Does lichen go away on its own? How is pityriasis versicolor manifested and how long is it treated? psoriasis or psoriasis

How long does it take for pink lichen? Can it show up on the face or head? What are the symptoms and diagnosis of the disease? How does it look in the photo and is it possible to smear inflammation with iodine? Are drugs like chlorhexidine or cindol effective? Such questions overcome those who suspect that they or their child have such a disease.

It is also called Zhiber's disease, most often referred to as an infectious-allergic ailment. It appears after an acute respiratory viral infection, influenza, or as a result of hypothermia and can last half a year. Experts attribute its occurrence to reduced immunity. Typical symptoms are a pink rash on the skin, which is often itchy and itchy.

As a rule, Zhiber's disease occurs during the off-season. It is believed that a person can suffer this disease only once in a lifetime, then immunity is developed.

Despite the fact that pink lichen is classified as an infectious disease, it is not transmitted from a sick person to a healthy one. You can become infected with SARS, and whether Zhiber's disease will be a consequence or not depends only on the body's resistance and predisposition. Rashes on the face and head, as a rule, do not happen, but on the body they are caused by an allergic reaction, and not by pathogens.

The disease affects people aged 10 to 40 years, and gender does not matter. Babies and babies up to 2 years old, mostly do not get pink lichen. Doctors attribute this to the immunity of the mother, which is inherited by the child. The occurrence of the disease in adolescents and pregnant women is associated with the instability of the immune system.

The reasons

The exact reason why pink lichen occurs does not exist, there are several theories. According to one assumption, the causative agent of the disease in humans is the herpes virus types 6 and 7. In another way - a bacterial streptococcal infection. However, experts agree that microorganisms only “start” the disease, after which an allergic reaction begins in the body, causing the symptoms of the disease.

The causes that provoke Zhiber's disease include:

• viral infections, including influenza;
• hypothermia, which may also be accompanied by acne on the face and head in the ear area;
• stress;
• insect bites;
• metabolic problems;
• minor wounds on the skin.

Symptoms

Both in a child and in an adult, lichen manifests itself and proceeds in the same way, in some cases it drags on for six months. The first signs of Zhiber's disease are usually noticeable 3-4 days after an infectious viral disease. A large maternal pink spot appears on the body in the chest, abdomen or shoulder blades. It looks like a round inflammation with pronounced edges. A photo of such a symptom is not uncommon, but do not rush to diagnose yourself, such a manifestation can be easily confused with another, more serious disease.

A yellow coating forms in the center of the lichen, which subsequently turns into small peeling scales. Basically, the appearance is accompanied by body aches, weakness. There are several stages of the disease, and each of them has its own symptoms, characteristic of both the child and the adult. Do not use iodine to reduce inflammation, it can "postpone" recovery up to six months.

After a week, sometimes 10 days, small pink rashes may appear on the skin of the arms, legs, torso. There are no such manifestations on the face and head. They look small, the diameter of the neoplasms is no more than 1 cm, they have the correct oval shape. The peculiarity is that the spots do not grow and never merge with each other. Therefore, if you visually noticed an increase, or took photos of the foci at different times, then this should alert you - perhaps you do not have pink lichen.

Changes occur in the center of education - folded areas appear. Since the skin shrinks and cracks, a child or an adult feels a burning sensation and itching. Sometimes small subcutaneous nodules may appear in which fluid collects. With such manifestations, Zhiber's disease is easier, and recovery does not need to wait almost half a year.

Excellent conditions for the reproduction of pink lichen are places rich in sweat glands (in this case, the skin on the face is an exception), so secondary rashes are possible:

• in places of the most frequent stretching of the skin;
• in the groin, thighs, forearms.

Almost never found lesions on the face, head, mucous membranes.

As a rule, new lesions appear in a child or adult, regardless of the gender of the patient, not daily, but with a period of 10 days. On the eve of the person may feel chills or he feels weakness in the body. This symptom is caused by general intoxication. How much the patient is sick, the doctor can find out by the lichen on the body. The new rash looks pink, and the plaque lesions are patches that are more than 10 days old.

In many cases, pink lichen, that is, plaques, can go away on their own, and not necessarily after half a year. In their place are dark or light spots. After some time (for each person - gender does not matter - it is different), the color of the skin becomes the same.

