Women expecting a baby need to be especially attentive to their health. Even a seemingly ordinary wart during pregnancy can cause a lot of trouble. Whether it is dangerous and how to get rid of it is described in this article.
What is a wart?
Warts are called benign neoplasms. They are caused by HPV, the human papillomavirus. Almost every person has warts. Neoplasms can be easily transmitted through objects or by direct contact. Sometimes a wart does not make itself felt for a long period.
A woman may have a neoplasm (and not know about it) before pregnancy. And during this period, hormonal restructuring of the body begins, immunity decreases. This all stimulates the manifestation of a hidden wart during pregnancy.
Types of Warts
Neoplasms most often appear on the limbs, face and mucous membranes. Warts are divided into several types:
- Ordinary papillomas look in the form of rounded nodules ranging in size from one to ten millimeters. Warts protrude slightly above the skin. The color of the papillomas can be brown, pink or flesh. Papillomas are dense, with a rough surface. Mostly warts appear on the face.
- Flat papillomas do not grow more than three millimeters. Such neoplasms above the skin appear slightly. Most often, warts appear on the face and back of the hands. Neoplasms can be brown, yellow or skin color. Flat warts appear as a whole group.
- Plantar warts during pregnancy are more worrying than others. Such papillomas are initially very painful, and when a woman is expecting a baby, discomfort also increases. Soreness occurs due to constant friction. Plantar warts are yellowish, dense, similar to dry corn. If papillomas cause severe discomfort, they are removed.
- Genital warts appear on the genitals, in the folds. At first they represent small pink bubbles, then they become spiky and grow to a whole bunch.
- Filamentous papillomas have an elongated shape, attached to the skin on a small leg. They can grow up to three centimeters in length. Most often appear on the eyelids, in the armpits, on the genitals and neck. Such a wart during pregnancy is more common than other types.
Causes of Warts
The main reason for the appearance of warts during pregnancy is the virus in the body. The infection appears due to a weakening of the immune system and hormonal changes that occur during the period when a woman is expecting a baby. At this time, skin lesions grow greatly.
Warts occur due to the appearance of the papilloma virus in the body. It has several varieties. Most often, warts are simple and appear on the body. Worse if neoplasms occur on the genitals. This can create problems in bearing the fetus.
What is the danger of warts during pregnancy?
In itself, a wart during pregnancy does not pose a danger to the mother and the unborn baby. But self-medication by folk methods can greatly harm. If the warts do not cause pain and do not grow - it is better not to touch them until the baby is born. Treatment requires only genital warts, which appear on the genitals.
Some neoplasms can grow so that they create an obstacle to the birth of a child. When he leaves the mother’s womb, warts that appear on the birth canal are torn, burst. As a result, severe bleeding begins, and the baby can catch the virus.
Warts can appear a couple of days after birth or in the first months of life. Dangerous are those neoplasms that occur in the larynx. As a result, the baby’s breathing is very difficult. If genital warts are detected, a pregnant woman undergoes a cesarean section.
When should warts be removed?
Can warts be removed during pregnancy? This is optional. Often there is an inverse process of the manifestation of the virus. After the baby is born, the warts on the mother’s body can disappear on their own in a short period of time.
During pregnancy, doctors are not advised to remove neoplasms, especially in the first and third trimester. It can even provoke a premature birth. But in itself, the removal of warts is carried out surgically with anesthesia and immunostimulating agents, and this is unacceptable when bearing a child.
But there are still several reasons why tumors can be removed during pregnancy. The operation can be done if the warts have changed their color or shape, or there is a threat of serious growth of papillomas. Neoplasms can also be removed if they cause pain.
Contraindications for the removal of warts
The decision on the possibility of carrying out the procedure for getting rid of papillomas is made by the obstetrician. Removal of warts during pregnancy is prohibited during pregnancy up to two weeks and after the 30th. For independent disposal of papillomas, you cannot use celandine juice. Warts are not removed with liquid nitrogen and with anesthesia.
What to do if a wart is detected?
If warts appear during pregnancy, you cannot tear them off yourself. This can lead to further spread of the virus, and as a result, new papillomas appear. And even if you pick up a wart, it does not mean to get rid of it. Papillomas have very long roots that go deep into the dermis.
If neoplasms are found, it is urgent to consult a therapist or dermatologist. They will determine whether a malignancy has appeared, and what treatment will be required, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body and pregnancy.
Wart Removal Methods
There are several ways to remove warts. Laser therapy is one of the most popular treatments. The level of penetration of the rays is selected individually. The laser goes to the target point and cauterizes it. The wart dies off and falls off on its own. After the procedure, first a small wound remains, which then passes without a trace.
Warts are removed by electrocoagulation. This is a safe and effective procedure. The method helps to get rid of even small warts growing on the stem. To remove neoplasms, only one session is required, the duration of which does not exceed ten minutes. The permeability of the current is strictly controlled, the method has no age restrictions.
Radio wave treatment for warts lasts 20 minutes. The procedure is painless and does not pose a threat to health. During the session, high-frequency waves are used that cut through the tissue like a knife. The wart just gradually evaporates. Then a small speck remains, which disappears on its own after a short time.
Cryotherapy is a method using liquid nitrogen, its temperature is minus 400 degrees. When the substance enters the wart, it instantly freezes, the cells die and the neoplasm falls off a week (or 10 days maximum) after the procedure.
Can warts be removed during pregnancy? If there is no serious reason, then the neoplasms are left until the appearance of the child. All of the above methods include contraindications for pregnancy and lactation. But still, if wart removal is required, this is done only with the help of electrocoagulation or laser therapy.
Alternative methods of treating warts
If the wart during pregnancy greatly interferes, it can be removed by folk methods. For example, within six days, apply a compress of grated and peeled potatoes to the neoplasm. Celandine juice helps to cope with warts. Neoplasms are lubricated by them until they disappear completely.
One of the effective means in the fight against warts is aloe. The neoplasm is highly vaporized and the flesh of the plant is applied to it. Then a gauze bandage is applied on top. Compress should be done in the evening and leave until morning. Treatment takes a course of ten days.
You can use the usual hydrogen peroxide. She lubricates the wart for a week. Before using any of the popular methods, it is necessary to test the skin for allergic reactions to the components of therapy. In addition, before using any of the listed methods (including folk ones), a pregnant wart should be consulted with an obstetrician.