known. Therefore, genital warts treatment options are fairly limited during pregnancy.

In most cases, the treatment of choice for genital warts in pregnant woman is trichloroacetic acid or TCA. Trichloroacetic acid is a powerful caustic agent that burns the genital warts. It usually must be administered repeatedly over one to two months in order to achieve the desired result. Surrounding tissue (without warts) should be protected with petroleum jelly prior to treatment. The benefit of trichloroacetic acid is that very little of the substance is absorbed across the skin, if any.

If trichloroacetic acid does not destroy the genital warts as anticipated, the next best option for treatment is cryotherapy. Cryotherapy involves the use of liquid nitrogen or other highly cooled liquid/gas to freeze and destroy genital warts. After three months of therapy, about 75% of patients receiving cryotherapy will be free of genital warts.

Carbon dioxide laser therapy may also be an option for treatment of genital warts in pregnant women. The laser is selective enough that complications and side effects are rare and usually mild.

Key points for people with Genital Warts:

• Genital warts are bumpy lumps that grow near your genitals
• Almost all genital warts are benign (non-cancerous).
• Genital warts are caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus (HPV).
• Increased risks for infection with HPV include multiple sexual partners, another sexually transmitted disease, or a condition that affects your immune system.
• Genital warts aren’t usually serious, and treatments work well.
• After your genital warts are removed, the HPV virus that causes the warts remains in your body.

Treatments for genital warts have traditionally been intended to destroy the lesion by some means. Recently though, medications have been developed that affect the immune system rather than attacking the lesion directly.

Genital warts treatment options can be divided into medical and surgical treatments. Since most of the lesions are on the outside of the body, there is considerable overlap between the two treatment types. In other words, dermatologists (a medical specialty) may use techniques to excise or cut out the genital warts and plastic surgeons may administer medications as part of their treatment plan.

It is often more useful to separate genital warts treatments into self applied treatments, physician applied treatments, and surgical treatments. Self applied treatments include over-the-counter treatments and prescription medications that can be applied at home. Physician applied treatments are applied by the doctor and are not available in a pharmacy. Surgical treatments are performed by a physician using one of a number of surgical approaches.

The decision between these three genital warts treatment options is based on the size and extent of the lesions and their location. In general, genital warts located inside the body usually require treatment by a physician. In every case, it is important to meet with a physician to diagnose genital warts and to direct care. While over-the-counter medications may be available, they should only be used in addition to some other, more definitive treatment. Currently all definitive treatments are only available through a physician and by prescription.

Patient-applied genital wart treatments

The three patient-applied treatments for genital warts are Podofilox (Condylox), Imiquimod (Aldara) and Veregen. Each of the three agents treats genital warts by a different mechanism; one but direct disruption of the genital wart, one by affecting the immune system, and one uses a botanical extract that works by an unknown mechanism.

Podofilox (Condylox)

Podofilox (Condylox) is the most commonly prescribed patient-applied genital wart treatment. It is an antimitotic agent but the exact mechanism of action of Podofilox (Condylox) is not known. It comes in a 0.5% solution that is applied to external genital warts twice a day for three days. No treatment is performed on the fourth day. This three day on-one day off cycle is repeated up to three times. After three cycles, a subjective determination is made as to whether Podofilox (Condylox) is having any effect on the visible genital warts.

The side effects of Podofilox (Condylox) are not exactly rare. As many as 15% of patients report pain, burning, irritation, and skin breakdown at the site where the drug was applied. Part of the reason that these side effects occur is because patients tend to put too much Podofilox (Condylox) on the site or spread the solution to skin without warts. With repeated treatment, these side effects are less severe or no longer occur.

Imiquimod (Aldara)

Imiquimod (Aldara) is dispensed as a 5% cream that is applied to the genital wart three times per week. A small amount of the cream is applied to the visible, external genital warts and rubbed in until the white cream is no longer visible. Imiquimod (Aldara) needs to remain in place for between six and ten hours. Therefore it is recommended that the cream be used just before going to bed and left on the genital warts overnight. After six to ten hours, the area should be cleaned thoroughly and any cream that was not absorbed should be removed. Your doctor should demonstrate the proper application of Imiquimod (Aldara).

