Lichen is a disease of the upper layers of the skin that is caused by fungi or some viruses. It can be contagious and non-contagious - this is determined by etiology. In addition, heredity, sensitization of the body, decreased immunity, autoimmunization, and the influence of some external factors can play a role. In the infectious variant, lichen is transmitted by contact-domestic way at home or in any public place.
How to determine lichen in humans? Pathology usually manifests itself by the appearance of various spots, vesicles, areas of peeling, itching, skin irritation and various pigments. The localization of the affected areas is very different. According to statistics, young children and adolescents rarely suffer from lichen.
Deprive in perspective
How to determine lichen in humans and treatment in the prognosis? Lichen is not a pleasant disease, more often it is completely curable, with the exception of some species. There are even types that go by themselves without any treatment.
Types of depriving people in manifestations
How to determine the main types of lichen in humans? Visually identifying the type of pathology is not always possible, but its very presence is quite real. Some of the most famous species can be recognized with the naked eye. These include multi-colored and ringworm, eczema, psoriasis.
How to identify signs of depriving a person? The first signs look like patches of red, often with itching, peeling and limitation from healthy skin. These foci slightly rise above the skin. There may be papules. Further, the process progresses, and the symptoms of the disease appear.
How to identify the symptoms of depriving a person? The affected skin will be bordered by clear ridges, it is often red or with bubbles. Often such bubbles burst, become crusty, and begin to peel off actively. Around there are a lot of scales. The general condition is rarely violated.
The most common types
How to determine the type of depriving a person? The most common types:
- Pink (Zhiber's lichen) is a seasonal disease. It occurs more in women 20-40 years old. Pink spots up to 3 cm in diameter appear everywhere on the body, with itching and peeling.
- Ringworm - often occurs from contact with an infected animal, mainly in children. Signs - pink plaques up to 4 cm, dry skin and hair loss are noted in them. The head and neck are usually affected.
- Tinea - occurs in the elderly, who have previously had chickenpox. It is caused by herpes. A rash and vesicles appear on the chest, head and face, itching and soreness of the affected areas are observed. Later, the bubbles burst and crust.
- Multi-colored - is more common in young people. He is characterized by different color spots with peeling.
- Red flat - more common in young women with diabetes. Symptoms: shiny small nodules appear on the skin, mucous membranes and nails. In the center there is a recess, the shape is polygonal.
- Scaly or psoriasis - appears with endocrine and neurological pathologies, in alcoholics.
- Sunny - often in some people on the upper back after hot sunny summers, white flaky spots. The name is given because the number of cases increases in the summer. The reason is the fungus.
How lichen finds itself
He is not immediately noticed, because he is preceded by an incubation period. It can last several days or even months (no more than 2).
Many have heard that lichen can be determined using iodine. How to determine lichen in humans with this substance? This is only possible with multi-colored lichen.
Then a Balcer test is performed - the affected area is smeared with iodine, then you should wait 5 minutes. If it is a multi-colored lichen, its patches will be darker than healthy skin.
Stages of the disease in humans
Most often, lichen fits into 3 stages: initial, chronic, recovery (not always).
The acute stage is characterized by spots, itching, changes in the structure of the skin. If untreated, lichen becomes chronic. Symptoms fade, there is often no particular discomfort, but the danger to others remains.
Pink lichen (Giber disease)
Caused by herpes simplex virus type 7, not yet fully understood. How to determine the type of depriving a person? Pink lichen is characterized by plaque inflammation. They are light pink, round in shape, the center is paler. These spots begin to gradually spread, the center turns yellow and peels. Itching is not always. The initial large spot is the maternal plaque. Then there are more spots, the stomach, hips, and limbs are involved in the process. These are daughter plaques. After 2 weeks, they begin to lighten, then disappear. Dark pigmentation remains. This type of lichen is contagious, more often occurs in mature people. Elderly and young children do not get sick.
Shingles
Caused by a virus, contagious. Skin lesion is one-sided. It often appears in patients with chickenpox. The virus is neurotropic, so postherpetic neuralgia becomes a consequence . A distinctive sign of such lichen is severe pain, since intercostal and other nerves are affected.
The onset of the disease occurs with subfebrile temperature, cephalalgia, chills. Then, itching and pain appears in the zone of peripheral nerve endings. Intoxication is growing, pink spots and transparent bubbles appear. They pass through the intercostal areas in the form of a belt, from where the name is given.
