Such an unpleasant thing as filiform warts can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender or socioeconomic status. Surely, people find this brush-like growth very embarrassing and try to remove it as soon as possible. Despite the fact that warts are usually harmless for your health, they can interfere with your self-esteem.
Warts on eyelid are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Unfortunately, there is no cure of this kind of virus. Usually, the body’s immune system eliminates HPV over time. If eye warts are caused by HPV, they are either filiform (string-shaped) or digitate (horn or finger-shaped). Apart from that, a filiform wart can be also caused by HIV/AIDS and herpes zoster. Several treatments are available.
How can filiform warts be treated?
Usually eyelid warts go away on their own after a few months; thus, some people do not treat them at all. This is quite acceptable as long as warts are not growing larger. Clearly, you should not suffer if your wart is interfering with eyesight. This problem can be easily solved in a clinic by a medical professional.
In fact, there are 2 ways to remove eyelid warts which are caused by the human papillomavirus:
- use of freezing agents (cryosurgical removal);
- excision (surgical removal).
In case warts are caused by HIV/AIDS, they can be treated by cryosurgical remedies. If warts appear because of herpes virus, swift treatment is crucial. They can be treated only with the help of oral antiviral medications. Otherwise, blindness and glaucoma have been known to result.
Warnings and precautions
Nowadays you can find a wide variety of gels and creams available at pharmacies. However, you should never use them without your doctor’s prescription. Pay attention to the ingredients of the medication before you start using it. Remember that many of them include acidic elements which may cause scarring.
You should be careful with warts on eyelid as they are contagious. Don’t let anyone touch your warts because the human papillomavirus can spread to other people. Don’t rub your warts, or you can spread the virus to other areas of your body. Over the years people have used traditional home remedies, such as apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, garlic, castor oil, and several more. Some of them are quite effective; however, it can be difficult to calculate the right proportion and assess the best way of using the remedy. Therefore, you shouldn’t use them without the doctor’s recommendation, or you may have serious problems with your eyes. Don’t clip off a wart on the eyelid! Otherwise, it may cause irreversible harm to your eyes. Never use over the counter medications near the eyes, as you can damage them. So, if you decide to remove an eyelid wart, let medical professionals do it for you. Your doctor will snip the wart off with the help of a surgical scalpel or sterile scissors. Besides, topical treatment can be also successfully used to eliminate the wart.