The exact mechanism of action of Imiquimod (Aldara) is not known. It is known that the cream modulates the immune system by causing the release of interferon and other cytokines. In general, these immune system modulators enhance and focus the body’s own healing processes; however, the role that this substances play in genital warts and HPV infection is not known.
There is a slightly increased risk of certain side effects in patients using Imiquimod (Aldara) compared to placebo (a cream containing no drug). Imiquimod (Aldara) may cause itching, burning, redness, and swelling. In a few cases, patients using Imiquimod (Aldara) reported soreness in the area beyond symptoms caused by the genital warts themselves.

Veregen

The only botanical extract that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of genital warts is Veregen. The primary active ingredient in Veregen is a green tea extract that contains sinecatechins. Sinecatechins are antioxidants although it is not clear whether the antioxidant action of Veregen explains its beneficial effect on genital warts. In addition to sinecatechins, Veregen also contains caffeine and theobromine, which are commonly found in coffee and tea. Like other patient-applied genital wart treatments, the precise mechanism of action of Veregen is not known.

A small amount of Veregen is applied to the genital wart three times a day. The drug is administered in this way until improvement can be seen or for up to four months. Most times, if an improvement is not seen within a few weeks, Veregen is stopped and another genital wart treatment option is tried.
Despite being a botanical extract, side effects occur in one-fifth of all patients who tried Veregen in one study. The most common side effects were quite mild, however, and included redness, burning, and some discomfort. In more severe skin reactions to Veregen, the skin became inflamed, raw, and swollen. More severe side effects were much less common than mild side effects.
Physician-applied genital wart treatments
There are four physician-applied, medical genital wart treatments currently available: Podophyllum resin (Podocon or Pododerm), Trichloroacetic acid (TCA, Tri-Chlor), Interferon alfa-2b (Intron A), and 5-Fluorouracil or 5-FU (Adrucil, Efudex, or Fluoroplex).

Podophyllum resin (Podocon or Pododerm)

The most commonly used medical genital wart treatment is Podophyllum resin. Podophyllum resin works by halting cell division, which means that it stops cells from reproducing. Since genital warts are an abnormal growth of cells, podophyllum resin works to inhibit this growth. It can also destroy the cells that are already present. In fact, this solution is used to treat a variety of warts, not just the genital variety.
Podophyllum resin is a natural extract from the mandrake plant. The primary active ingredient in podophyllum resin is podophyllotoxin thus, while it is “natural,” it is an extremely potent substance. Originally, patients were allowed to apply podophyllum resin to their own genital warts, however it was soon determined that “overapplication” was common. Today, physicians typically apply this agent in the treatment of genital warts.
Podophyllum resin is available as a 20% solution in benzoin and other carrier substances. The doctor will carefully apply the medication to any genital warts and allow the solution to dry completely. After administration, the patient must allow the substance to stay on for one hour, after which time the area is thoroughly cleaned. Treatment is usually repeated in one week.

Another reason that podophyllum resin is administered by a physician is that the solution can readily enter the bloodstream even though it is applied on the skin. When this substance enters the blood, it can cause a number of potentially severe side effects. These side effects include polyneuritis (numbness and weakness is various nerves), paralytic ileus (intestines that will not propel swallowed food in the proper direction), leucopenia (low white blood cell count), thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), coma, and even death. Fortunately these side effects are very rare, but they reinforce the notion that physician supervision is required during treatment.

In addition, it is important to tell any physician or healthcare provider if you have ever been treated with podophyllum resin. One strange and not entirely rare side effect is the formation of strange looking skin cells in treated areas. These cells can look like cancer—but they are not—and so doctors must be aware of the possibility of a misdiagnosis.

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA, Tri-Chlor)

Trichloroacetic acid simply burns or cauterizes the genital wart causing it to flake off about a week after treatment. The physician applies trichloroacetic acid to the lesion while avoiding the surrounding healthy skin. Trichloroacetic acid will burn most biological tissues to which it is applied, so care must be taken to avoid misapplication.

