Genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and cause discomfort around the genitals. The majority of people who contract genital warts do so from practicing unsafe sex. Home remedies are usually the initial step in attempting to cure the problem.
HPV
HPV is a sexually transmitted virus usually contracted by people who have many sexual partners or practice unsafe sex. Genital warts take the form of flat or cauliflower-shaped bumps with a red, gray or pink-colored swelling combined with an itching or burning sensation. The warts can appear around the genitals in the region of the anus, rectum, cervix, penis, scrotum or vagina. The virus can make sexual intercourse uncomfortable, the rubbing of an infected area can spread the warts.
Fruits and Vegetables
There are many home remedies involving the application of juices derived from fruits and vegetables. One such application involves apple cider vinegar, a common home remedy for many ailments. An apple cider vinegar-soaked bandage should be applied overnight to the infected area; in the morning, the bandage should be replaced with a bandage soaked in Castor oil. The nighttime application should be alternated between apple cider vinegar and a vitamin E-soaked bandage encrusted in freshly crushed garlic. This application is said to cause the wart to fall off after around a week's worth of applications.
Another common cure for genital warts is the onion juice remedy. Cover some onion slices in salt overnight; a juice should form by the following morning. The onion and salt juice should be applied to the genitals three times a day for around two weeks for the warts to shrink in size.
The banana peel remedy requires a patch of banana peel to be applied to the wart overnight, the continued use of this treatment should dramatically reduce the size of the wart.
Diet
Folic acid, beta-carotene and vitamin C all act as antioxidants and contain anti-inflammatory agents. These vitamins are found in foods such as apples, cherries, apricots, pineapples and limes. Doctors recommend an increase in the intake of all three for the treatment of HPVs, as they boost the immune system and help to halt any return of an HPV infection.
The HPV infection that causes genital warts cannot be completely removed from the body, and it is believed that the return of an HPV infection is due to a decrease in immune system function. Keeping the immune system boosted to a high level with an intake of folic acid, beta-carotene and vitamin C is important in the long-term treatment of genital warts.
Tags: genital warts, apple cider, immune system, acid beta-carotene, acid beta-carotene vitamin