What are Typical Signs of HPV Viral Infection?

• Knowing the signs of viral infections can help you prevent cancer
• The human papilloma virus can cause many different symptoms and medical problems
• There are more than one hundred different types of the human papilloma virus

The signs of viral infections can vary, depending on the type of virus that is responsible for the infection. One virus that can be responsible for a number of serious infections is the human papilloma virus, also called HPV. One of the most well known infections caused by this virus is the sexually transmitted disease called genital warts. Many people believe that this is the only symptom caused by HPV, but this is not true. There are more than one hundred different strains of human papilloma virus, and each type can cause warts or unusual growths on some area of your body. This does not have to be only in the genital area either, you can get warts and abnormal skin growth on your hands, feet, arms, legs, torso, face, and head. Being infected with one of these viruses is extremely common, and more than twenty five million people in the US alone suffer from these infections, and if you include global figures the number of people infected is multiplied greatly.

Knowing and understanding the signs of viral infections can help you realize if you are suffering from an HPV infection. Some strains of human papilloma virus can contribute to or even cause cervical cancer. Other strains of HPV can contribute in cancer of the mouth, throat, anus, and other areas. In addition, some types of this virus can cause plantar warts on your feet. There is a vaccine available that can help protect young women against a few of the most common HPV strains that can contribute to cervical cancer, but this vaccine does not prevent all viral infections from the human papilloma virus, but only from few strains of this virus family.

Exactly what are the signs of viral infections, especially HPV infections? If you have contracted one of the most common strains of HPV, you may notice a number of symptoms, or you may not have any signs of an infection at all. If you suffer from genital warts due to this infection, you may notice small swellings in your genital area that may be gray or may be the same color as the surrounding skin. You may suffer from some discomfort or itching where the warts are present, and if several genital warts appear close together they may resemble a small cauliflower. If genital warts are present inside the vagina, you may experience bleeding during and right after having sexual intercourse. If you develop warts in your mouth or throat as a result of oral sexual contact with an infected person, you may experience a sore mouth or throat, and the warts or lesions may bleed or become painful. Abnormal PAP smear results are another sign of an HPV infection.

If you have a human papilloma virus infection that is not in the genital area, you may notice different signs and symptoms. You may notice the appearance of common warts, especially on your hands and fingers. These will show up as rough raised patches of skin at first. But they are normally not painful. They can be very unsightly though, especially if you have a large number of them in one area. You may also notice flat warts, which do not raise up much but which have a darker color than the surrounding skin. If the warts become larger or start to change, if they are painful or in a spot which makes them very prone to injury, or if you want to remove them for the sake of your appearance, your doctor can either remove the warts or refer you to someone who can, usually a dermatologist.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.