There are several advantages to using trichloroacetic acid to treat genital warts. It is inexpensive, especially compared to the newer immune-modulating agents. Trichloroacetic acid is also reasonably effective. It can destroy the tissue on which it was applied, virus and all. If the genital wart was not destroyed after a single application, trichloroacetic acid can be applied again in a week or two. Also, the acid is not absorbed into the bloodstream like other genital wart treatments. This means that it may be useful to treat genital warts in pregnant women. Finally, trichloroacetic acid is less destructive to the skin than freezing or laser therapy.
There are few side effects associated with trichloroacetic acid. In truth, the major expected effect of the acid is that it causes pain when it is applied. Since it is burning skin, nerve endings detect this as being painful. However, this pain can be minimized in most cases. Aside from a burning sensation, the major risk of trichloroacetic acid is the destruction of surrounding, healthy skin.

Interferon alfa-2b (Intron A)

Interferon alfa-2b is primarily used as a treatment for malignant melanoma, which is a form of skin cancer. However, it is also used in a number of other conditions including condylomata acuminata (genital warts). Interferon alfa-2b in a dose of 1 to 1.5 million units is injected directly into each genital wart. Depending on the treatment approach, interferon alfa-2b may be injected three times a week for three weeks. Despite the large number of units administered, the amount of fluid injected into each genital wart is relatively small, about a fifth of a teaspoon.
Interferon alfa-2b is a naturally occurring protein that functions as part of the immune system. While its exact mechanism of action is not clear, it is known to have antitumor effects. While genital warts are not technically considered cancer, they are an abnormal growth of cells. In this respect, genital warts are “tumors” and can be treated with interferon alfa-2b. While every person has interferon alfa-2b in their bodies, the interferon alfa-2b that is commercially available is made by genetically engineered bacteria.
In clinical trials, interferon alfa-2b was very effective in the treatment of genital warts. Two fifths of patients experienced a complete disappearance of their lesions. In another 20% of patients, the lesion size was clearly less or the number of genital warts was fewer. When interferon alfa-2b was combined with other topical treatments, like podophyllin resin, the success rate was even higher.
Interferon alfa-2b has very few side effects, especially when the drug is injected directly into the genital wart rather than being taken orally or as an injection into the bloodstream. Patients sometimes report that they have flu symptoms for about a day after treatment that then passes. Rarely interferon alfa-2b can raise liver enzymes or reduce white blood cell counts but these are generally temporary and not serious if identified.
The main drawback of interferon alfa-2b is that it is very expensive. In fact, it is the most expensive genital wart treatment, either medical or surgical. A round of treatment with interferon alfa-2b for genital warts can cost three to six thousand dollars.

5-Fluorouracil or 5-FU (Adrucil, Efudex, or Fluoroplex)