Zhiber's disease usually goes away when immunity is restored. Often this period is about 4-6 weeks if iodine is not used. However, in patients with a reduced defense system, the disease can last almost half a year. Moreover, pink lichen is characterized by periods of "calming down" and renewal, that is, the appearance of new rashes.

Diagnostics

It would seem that the main symptoms of the disease are known, you can start treatment. However, you should not diagnose yourself by description or photo. The most correct is a visit to the doctor. Even a specialist looks not only at how the rash looks. He, in order to exclude other ailments, may prescribe a number of studies, including scraping, urine and blood tests.

It is forbidden to smear with iodine any skin rash before the material is taken. Iodine distorts the clinical picture and makes diagnosis difficult.

Pityriasis rosea in a small child is quite difficult to distinguish from measles and rubella, and in adults (gender does not play a role) from psoriasis, secondary syphilis, pityriasis versicolor. All of these ailments should be treated immediately, as they can provoke serious complications. Perhaps, in this case, the specialist will prescribe procedures with iodine. You can’t do without a visit to a dermatologist, he will diagnose and make an appointment.

Treatment

Despite the fact that Zhiber's disease can go away on its own, treatment should not be neglected. Even if the symptoms are not very pronounced, it will be necessary to undergo a diagnosis. Incorrectly selected treatment of pink lichen in children or adults (gender does not matter) and non-compliance with personal hygiene can cause rashes all over the body, except on the face and head, as well as the addition of a bacterial infection. Such a development of the disease may be accompanied by suppuration on the skin.

In many cases, pink lichen is treated symptomatically. That is, if there is itching, then antihistamines are prescribed, such as tavegil tablets, corticosteroid ointments, for example, akriderm. Zindol can be prescribed - a suspension containing zinc, which not only relieves itching, but also dries the skin. It is impossible to smear the foci with iodine with pink lichen, the situation will only get worse, the reviews confirm this.

Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic drug that is not prescribed to cure pityriasis rosea in humans. Especially in cases where the pathogen is not detected. Chlorhexidine is more used as a disinfectant during various manipulations. In the fight against lichen, it is used to treat animals.

Local funds

If the doctor, after the diagnosis, decided to treat the disease with local remedies, then the patient must strictly follow the instructions. The most commonly used ointments are:

1. Akriderm - a corticosteroid, should not be used for a child who is not yet two years old.
2. Sulfur ointment is an effective remedy for the development of microbes.
3. Salicylic ointment - antiseptic.
4. Uniderm - has antipruritic properties, reviews of its use are very positive.
5. Gistan.
6. Zindol is a suspension, the active element of which is zinc.

According to reviews, Tsindol helps many. In order to cure the disease, the affected areas are wiped twice a day. After how many days the result will be noticeable, depends on the stage of the disease. Cindol can be used to treat both pregnant women and infants, but in both cases, you should consult your doctor. If after the use of the drug Tsindol itching intensified, then the application should be stopped and the dermatologist should be notified about this.

If it is necessary to treat Zhiber's disease in a small child, then the appointment is carried out by a pediatrician together with a dermatologist. Children also cannot be smeared with iodine for inflammation, but iodine may be included in small amounts in the ointment that the doctor prescribes.

Tablets

It may be necessary to treat pink lichen with medication using tablets to eliminate allergic manifestations, as well as to increase immunity. Antihistamines reduce itching and reduce the amount of the allergen in the blood. Sometimes activated charcoal tablets are even prescribed. They are recommended to be taken at least 3 times a day.

To improve the protective properties of the body, antiviral drugs are used, for example, acyclovir, as well as various vitamin complexes. How much you need to take them, only a doctor can determine.

home remedies

If a person has pink lichen, then in agreement with the doctor, he can carry out therapy at home, especially with a chronic disease. Reviews of such measures are the most controversial. So, it is possible to use:

• apple cider vinegar. For one day, half a glass of liquid is required. Treat all inflamed places, including under the breast, 3-4 times a day. If the remedy is suitable, then the result is visible in a week;
• tinctures of celandine. Pour fresh leaves with alcohol, leave for 2 weeks. Dilute half portions with water 1 to 5, put the second half in the refrigerator and use at the end of the first. Treat the foci twice a day. The first results are noticeable after 10 days;
• tar ointment. It is necessary to take half a glass of tar and the same amount of butter. Mix, apply on plaques as a compress for the night. Reviews about this remedy are different, some write that the remedy is effective, others that they did not notice any changes;
• cabbage. The leaf needs to be moistened in sour cream and applied for half an hour to the hearth. Cabbage relieves itching well.

