We share our beautiful world not only with animals and birds, but, unfortunately, also with hundreds of thousands of viruses and germs. A huge army of these living creatures parasitizes in us or on us, causing various ailments. Shellfish on the skin is a disease caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus . With the mollusks habitual for us, which inhabit water bodies, this virus does not have any similarities and is manifested by a skin rash or individual formations ranging in size from 1 mm to 2 cm. True, large rashes are rare. Basically, they come from the merger of several neighboring entities into one.
How to determine that you have a clam on your skin, and not some other rash? The diagnosis is usually made by a specialist without difficulty, because the papule (pimple) of the mollusk in the center has something that resembles a navel. The second characteristic feature is a white substance similar to gruel or cottage cheese that appears from the papule upon mechanical action (extrusion). If you look at this gruel under a strong microscope, you can see in it a great many living molluscum contagiosum.
Mollusks on the skin appear after contact with a sick person or with his things. Another way of infection is the pool. In water, this virus does not die, and once it falls on the victim’s skin, it tries to gain a foothold there. If the human body is weakened after diseases, if the immunity is not strong enough, the mollusk fixes on the skin and begins to multiply actively. Absolutely healthy people rarely get sick with them only if the virus has got into an open wound. The highest probability of catching a clam in children, in the elderly, and, therefore, weak, as well as carriers of HIV infection, in people who have a promiscuous sex life and in those who are unclean.
Often, mollusks become infected and pregnant. If they do not receive treatment, the mollusk can be transmitted to newborns. Very often, the disease breaks out in kindergartens and nurseries, because the sick child is not isolated, continues to attend the institution and contact with other children. In fairness, often the parents of such a child do not even suspect that their baby is a carrier of infection.
Mollusks on the skin of children appear anywhere except the palms of the hands and feet. In adults, most often they spill out in the genital area, in the groin, on the inner plane of the thighs. Itching is rarely observed. But if it is still there, then combing the affected areas is impossible, since an infection can be brought into the resulting wounds. Places of combing, as well as the place of a randomly stripped mollusk, should be greased with brilliant green.
You can treat mollusks on the skin yourself at home or on an outpatient basis. At home, you can use ointments and alcohol tinctures, for example, tincture of celandine, fucortsin, Tazorak ointment, Imiquimod, Aldar cream and others. They are applied according to the instructions attached to the medicine.
The mollusks are removed on an outpatient basis with special tweezers, a curette, and then this place is repeatedly lubricated with hydrogen peroxide and iodine. Cauterization with liquid nitrogen, electric current and laser is also used. Local anesthesia is required before the procedure , since the removal of mollusk papules is rather painful.
Alternative methods include prolonged (many times a day) cauterization of papules with fresh juice of celandine, garlic, bird cherry, concentrated potassium permanganate, saturated decoctions of a string and calendula. With all methods of treatment, vitamins and a balanced diet are indicated.
Molluscum contagious treatment requires prolonged. There are cases when, after the complete disappearance, the papules appeared again. Fortunately, this disease can go away without treatment, after a person has sufficiently strengthened immunity.