5-Fluorouracil is best known as a treatment of cancer. It has been used for decades in the treatment of certain skin and other cancers. 5-Fluorouracil works by inhibiting the growth and reproduction of skin cells, which can be very helpful in the treatment of genital warts. 5-Fluorouracil is not considered a “first line” treatment for genital warts and is usually considered when other treatment options have failed. The chemotherapeutic may be used for genital warts that occur inside the vagina.
5-Fluorouracil is administered into the vagina as a 5% cream through a special applicator. Given the depth and precision with which it must be administered, a physician must insert the drug. 5-Fluorouracil is given once a week for up to 10 weeks. In patients that fail to achieve success with other treatments, 5-fluorouracil is effective in as many as 80%. Despite this success, the use of 5-fluorouracil in the treatment of genital warts is limited.
The main concern of using 5-fluorouracil to treat genital warts is to protect the non-warty areas from coming into contact with the chemotherapy. This usually means that non-warty areas are covered with petroleum jelly and the entrance of the vagina is blocked with a tampon. The risk of the drug entering the bloodstream when applied in this way is reasonably small.
Surgical treatment options for genital warts
There are four main surgical treatments for genital warts: surgical excision, cryotherapy, electrosurgery, and laser treatment. The clinical decision between surgical alternatives is made based on the size and extent of the genital warts. Patient preference and the physician’s expertise are also taken into consideration.
Surgical excision
Historically surgical excision was the primary surgical option for genital warts. Surgical excision is simply cutting the diseased tissue away from the healthy tissue and suturing the healthy skin together. This treatment option is still considered for very large genital warts that are not likely to be removed by other means. Also, if the lesion appears to be cancerous for any reason, surgical excision is done to remove all traces of the genital wart along with some healthy tissue on all sides. Lymph node biopsy may also be done at this genital wart surgery.
A more sophisticated surgical excision procedure is Mohs surgery. Mohs surgery is a specialized technique in which the skin is taken off in thin layers. After the layer is removed, it is immediately viewed under a microscope to determine what kinds of cells are present. If genital wart cells remain, more layers of skin are removed. Cutting stops once only healthy tissue remains.
The obvious advantage of Mohs surgery for genital warts is that the maximum amount of healthy skin can be preserved. However, Mohs surgery can be expensive and quite involved. It is done when cosmetic appearance of the wart is a major consideration.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is a process in which the abnormal tissue is frozen through the use of a cooling agent (cryogen) like liquid nitrogen. The liquid nitrogen instantly freezes the tissue which makes the cell walls brittle and freezes the water inside the cells. As the cells thaw, the tissue is damaged, like freezer burn on stored meats. This freezing process causes a local inflammation and calls other cells to come to the site of the destroyed cells and clear them away.
Cryotherapy is most effective in treating many small genital warts. The liquid nitrogen can be sprayed or dabbed on the warts. Cryotherapy is usually more effective for warts on the shaft of the penis and on the vulva. For genital warts on the anus, cryotherapy is less effective and more painful, so it should be used with caution. Because of its completely local effect (does not spread) cryotherapy is an excellent choice for the treatment of genital warts during pregnancy.
There are few different types of complications that can arise from cryotherapy. Some occur right after treatment (acute complications) while others do not appear for some time (delayed complications). Acute complications of cryotherapy include pain and blisters. Delayed complications may include bleeding, infection, and unusual skin formation. The treated area may lose color (pigmentation), lose hair (alopecia) and develop scars—these three complications can be permanent.
Electrosurgery
Electrosurgery is a surgery which uses surgical tools that supply an electrical current for cutting and cauterization. There are a number of instruments that can be used for electrosurgey—indeed, electrosurgical tools are found in many surgical disciplines. One of the more commonly performed genital wart treatments is the loop electrocautery excisional procedure (LEEP). A LEEP is the procedure of choice when there is the possibility of cervical cancer.
Electrosurgery is extremely effective for warts on the shaft of the penis. This form of genital wart removal surgery can also be effective for lesions on the rectum and vulva. Lesions in other locations may not be suited for removal using an electrosurgery device.
There are few complications associated with electrosurgery. It should be used with caution or avoided in patients that have cardiac pacemakers or other implanted heart devices. This is because most devices use the patient to ground the alternating electrical current. This current could interfere with the function of some cardiac devices. Also, electrosurgery can be painful. In general, the pain is proportional to the area that is cut. Therefore for large genital warts, general or epidural anesthesia may be required for comfort.
Laser treatment
Lasers are one of the newest genital warts treatment options. The concentrated light energy in the laser heats the genital wart and ablates (destroys) it. It also cauterizes the blood vessels as they are cut, making laser treatment a virtually bloodless surgery. While several lasers have been used in the treatment of genital warts, the carbon dioxide laser has the most impressive track record. Studies using carbon dioxide lasers have shown a greater than 90% cure rate on condyloma acuminata.
Laser therapy is among the treatments of choice in pregnant women with large or treatment-resistant genital warts. When performed by a capable surgeon, laser genital wart treatment is very safe. The most common complication is burns to tissue surrounding the lesion. Carbon dioxide laser treatment can be used to remove warts within the vagina, anus, or inside the urethra. It may also be the treatment of choice for genital warts in HIV-infected patients.
It is important to note that when genital warts are destroyed with a laser, the damaged cells can release human papillomavirus in the vapors. Therefore, anyone in the room during laser genital wart treatment should wear a mask capable of blocking the virus.

