Genital Warts Topical Treatment Options

To treat or not treat is one of the debates that both the medical profession and consumers are having now.

Given that genital warts can heal on there own haste may make waste. The general consensus is that spontaneous remission occurs in 10 percent to 30 percent of the cases, depending where you get your information. When the warts are small there is time to see if they clear up without any treatment.

About 70 percent of people with genital warts will have a recurrence in six months time of the warts. Over time most people will gain an extended relief of symptoms.

Treatment isn’t an option if the warts are causing any kind of discomfort, or they are getting larger, and spreading. Removing genital warts will not eliminate HPV from your body. However genital warts are highly contagious.

Treatment of genital warts will not prevent a recurrence. There is no cure for genital warts at the doctor’s office. Genital warts can be treated. The first choice is usually topical medications.

Over the counter wart removers are not intended for use on the genitals. This area is sensitive and this is why you seek medical help. You can damage healthy tissue because some wart removers are irritating.

Topical ointments are available from a doctor by prescription. These include imiquimod (Aldara), podofilox (condylox), trichloroacetic acid, and 5-flurouracil cream.

Another is Podophyllin resin-a liquid that stops cell growth. Podohyllin resin and is painted on the wart by either the doctor or nurse. It has to be washed off in 4 hours or sooner if the area is irritated. This usually has to be applied several times to work effectively

Podophllin is a particularly strong topical medication. Both podophyllin and podofilox aren’t recommended if you are pregnant. They can be absorbed and possibly cause birth defects. Podophlyllin is usually continued for four weeks. The use of Podophllin side effects, include chemical burns. The use of podophylllin for genital warts has fallen off.

Aldarais designed to be used only on external genital warts. Aldara is a common form of immune modulator to treat genital warts. It works in about 84 percent with recurrences. Aldara treatment can take up to 16 weeks before the warts clear.

Podofiloxis an agent created from podophlin that you apply to the warts at home. Podofilox is used every day for three weeks, or twice daily for three days and four days off for three to four weeks. Again this shouldn’t be used in pregnancy.

Trichloroacetic Acid destroys genital warts on contact. It is applied directly for four consecutive weeks. Trichloroactic acid is suitable for small warts. The acid causes local burning that lasts for a few minutes. Usually patients need repeat sessions to clear genital warts. This agent can be used for internal vaginal warts.

This gel 5-FU prevents HPV DNA synthesis, which causes the cells that form genital warts to die. 5-FU is available as a 5% cream and is applied topically to the warts for five to seven days. It gets washed off in 3 to 10 hours after it is applied. 5-fluorouracil epinephrine cream can treat internal vaginal warts. The recurrence rate for fluorouracil is about 50 percent after three months.

Topical medications are fairly simple and painless to use. They are a vital first line treatment. They have the advantage of home use, which gives you some freedom, and they are relatively safe. They can be used while naturally trying to stimulate your immune system with a good nutritional plan.

Even though their application is fairly easy, what it doesn’t do is guarantee complete eradication of the warts. What most people expect is treatment to be fast, easy, and efficient. Topical medication is as close as you can get to this for HPV warts. The formulations can do so much; you can also be instrumental in getting the genital warts to fade away. This takes a long-term commitment to lifestyle factors.