Oh no, you just found out that you have genital warts.

First, I want you to relax. I’m going to give you a brief overview of genital warts before you get all anxious and worried, and then I’m going to help you out in treating those little jerks.

Genital warts are commonly caused by a very well-known STD referred to as HPV, or, Human Papillomavirus. This STD is basically a skin infection that raises dead layers of skin above normal elevations. Some of these bumps can be flat, others can be quite bumpy, sometimes resembling cauliflower. Many can be itchy and rather uncomfortable at times, too.

GOOD NEWS: Approximately 85% of cases are caused by two specific strains of HPV. These two specific strains are not related to any type of cancer. Only extremely rare and unusual cases lead to cancer. So yes, you are most likely clear from any cancerous future regarding your genital warts.

BAD NEWS: There is no cure, as of right now, for the STD known as HPV.

Although genital warts may not fully go away forever, there are ways to treat the signs and symptoms. Check them out below.

Topical Treatments

Though topical treatments aren’t for everyone, they do help tremendously. In other words, if you are the type of person that takes your medications religiously, without missing necessary doses, chances are using a topical treatment may be your best bet at combatting signs and symptoms. This can include any cream, ointment, or gel that your doctor sees fit to help you in getting rid of your genital warts.

However, if you think you may forget to apply the necessary medications to the necessary areas, I suggest trying out another option. Or, talking to your doctor about treatments that you’ll only have to do once a week may be a viable option.

Cryotherapy

It’s likely that you haven’t heard about this option, especially considering many people didn’t even know this was an actual word. Well, it is an actual word, and it is an actual treatment for genital warts.

Cryotherapy destroys most warts through its usage of liquid nitrogen. Its use of liquid nitrogen causes the bumps and flat warts to burst at the core.

However, before trying this method, be sure that your doctor has experience in the field of cryotherapy. If the area of the body that has warts is under-treated or over-treated, the procedure will not get the job done correctly. Also, stay away from doctors who have little to no experience with the procedure, considering they may hurt you. Often times, cryotherapy causes pain during the procedure and can sometimes cause blistering of the skin to occur. Doctors who have experience tend to not hurt as much and tend to not blister their patients.

If the warts are a little bit larger than the normal, talk to your doctor about using a type of local anesthetic, as it may be too painful without.

Acid Solutions

Specifically speaking, both TCA and BCA acids work wonders when it comes to getting rid of genital warts. For more information regarding the acids, talk to your doctor.

What these two acids do is they target the infected tissue in the area of the body that is breaking out. Applying such acids on such areas requires a doctor to be present, as such acids are not safe to use at home and by yourself. Once you go into your appointment, the doctor will do the procedure accordingly and make sure that all areas are covered.

Health care professionals warn that there is not much scientific evidence stating this procedure works, but many have tried and have seen good results. Other health care professionals suggest not going this route, as it could damage healthy skin while it is killing the wart. Talk to your doctor and ask for more information before you resort to this form of wart removal.

Surgery

Surgery is not often resorted to, but when it is, it’s only for severe cases. Severe cases can include patients that have multiple warts, patients that have a larger than normal area infected on the body, and patients that have not responded well, or at all, to other treatments named above. Surgery is usually only an option if one of the above listed becomes an issue.

Depending on the case will depend on the type of surgery your doctor will resort to. Many doctors lean on lasering the warts off, considering this is the least harmful mechanism. Other procedures that can be done regarding surgical removal of genital warts are fine scissoring them off, using a scalpel to cut them off, and burning them off, which uses an electrical probe with low-voltages.

Nothing at all

This may sound a little odd, and it may sound like it doesn’t work, but it does. Don’t do anything at all if you have genital warts. If the burning and/or itching becomes too much for you to handle, I would advise getting medical attention. But, if it’s something you can deal with, don’t do anything at all.

Instead, leave your genital warts alone and do not irritate them in any way. It’s scientifically proven that one third of patients with genital warts have their infectious areas resolve on their own, when they are left alone and not irritated by other treatments. This does take some time, however. Two years to be specific. Another third will resolve with the use of therapy, and still the last third will be resistant to therapy.

But, if you’re willing to not touch the warts, and you’re willing to be patient and not seek other treatments (unless severe changes in your health occur), then wait it out and see if it works.

Try to not be sexually involved with people during this time. Talk to your doctor further about this if you think you’ll be having sexual intercourse whether, or not you are breaking out.

By Jenny Lyn