Genital warts may also appear pink, brown, or red when they become irritated or inflamed. Sometimes they appear white or gray. When genital warts have broken, they may release a fluid discharge or blood.
Genital warts can look very much like most common warts. One difference between genital warts and their common wart cousins is their typical location. Genital warts, as their name implies, generally appear on the genitals.

In men, genital warts may occur:

• On the head or shaft of the penis
• Inside the urethra (the tube within the penis that passes urine)
• Within the foreskin of uncircumcised men
• On the scrotum
• Between the scrotum and the anus
• In the folds between the legs and the genitals
• On and around the anal sphincter
• Within the anus itself

In women, genital warts can occur:

• Around the vagina
• On the vulva
• Inside the vagina
• On or around the cervix
• Between the vagina and the anus
• In the folds between the legs and the genitals
• On and around the anal sphincter
• Within the anus itself

While genital warts prefer to grow in these areas, they can occur almost anywhere on the body. They can erupt in the mouth or throat (from oral sex) and on the arms and legs. Any region of skin that is exposed to the human papillomavirus (HPV) may contract the infection and develop a wart. However, genital warts occurring in places other than the mouth or genitals are quite uncommon.
Other than being a visible blemish, genital warts may not cause any real symptoms. In fact, many people may have genital warts long before they notice them. This is especially true if the lesions occur completely within the vagina or anus, since they are not easily seen in these areas. Even external genital warts may be so small as to be barely detectable at first.

When genital warts do cause symptoms, they can vary widely. Perhaps the most common complaint among patients with genital warts is that they cause a itching or a slight burning. As the wart grows, the nerve endings in that area are stimulated—similar to the itchiness that occurs in a wound as the skin heals. While the nerves are trying to sense the outside world, they send signals to the brain of itchiness and burning.
In many cases, symptoms occur as a consequence of the location of genital warts in the body. When the genital wart grows in the urethra, it may cause pain and irritation or it can interfere with urine flowing out of the body. This may cause burning or pain with urination. If the wart significantly blocks the flow of urine, the urine stream may be weakened or split. Urine that is blocked may also increase the risk for urinary tract infections.
When genital warts occur inside the vagina or on the cervix, women may notice vaginal bleeding even when they are not menstruating. Also, vaginal bleeding, with or without pain, may occur during vaginal sexual intercourse. Aside from blood, women with genital warts within the vagina sometimes notice an unusual discharge.

When genital warts are present within the anus and they are large, they may interfere with defecation. This would mean increased strain during defecation and the stools that are produced are of small caliber (thin). More commonly though, the genital warts may break and bleed during a bowel movement. This would result in blood on the toilet paper, on the stools, on in the toilet water. Often this bleeding is mistaken for hemorrhoids, which are more common than anal genital warts. Therefore anal bleeding should be evaluated by an internist or a gastroenterologist when it occurs. The treatments for hemorrhoids and genital warts are vastly different.
It is important to note that genital warts near or on the anus may occur in men and women without engaging in receptive anal intercourse. However, genital warts inside of the anus virtually never occur with receptive anal intercourse.

Also remember that genital warts do not occur immediately following sexual contact with an infected person. The human papillomavirus (HPV) may be transmitted from the infected person to a sexual partner, however the virus may not (and usually does not) erupt into a wart for some time. Genital warts may not appear from months to years after initial infection. Symptoms of genital warts may not occur for weeks to months after the warts erupt, if they occur at all.

