Oral Warts – What They Are & How to Remove Them

Everything You Need to Know about Oral Warts

1. What are oral warts?

Oral warts are warts that develop inside or around the mouth and lips. Unlike other types of warts, oral warts do not appear in clusters. They are usually harmless. But in some cases, they can cause pain or discomfort, making it difficult to eat or talk. Oral warts can go away on their own even without treatment. But this can take many months or years. If left untreated, the warts can spread or grow in number and size.

Read on to see what oral warts look like and learn how to remove them.

2. What causes oral warts?

Oral warts, like all warts, are caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). This virus is a double-stranded circular DNA virus that consists of about 7900 base pairs (bp). There are many different strains of HPV. Most of them are harmless, but some can infect the mouth, hands, feet, throat and genitals. While some HPV strains can cause warts, others have been linked to cancer. For example, HPV 2, 6, 11, 13, and 32 are responsible for warts on different parts of the body. HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 can cause cancer.

3. What do they look like?

Oral warts can look similar to other types of warts, but they can be smaller in size. Some of the most common symptoms of oral warts include:

• Small, hard, bumpy growths in the cavity of the mouth, on the tongue or around the lips.
• They warts can appear like a cauliflower or a mass of folds or projections. They can also be raised or flat, and white, pink, flesh-colored, or red.
• Most of the time, oral warts are painless, but they can be uncomfortable. In some cases, you may have trouble swallowing, sore throat, cough and numbness or tingling around the mouth.

Oral warts can be misdiagnosed as another condition like cold sores. To confirm the diagnosis, make sure you talk to a doctor.

Read more: 8 Types of Warts You Should Be Aware Of

4. How do you get them?

Oral sex is the greatest risk factor for developing oral warts. Other ways of mouth-to-mouth contact with an HPV infected person can also put you at an increased risk. For example:

• Deep kissing
• Having sex at a young age
• Having multiple sex partners
• Not using protection during oral sex
• Drinking alcohol
• Using tobacco products
• Sharing drinks, eating utensils and anything that directly touch your mouth
• Chewing or biting nails. This occurs when your nails come into contact with an object or surface that has HPV.

Read more: 6 Weird Ways You Can Get HPV without Having Sex

5. Are oral warts contagious?

Oral warts are contagious. It can spread quickly to other areas of the body, or to other people. Touching, picking or scratching a wart on one part and then doing the same to another part can make HPV spread. If you touch someone else’s wart, you can get HPV, too.

Read more: HPV Transmission: Myths and Facts to Know

6. Do oral warts cause cancer?

People with oral warts do not usually develop cancer. This is because the HPV types that cause warts rarely turn into cancer. But you can still get oral cancer if you have multiple types of HPV. In this case, there are no symptoms present. But if you do have symptoms, you are likely to experience the following:

• Bumps or sores that do not heal
• Difficult swallowing or talking
• Numbness or swelling in the mouth
• Constant coughing
• A persistent sore throat
• Hoarseness or a change in your voice

Smoking is the most common way for developing oral HPV cancer.

Read more: How Oral Sex Can Cause Your Cancer

7. How can you treat oral warts?

Oral warts can go away on their own within several months or years. During this time, you have to chew on the side of the mouth to avoid biting down on the warts.

Currently, no topical creams or oral drugs can cure warts inside the mouth. But if you’re dealing with warts on the lips or around the mouth, VidaroX cream is the best choice for you. For many years, it has been well- known for removing warts fast and naturally. It can take a few weeks to one month to show results.

Another effective way to treat oral warts is to seeing a dentist or dermatologist for surgical removal. Usually, a doctor can use liquid nitrogen to freeze off and remove the warts. He or she can also use a strong electric current to cut off and remove the warts.

Read more: What You Need to Know about Freezing Warts

8. How can you avoid getting oral warts?

To reduce your risk of developing oral warts, you should:

• Get the HPV vaccine
• Use condoms and dental dams during sex
• Avoid deep kissing and oral sex with open sores or warts
• Limit your number of sex partners
• Tell your partner about your HPV status
• Get regular health check ups
• Have good oral and dental hygiene
• Never share personal items with others

Read more: 9 Amazing Tips to Clear HPV out of Your Body Naturally