Try not to resort to treating pink lichen with folk remedies if you have to treat a child.

Remember that it is forbidden to wash in the bathroom with such a disease, and a person must take a shower so that water does not get on the plaques. If you need to remove dirt on your face or head, bend over the bowl and carry out all the procedures.

Do not rely on reviews when choosing medicines for pink lichen, even simple ones like cindol or chlorhexidine. Symptoms can be deceiving, so don't try to make a photo diagnosis. If you notice plaques on your face or head, then most likely you are developing another disease. Never use iodine until an accurate diagnosis has been made.

The main cause of the disease is deprive - fungal bacteria and microorganisms, which, getting on the skin, begin to actively develop. Owners of strong immunity, which is able to independently fight the threat from the outside and not allow the disease to progress, may not even after close contact with sick animals or people.

The most susceptible to this disease are men and women after 30 years with weakened body defenses. Often the disease occurs on the nervous after experienced stressful situations. Also, scientists are inclined to the version of the genetic predisposition of a person.

Symptoms and treatment of lichen

It is very easy to recognize an infection. The main symptoms of the disease are severe itching of the affected parts of the body, pigmentation changes, peeling of small areas of the skin. The faster it is detected, the easier it is to get rid of it and the less likely others are.

In order to avoid severe consequences and complex forms of lichen, when diagnosing a disease in oneself, it is necessary to contact the dermatovenerological as soon as possible.

The treatment consists in the following: treatment of the affected area of ​​the skin with iodine and sulfuric ointment, taking immunomodulators. It is necessary to avoid getting water on the infected area, otherwise there is a possibility of spreading lichen throughout the body.

Types of lichen

There are different types of lichen:

Simple bubble;
- pink;
- ringworm, or microsporia;
- girdle;
- red flat;
- pityriasis.

Each of these diseases requires a specific method of treatment. Therefore, the qualified help of a dermatologist is essential.

Disease duration

Do not forget that lichen is a contagious disease. There is a chance of catching lichen and infecting others with it throughout the entire time of illness. On average, a simple degree of the disease is completely cured in 1 month. Throughout the entire period of treatment, it is necessary to take tests for the presence of a fungus, and the first negative analysis does not indicate a complete recovery. A patient is considered completely healthy when they receive three negative tests. This treatment is considered complete.

Lichen appears approximately 1-3 weeks after the fungus enters the human skin. This period is called the incubation period - the lichen is not yet noticeable, but bacteria and fungi are already spreading.

So, the total duration of the course of the disease is from 6 to 9 weeks, and throughout this time, lichen can be transmitted. It is necessary to avoid bodily contact with the infected, do not use the patient's clothing and utensils, carry out frequent airing of the premises, take drugs to strengthen the immune system. By following these rules, the risk of infection is reduced.

When infected with any skin disease that is part of the "lichen" group, people are often concerned about the question of how to understand that the lichen is going away. This is not surprising, because the duration of the disease is different for everyone and directly depends on the characteristics of the human body, the quality of the functioning of the immune system, the selected method of treatment and many other points.

It should be noted that each type of lichen has its own symptoms, so in each case there are signs of the extinction of the disease.

Pink lichen is a skin disease that is characterized by the formation of maternal plaques on the human body. The danger of this type of lichen lies in the fact that with improper or untimely treatment, it can become cyclical, and this contributes to the constant appearance of a new rash on the body. Within 10-15 days, about ten outbreaks can occur.

But, as a rule, after a period of 1.5–2 months, the formation of a new rash is not observed, and the old rashes disappear.

In this case, after recovery, no traces remain in the area where the rash was present. This indicates that the disease is over.

Despite the fact that in the main category of people the disease goes away within four to six weeks, after recovery, you should definitely go to see a doctor. He will make a visual examination of your skin and give you information about your health. As a rule, even after the doctor decides that the lichen has passed, a person is prescribed drugs whose action is aimed at improving the state of the human immune system.

