I have rrp (throat warts) too. Listen to the above poster. I never heard of this disease & was a virgin when I met my boyfriend (supposedly he was too -- huh!!). No one is safe from this disease, and I'm suffering because of someone elses discrections.

Papillomas come in all shapes and sizes. An experienced physician can often make an excellent preliminary diagnosis with an indirect laryngoscopy (light and mirror) but a definitive diagnosis requires a biopsy. It is also possible to subject the excised tissue to further tests in order to determine the genetic HPV subtype.

By observation and finally by biopsy, Observation MUST be in a physician's office or in the operating room, where the papillomas often present in a recognizable form. Note, however, that a biopsy (at least initially) is necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

The incidence of Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis is spread fairly evenly between children and adults. Physicians who treat Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis estimate that between .005-.01% of people in the United States have this disease. The low estimate is 10 patients in a million (Steinberg). Other estimates range between 5,000-25,000 people.

Not casually, and not even through intimate contact. You cannot catch RRP from another person who has it. There are a number of letters from RRP physicians and researchers corroborating this statement. Physicians who work in major treatment centers for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis agree that most people are not susceptible to catching the HPV virus in their respiratory tract. It simply doesn't get a foothold, nor can it.

Men who have undergone nerve-sparing technique should be offered therapies that are not expected to interfere with the potential recovery of spontaneous, natural erectile function. The relatively new strategy of rehabilitation in clinical management after an RRP comes from the idea that early-induced sexual stimulation and blood flow in the penis may facilitate the return of natural erectile function and resumption of medically unassisted sexual activity.

In about 50% of these cases, radiation does damage the cavernosal nerves and erections begin to fade about one year after treatment.

No one knows the exact demographics of RRP case distribution. Our organization is trying to make a difference in that regard. See RRP ISA Survey Results for data on several hundred RRP patients.

Many cases of RRP do not recur. It's a once-only event, and it never comes back. But for many other patients, RRP tends to recur even after repeated surgery. Some individuals--even young children--have undergone hundreds of surgeries, though most do not. People whose disease has been dormant for twenty years have been reported to suddenly have a flare-up for no apparent reason. The exact reasons why Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis recurs when it does are unknown.

ldquo;To all of you who wonder what triggered your RRP to start with, doctors and scientists who work with this disease cannot say for any individual patient. However, there are several things we do know: Many people carry HPV in their throat without any disease. We call this virus latency. At least 5% of the people have latent virus, while 10 people in a million have RRP. Big difference! Obviously, most of the time the virus causes no problem.

The virus that causes genital HPV and RRP reside in the tissues of the specific bodily areas that have been infected by the virus, but it does NOT show up in the blood or the lymphatic tissue. Nor does it circulate in the body as free virus. If you are taking a systemic drug like interferon for your RRP, that very well may pose problems for a blood donor recipient, and people taking this drug should not give blood while they are being treated.

The question we get from patients has to do with finding a doctor to treat their RRP. Our survey shows this is a very big deal for patients. It is one thing for a support group to refer patients to doctors who have declared an "interest" in RRP (RRP ISA absolutely does NOT make this its criteria for referral), but that's a very different standard from competence in treating RRP.

Kegel exercises work by increasing the bulk and strength of the one remaining sphincter muscle. There are disagreements about what is the “proper” way. I like to have patients do Kegel exercises by imagining that they are urinating and then contracting the muscles to “cut off” the stream. They should hold for only a second or two. Then they should let the muscle rest for 5-10 seconds and repeat the contraction.

We sell internationally and cannot provide a single RRP for a style however please call us and we will be able to provide you with further details on a particular garment.

The disease usually first attacks the larynx. In adults, the initial symptom is hoarseness. In young children, there may also be stridor. [If you have a child who has difficulty breathing when sleeping, see a physician right away. One footnote: A number of obstetricians and pediatricians have misdiagnosed this disease. Physicians treating young children need to educate themselves about Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis.

Families and patients who are already isolated by the physically debilitating nature of RRP are sometimes marginalized within their own communities. It is essential that people who have been touched by this cruel disease find strategies that build a sense of empowerment/self-esteem and neutralize the sense of isolation. RRP ISA has several message boards in its archives and we also encourage patients and professionals to join the RRP Support Tribe.

Radiation treatment is known to sometime cause Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis to become malignant. Our database also shows that about 30% of all RRP patients stated that voice abuse has caused an recurrence/exacerbation and that about 20% of all patients stated that irritant fumes caused recurrence/exacerbation. The "voice abuse effect" is well-known to many doctors, but the "irritant fume effect" is not.

RRP surgery requires close coordination between surgeon and anesthesiologist. Patients are encouraged to talk with their anesthesiologist and ask questions. There are three distinct approaches to anesthesia for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis. (1) Through a "venturi jet-ventilation device," the anesthesiologist blows air into the patient's lung at periodic intervals. This device does not block the airway with an inflatable balloon.