Cervical dysplasia and HPV
Human papilloma virus relationship to cervical dysplasia:
HPV or Human Papilloma Virus is the virus that causes cervical dysplasia. It is commonly known as the “wart” virus. It causes several types of warts (genital, plantar, and flat warts). Although HPV causes many conditions, cervical dysplasia has the most adverse affect on women’s health.
What exactly is cervical dysplasia?
“Plasia” means growth. “Dysplasia” simply means an abnormal or disordered growth. It is dangerous because it is a precancerous condition of the cells of the cervix. There are three basic levels of severity: mild, moderate, and severe cervical dysplasia. Although all dysplasias can become cancerous, moderate and severe have a higher incidence of converting into cancer without treatment.
Other contributing causes of cervical dysplasia:
Women who smoke have concentrated chemicals such as nicotine and cotinine in their cervix. This weakens the immune system and makes the cells of the cervix more susceptible to developing dysplasia or abnormal precancerous cells. Also, poor nutrition and diets deficient in fresh fruits and vegetables can increase susceptibility to dysplasia. Antioxidants such as vitamin E and beta-carotene are necessary to keep the immune system healthy and fight conditions such as dysplasia.
How is cervical dysplasia diagnosed?
The primary diagnostic test is the Pap smear. Even if HPV is not detected on the Pap smear, it is 80% to 90% conclusive that you have HPV if you have any form of cervical dysplasia.
How did I get cervical dysplasia?
The most common transmission of HPV and cervical dysplasia is through sexual contact. Because HPV may be found on all genital tissue, even a condom will not prevent transmission. The virus may possibly lay dormant for a few years before it shows up in an abnormal Pap or in various forms of warts.
Treatments for HPV and cervical dysplasia:
In general, dysplasia will convert to normal after 24 months without treatment in 70% of cases. Moderate and severe cases can be treated with many procedures such as the LEEP, cryotherapy, cone biopsy and other surgical procedures. This virus is very resistant, however. Even if you burn or freeze your entire cervix, the virus may remain in many cases because it is present in the vaginal tissue, too . The best thing to do is to strengthen the body’s immune system which can be enhanced by proper diet, taking multivitamins, and not smoking. Other alternative treatments have been found to be successful and other naturopathic remedies.
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