Among these drugs, the most popular are the following:

1. Ruprecht.
2. Tsindol.
3. Immunal.
4. Echinacea tincture.

You can recognize how ringworm passes by the following signs:

1. The affected areas stop growing.
2. The skin dries out.
3. The scales fall off, and new skin appears in their place, which differs from the rest of the skin in a lighter shade.
4. The roller protruding around the affected areas disappears.

Quite often, doctors, in order to make sure that the patient is fully recovered, force him to undergo an analysis for the presence of a disease (the analysis is taken three times every 2-3 weeks). Its essence lies in the fact that a scraping is taken from previously affected areas of the skin, which is then examined for the presence of live fungi.

If, as a result of three tests, the fungus is not detected, then this is proof that the disease has completely passed. If, despite the absence of symptoms, at least one of the tests indicates the presence of a live fungus, then treatment must be continued, because. lichen is not completely cured.

In situations where people cannot figure out whether ringworm has passed, you can feel it by touch based on symptoms. To do this, close your eyes and begin to feel all the areas affected by the disease. If they are all smooth, there are no roughness and tubercles, then it can be 70% claimed that the lichen has passed. But in any case, this must be confirmed by analysis.

Pityriasis versicolor is a skin disease in which areas of the skin become loose and uneven, merge with one another.

To find out whether the pityriasis form of lichen has passed, you can only use the Balzer test. Its essence lies in the fact that the areas previously affected by the disease are smeared with a solution of iodine.

After that, two things can happen:

1. If a person has not recovered and there is still a fungus in his body, then the smeared areas of the skin will absorb iodine and become bright brown in color.
2. If a person has recovered and the fungus is absent, then the smeared areas of the skin will acquire a pale yellow color.

In those situations when, after several Balzer tests, there are fewer areas with a bright brown color, it can be argued that the disease is going away.

There is another opportunity to check whether pityriasis versicolor has receded - scraping from the affected areas of the skin. If in the course of the scraping examination it is found that the fungi are alive and continue to develop, then there is nothing left but to continue the treatment.

In addition, some people use the rays of a quartz lamp to determine the state of the disease. In this case, the following will happen - with incomplete recovery, the affected areas will be highlighted in brown, blue-green and yellowish-red colors.

As a rule, the Balzer test in 90% of the case indicates the correct result, but it is simply necessary to confirm it with a doctor with a scraping.

In order to quickly get rid of depriving, it is necessary to perform the following therapeutic measures:

1. First of all, you need to go on a diet. This is due to the fact that a food product could well cause an illness. From the diet it is required to exclude chocolate products, citrus fruits, sweets, salty, spicy, smoked; a certain group of patients should also stop drinking milk.
2. You should refuse to take a bath and replace it with a shower.
3. It is forbidden to use hard washcloths or towels while bathing, as they injure the skin.
4. It is necessary to use clothes (including underwear) only from natural fabrics.
5. Among the drugs must be present ointments that contain the hormone of the adrenal glands. This group includes Flucinar, Clovate, Kutiveit and others.
6. To soften the skin, preference should be given to vegetable oils. Ideal for peach and sea buckthorn.
7. Ointments such as Erythromycin and Sinaflan will help reduce itching sensations.
8. Of the tablets, doctors recommend Ketotifen.

If you follow the above therapeutic measures, then you can get rid of any kind of lichen in the shortest possible time.

The main thing to understand is that self-medication is unacceptable. Wrong creams and other types of medications will only worsen the condition of the disease. Everything should be under the strict supervision of a dermatologist.

However, after taking a bath, using a “miracle remedy” recommended by a friend who knows everything in the world, or simply over time, secondary rashes begin to appear around the first spot, gradually covering an increasing surface of the body. Now it’s not only your appearance that worries you: weakness overcomes, there is a slight increase in body temperature in the range of 37.0-37.2 C, sometimes you have a headache and, most importantly, itching appears in the area of ​​​​rashes, especially at night. And you finally decide to visit a dermatologist.

After the examination, taking skin scrapings, referral for a general blood and urine test, the doctor summarizes the results and, with a smart look, stuns you with the news: “You have Gibert's disease or pink lichen!»

Of course, the word "" does not evoke positive emotions in any way. And in combination with a prescription written by a doctor, where an antiallergic drug in tablets and several ointments "to choose from" are forlornly listed, a combined composition with the obligatory presence of corticosteroids does not add optimism. And you begin to persistently search for information about this disease on the Internet, ask friends and acquaintances.

