Symptoms of genital warts – If spotted early enough and treated, can reduce the chances of developing cancer of the cervix.
Symptoms of genital warts can be many and varied and can even be mistaken for another disease. This is especially true hpv genital condition hasn’t manifested itself in the form of physical warts.
What Are The Symptoms of Genital Warts?
Like many other STDs, HPV infection often does not cause symptoms. One study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) reported that nearly half of all women with HPV had no noticeable symptoms. However, in many cases, small, hard spots (easily visible to the eye) can develop within three weeks to three months after exposure.
In women, these warts can occur on the lips of the vagina, inside the vagina or even around the anus. Anogenital warts may cause itching. Women also develop cervical warts, which are flat lesions unseen in their early stages.
Some other symptoms may include:
Cauliflower-like appearing growths around the anus or genitals
Increased dampness or moisture in the area of the growths
Itching of the penis, scrotum, anal area, or a vulvar itch
Increased vaginal discharge
Abnormal vaginal bleeding (not associated with a menstrual period) after sexual intercourse
You may have all the symptoms of genital warts but still not have any physically on your genitals. One possible reason that symptoms of genital warts are mistaken for something else is that the warts can be almost invisible to the naked eye.
In these circumstances, your physician will take your symptoms into account and use a number of methods to determine whether you have genital warts. One of the most common is to dab a small amount of acetic acid (vinegar) on the suspected area infected with warts.
The symptoms of genital warts may also be missed if they occur within the vaginal walls. In this case, the symptoms could be of another disorder called yeast infection. That’s why it’s a good idea to seek immediate professional help when the signs of genital warts are detected.
Getting the most accurate diagnosis for the symptoms you are displaying is vital, the last thing you want is self diagnosing yourself, and the likelihood of you being wrong is high, and then treating yourself for a completely different condition. This can have further repercussions, in that using the wrong medication to treat a disorder can let your body become used that medication, rendering it useless when you will need it the most.
The flipside would be to ignore the symptoms of genital warts and leaving the condition untreated, leading to even more serious conditions such as cancer of the cervix. An even more worrying possibility is that if you have recurring genital warts symptoms, it could be a sign of cervical cancer or even HIV- AIDS.
Therefore the seriousness and the urgency of a proper checkup when you display any of these symptoms is paramount. You will then be able to receive the correct treatment needed to help you get rid of genital warts.
It must be noted that even though you may be able to cure genital warts with the right treatment ad fight off the symptoms, the underlying virus, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) cannot be cured. You will have to rely on your immune system to help fight the HPV virus.
