Cyrotherapy - Freezing Genital Warts

by: Judy Wellsworth

One of the most effective treatments for genital warts is cyrotherapy, or freezing genital warts. This treatment can only be done at the doctor's office. Although you can get the chemicals needed to freeze your warts at home, it is strongly advised that you let a doctor do it. The procedure can be extremely painful and dangerous if it is done the wrong way.

The chemical used is liquid nitrogen. After nitrogen is sprayed on the wart, a blister forms around it. In a few days, the skin heals. The old skin, including the blister and wart, falls off. Often it takes a few freezing sessions before the warts fall off completely. This form of treatment is effective in treating women who have warts on their cervix. The side effects of cyrotherapy include scarring and mild skin irritation.

Freezing genital warts is very effective. Often, the warts are gone in just days. If the freezing doesn't work, your doctor will have to try another treatment. Depending on the size and number of warts, freezing may not be the best option.

Another way to freeze off warts is to inject them with interferon. Interferon is an anti-viral medication, and it must be shot directly into the warts. This is used in more extreme cases. It is an expensive procedure and must be done under the care of a doctor. Interferon is often used when the warts continue to reappear after regular treatment was successful. It will get rid of the warts, but there is no guarantee that they will not come back.

When you are considering treatment for genital warts, keep in mind that there is no cure for the virus that causes them. Freezing genital warts removes that external warts, but it will not cure you. In the future, you may experience genital wart outbreaks periodically.

Even if the warts are frozen and fall off, you may experience another outbreak. HPV, the virus that causes genital warts, can be in the body and produce no symptoms at all for long periods of time. If you have had genital warts once, you are carrying the virus, and it can be passed on to your sexual partner. In women, the HPV virus that causes genital warts may lead to serious health complications like cervical cancer.

Keep in mind that the process of freezing genital warts involves very strong chemicals. You should never try to do it yourself. If you experience an outbreak of genital warts, talk to your doctor to see what they think the appropriate treatment should be. Cyrotherapy may or may not be the best treatment for you.

You can also find more information on freezing genital warts and HPV virus and genital warts. TreatGenitalWarts.org is a comprehensive resource to help individuals with genital warts to identify symptoms, prevention and treatment options.