I will say right away that it will not work to sort everything out, to get comprehensive information about the nature of the disease, the causes of its occurrence and methods of treatment. To date, this is not really known even by physicians who have learned, based on the totality of facts, to diagnose pink lichen, and can prescribe a purely symptomatic treatment to make the patient feel better and speed up the recovery process. It is known for certain that either severe stress can become a “detonator” and provoke the development pink lichen However, it has not yet been possible to isolate the causative agent of the disease. Exactly because of this reason Gibert's disease modestly referred to skin diseases of an allergic-infectious nature».

Impossible, respectively, how to attribute pink lichen to bacterial, viral or fungal diseases, and prescribe appropriate treatment with specialized drugs. Due to the obvious similarity of the stages of development pink lichen With deprive shingles, it is hypothesized that Gibert's disease can be called modified herpes virus type 6 or 7, but so far this has not been confirmed. It seems quite possible that we are infected by the pathogen pink lichen, as well as the herpes virus, however, for the time being, it does not manifest itself in any way, but under certain circumstances, it blooms in a terry color. This theory is also supported by the fact that after a "complete" cure for pink lichen repeated relapses of the disease are possible.

Let's try to summarize briefly: pink lichen begins with a single pink spot, the so-called "mother's plaque" or "mother's spot", which is localized, as a rule, on the patient's torso, less often on the arms. The formation does not have clearly defined boundaries, they are smoothed out, and at this stage the patient is practically not bothered by anything. After about a week, the spot begins to resemble a crater with a concave scaly center and a roller along the edge, its color changes to bright pink. The patient has enlarged lymph nodes and all of the above appear. Secondary rashes pink lichen, in addition to the trunk and arms, can spread to the neck and legs, but on the face there is almost never a rash. After two weeks, the spots begin to change color to yellowish brown, while the center is still pink and flaky. Gradually, the spots turn pale and disappear, however, in some cases, white marks remain on the skin for a long time, or vice versa, areas with increased pigmentation. Recovery of the patient may occur in 2-3 months, and may take six months or more.

A clear link between a sharp weakening of the immune system and the development Zhiber's disease is also clearly visible, in connection with this, the peak incidence is observed in winter and spring. Cases of the development of the disease after transferred stress, skin damage, metabolic disorders, bites of blood-sucking insects. pink lichen has no gender preferences, most patients are men and women from 16 to 40 years old, in children this disease develops extremely rarely.

In diagnostics pink lichen of primary importance, in addition to the patient's general complaints, is the localization of the primary maternal plaque, the absence of repeated rashes during the week, and the fact that repeated rashes occur exclusively along the so-called Langer lines, which are located along the natural skin folds. A blood test will show an increase in the number of leukocytes and ESR indicators, as evidence of an inflammatory process in the body, and a general urine test will demonstrate traces of protein. Scraping is taken mainly in order to separate pink lichen from other similar diseases.

In treatment pink lichen the main place is given to medicines that increase immunity (immunomodulators and vitamins), relieve allergic manifestations (first of all, itching - antihistamines and corticosteroids are indispensable here), in case of extensive rashes with secondary bacterial infection due to scratching, antibiotics are prescribed. A beneficial effect on patients with UV radiation has been noted, so sunbathing or visiting a solarium is not forbidden, but it is better to refuse synthetics and prickly woolen things in the wardrobe for now.

Diet is also important. Patients with pink lichen are recommended to be excluded from the diet.:
- citrus fruits;
- eggs;
- chocolate;
- nuts;
- alcohol;
- strong coffee and tea;
- acute;
- fatty;
- fried.
Washing is allowed only in the shower, without soap and washcloths.

Opinions about contagiousness pink lichen are also very different. There are cases when the disease developed in several family members at the same time, but at the same time there is a lot of evidence when, in the presence of a patient in the house and in very close contact with family members, no one else fell ill. Doctors in this case also blame the state of the immune system: they say, if everything is in order there, pink lichen you are not threatened. Just in case, it is strongly recommended to observe, not to use combs and towels shared with the patient.

There is no specific prophylaxis for rosacea . The key to success here is a healthy lifestyle, the absence of concomitant diseases. And from stressful situations, alas, no one is guaranteed.

Good health to all!