Apple cider vinegar It's thought to work like salicylic acid, a common wart treatment that peels away infected skin, eventually removing the wart. Vinegar also has natural antimicrobial properties that may help fight HPV, but more studies are necessary. To try it, mix 2-parts apple cider vinegar and 1-part water.
To maximize benefit, place 2 to 4 drops of tincture of thuja or tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) on the wart before covering with peel or garlic. DO NOT use tea tree oil internally. This application may need to be repeated nightly for up to 3 weeks. The wart will turn black as it begins to die.
Antiviral AV2® is a mixture of natural essential oils (eugenol, carvone, nerolidol, geraniol) in olive oil, and has a broad spectrum anti-viral activity. In a phase II randomized controlled trial (RCT), AV2® proved effective in reducing the size of cervical lesions associated with human papillomavirus (HPV).
For common warts, look for a 17 percent salicylic acid solution. These products (Compound W, Dr. Scholl's Clear Away Wart Remover, others) are usually used daily, often for a few weeks. For best results, soak your wart in warm water for a few minutes before applying the product.
Effective wart treatments
Surgery
Boost your immune system
If, however, your immune system is slow to recognize or respond to the HPV strain, you're more likely to develop warts. That point is an important one for people who may be immunocompromised, which renders them more susceptible to viral infections like plantar warts.
Around 90% of HPV infections clear within 2 years. For a small number of women and people with a cervix, their immune system will not be able to get rid of HPV. This is called a persistent infection. A persistent HPV infection causes the cells of the cervix to change.
You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus. It is most commonly spread during vaginal or anal sex. It also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex. A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms.
Zinc treatment for 3 months reduced the risk of persistence of HPV infection and progression from baseline cytology (OR = 0.130) (CI 95% 0.04-0.381; p <0.001) and 0.301 (95% CI 0.777-0.116; p = 0.012), respectively. Age, initial cytology, HPV type, and contraceptive method were not related to persistence of HPV.
Although HPV isn't curable in all cases, genital warts are treatable. You can also go extended periods of time without an outbreak, but it may not be possible to get rid of the warts forever. That's because genital warts are only a symptom of HPV, which may become a chronic, lifelong infection for some.
Prescription-strength wart medications with salicylic acid work by removing layers of a wart a little bit at a time. Studies show that salicylic acid is more effective when combined with freezing. Freezing (cryotherapy). Freezing therapy done at a doctor's office involves applying liquid nitrogen to your wart.
Boost your immune system
A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms. If you are sexually active, you can get HPV, even if you have had sex with only one person. You also can develop symptoms years after having sex with someone who has the infection.
It is important to use a condom from start to finish of every sex act, including oral and anal sex. HPV is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. Because HPV can infect areas that are not covered by the condom, condoms will not fully protect you against HPV, but condoms do help in HPV prevention.
For common warts, look for a 17 percent salicylic acid solution. These products (Compound W, Dr. Scholl's Clear Away Wart Remover, others) are usually used daily, often for a few weeks. For best results, soak your wart in warm water for a few minutes before applying the product.
To reduce your risk of common warts:
HPV is a sexually-acquired virus. Even if you were to have sex with a single partner in your life, using condoms every time, there is an 80% chance you will acquire HPV in your lifetime. HPV can be spread by contact between genital skin, so LGBQTI people can also get the virus.
Treating warts
Most HPV infections go away on their own and don't cause any health problems. However, if HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts. It also can cause certain kinds of cancer. We do not know why HPV causes health problems in some people and not others.
There is no treatment for the virus itself. However, there are treatments for the health problems that HPV can cause: Genital warts can go away with treatment from your healthcare provider or with prescription medicine. If left untreated, genital warts may go away, stay the same, or grow in size or number.
Can stress cause warts? Stress won't itself cause warts – that's down to the HPV virus. However, when you're under stress, your immune system's ability to fight off antigens can decrease. So, it could be implied that you're more susceptible to infections, such as HPV, if your body is feeling the effects of stress.