Photo Credit:

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ttp://www.flickr.com/photos/encinoman/376242904/

Most of the genital wart treatments that are performed surgically are the same procedures that are performed for regular warts as well. You may choose to either have your warts frozen off through the process of cryotherapy or electrodesiccation which is when an electric current is used to destroy warts. There is also the additional genital warts treatment that utilizes a laser to burn off the warts, but it does involve anesthesia and is a costly procedure that can cause scarring and leave the area open to more viral attacks later.

A more common genital warts treatment involves medication that a person who suffers from genital warts will have to stay on for the remainder of their lives. Oftentimes with medication you can control the amount of genital warts outbreaks you may experience throughout your life and decrease the need for surgical intervention throughout the disease. The most effective medications that are used for genital warts treatment are a combination of creams, injections, pills, and lotions. Sometimes the topical medications that are used can cause burning and pain, but they do often prove to be effective if you can deal with the side effects.

At home, there are also some basic care guidelines you need to follow to complete your genital wart treatment if you want to keep your outbreaks under control. You need to avoid squeezing or picking at any warts because while it may tempting, they are infective and you can spread them very easily if you get any of the oozing matter on your hands. At the same time, you need to still follow through with your home genital warts treatment by making sure you keep the areas clean with a washrag because they will not heal or stop spreading if you do not continually clean areas prone to infection.

If you contract genital warts you will have to learn how to control them rather than effectively cure them. However, having genital warts is not as serious as other sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, so you should not immediately despair if you receive a positive diagnosis.

Usually people find out they have the disease because they see the cauliflower shaped warts emerge around their genitals, although the warts usually will go away on their own, there are treatment options to keep outbreaks under control. It is important not to ignore genital warts symptoms however because they are a strain of the HPV virus which if left untreated has been known to cause cervical cancer. Most people are placed on a medication regime that helps prevent genital warts breakouts and minimizes the side effects of burning and rashes from breakouts.

Serious breakouts can lead to surgical removals of warts such as laser treatments or freezer burn methods of wart removal. However, these genital warts removal methods are usually avoided if they can be because warts do come back, so they are only temporary fixes to a larger problem.

During a breakout, rashes are usually treated with medicated lotions or creams which help with burning and help the warts disappear sooner. It is important to note that just because genital warts may go away on their own or with treatment the disease is not cured, as you may suffer another breakout within months or possibly the next day. You can still spread genital warts to your partner or partners as well, even if you are not in a breakout. Thus, you want to make sure you stay on medication for your own health and stay protected for your partner’s sake.

If you want to protect yourself from genital warts, there is now a vaccine for young women that they can take between the ages of 8-25 that will protect them from contracting the disease later in life. Therefore, if you fit the age requirements or your daughter does, you may want to consider taking the HPV vaccine so the possibility of genital warts is erased from your mind.

First of all, you need to know that genital warts treatments options, no matter what they are do not prevent the spread of the disease, so if you are diagnosed you will need to practice safe sex for the rest of your life if you do not want to spread the disease to anyone else. There are some genital warts treatment options that can help prevent spreading them to your partner, but they are not guarantees or foolproof, so when in doubt, grab a rubber.

Most genital warts treatment plans will consist of a combination of prescription medications like Valtrex that you take on a daily basis, and then medicated creams and lotions that are used during breakouts to alleviate painful symptoms. For the most parts, when genital warts do emerge they will go away naturally with the proper allotment of time. The medications used as genital warts treatment is simply to help with the symptoms and so that you can feel more comfortable with your body.

However, there are some occasions when a breakout can rage out of control and you may have to consider alternative surgical genital warts treatment options. If your genital warts reach abnormal and harmful sizes inside the folds of your genitals, you may have to consider several painful and awkward surgical genital warts treatment options.

The most common surgical option is to freez or burn the warts off from the skin. This is usually quite painful no matter what type of wart is involved, but can be even more so when the area is located near the genitals. Laser surgery is also a genital warts treatment option that may be less painful, but sometimes the oozing after the surgery is performed will infect new areas or re-infect the old areas making it a risky option to choose. If you stay on your prescribed medication however, you can usually avoid the surgical genital warts options.

The good news is that Wartrol Homeopathic Wart Relief can ease your symptoms, making life easier for you.