What You Need To Know About Genital Wart Removers
Genital warts are embarrassing and, depending on where they're placed, sometimes painful. Unlike warts on other areas of the body, you can't find a genital wart remover at the local pharmacy. You have to see a doctor in order to deal with this problem. Unlike other kinds of warts, these will not go away on their own. You also want to go to your doctor when you discover that your sexual partner has genital warts, because this is contagious.
Prescription Medications
There are three main kinds of prescription medication (or treatments done in the doctor's office) for genital wart removers. They are imiquimod (brand name Aldara); podofilox (brand name Condylox) and a chemical burn treatment most commonly known as TCA. The first two are creams but TCA can only be applied to you by a doctor.
Imiquimod is most likely the first step in your doctor's genital wart remover plan. It's a cream that acts to boost your body's immune system. Since all warts are caused by a virus, when you have warts, your body is suffering from that virus. This is mostly for smaller genial wart removal. You should refrain from sex when you need this cream. The cream can cause condoms to break.
Podofilox is a far stronger topical application that destroys the genital wart itself (and just the genital wart, hopefully). Some patients are far more comfortable doing only the first application themselves, and then having the doctor do subsequent applications to be sure the right dosage is administered. You cannot use this if you are pregnant … and if you are a man who is pregnant, don't worry about the genital wart and head straight to the National Enquirer.
Other Techniques
If you have large genital warts, that don't respond to the creams, or they are more inside your genitals than on top of them, then surgical genital wart removers may be your only option. Some of these are also okay to perform even if you're pregnant. But, please don't use this article in the place of a qualified doctor's advice.
Cryotherapy is when you freeze off the warts with liquid nitrogen. This is usually one of the least painful ways of wart removal. The freezing causes a kind of blister that gradually peels off. However, you often need repeated treatments. This can often be performed in the doctor's office and not in a hospital.
Electrocautery works very much like freezing genital wart remover, only it uses electricity instead of liquid nitrogen. This also tends to need repeated treatments. There is a laser version, but it's really expensive.