It will help answer the question of how to determine a person’s lichen, photos presented below. The view is very characteristic: the lesion is one-sided, in the form of a bright girdle strip, often on the chest or back. Bubbles at different stages, because they are replaced by crusts. Regional lymph nodes increase. In the area of the ribs, itching and pain.
How to determine what a person’s lichen passes? Bubbles begin to dry out, peeling appears. Healing is coming, but neurological manifestations last for a few more weeks. The virus can always be reactivated as a result of stress, hypothermia, decreased immunity, and blood diseases. Often this lichen occurs in AIDS.
Ringworm
This includes trichophytosis and microsporia. The scalp (usually the crown) and the body are affected. The disease is contagious, often has a chronic course. It appears pinkish plaque spots with clear boundaries. They itch and peel in the form of whitish scales.
If the crown of the head is affected, the hair breaks off under the root, for which the name is given. The spots emit a sweet smell.
Not all contacts can become infected. This requires reduced immunity, constant contact with the source, damaged skin and lack of hygiene.
Pityriasis (multicolored) lichen
Called by a yeast-like fungus. Progresses with increased humidity (sweat). Not contagious, there are no negative consequences. More common in young people with endocrine disruptions, decreased immunity and lovers of beaches and tanning salons.
The disease begins with the appearance of spots on the skin of a different shade - from white, pink-beige to brown, for which it got its name.
The spots are clearly delineated, flaky, presented in the form of bran. Localized on the neck and torso. The spots above the skin do not rise, but spread and grow. They tend to merge. Do not cause discomfort.
When tanning, the spots appear discolored. In winter, they darken and stand out. This lichen is easy to recognize with iodine.
How to determine a person’s lichen with iodine, and is this enough for a diagnosis? Iodine test (Balcer), of course, is economical and affordable, simple, has no contraindications, but is only part of the general diagnosis process. Scraping and microscopy are required.
Lichen planus
It does not depend on age, it is more common in women. The reason is considered a violation of metabolism and immunity, stress, gastrointestinal diseases. Not contagious. The course is protracted, there are no consequences.
May affect skin, mucous membranes and nails. Favorite localization - bends of the arms and legs, armpits, back, palms. It manifests itself as middle spots of red-lilac and raspberry color, with a shiny surface. They are preceded by reddish nodules, without peeling, somewhat depressed in the center.
There are no maternal plaques here, unlike pink lichen. Nodules enlarge and begin to merge. Such plaques have a characteristic mesh pattern. Affected nails become uneven and crumble.
Soaking versicolor or eczema
This is a whole group of diseases with a common name. There can be many reasons: immune pathologies, genetic predisposition and other internal factors.
Pathology is not contagious, the wave-like course - with exacerbations and remissions. Among the consequences, a tendency to secondary infection is noted.
How to determine a person’s lichen of this species? There may be many forms, but the main symptoms coincide: the rash is symmetrical. The beginning is in the form of reddening areas, with blurred borders and swelling. Then they are covered with nodules and bubbles with fluid.
The shape and color may be different, but excruciating itching is common to everyone. Then the bubbles burst, and get wet, hence the name.
Deep cracks, scales, multi-colored spots appear on the skin. Without a hypoallergenic diet, eczema treatment is pointless.
Psoriasis, scaly lichen or fish skin
Incurable, chronic skin disease, non-contagious. It does not have a gender affiliation, it was previously often localized on bends and large joints, today it can be found everywhere on the body. It has no consequences.
The age of patients does not play a role, but is more common in young people, even in adolescents. The disease is classified as lichen due to the fact that silver peeling resembles lichen or fish scales. The causative agent is unknown. The first rashes or relapses are always accompanied by a general malaise, burning, sometimes itching of the skin and temperature.
Stages of psoriasis
At the first stage, bubbles appear, they grow. Any exposure to the skin, even the sun's rays, leads to a sharp increase in the rash.
Then comes the stationary stage - the rash does not increase anymore, but it begins to actively peel off. The skin becomes shiny and resembles scales.
In the third stage, external symptoms disappear, but burning and itching last for months. During this time, the joints are also affected - psoriatic arthritis. Arthralgia and spinal pain appear. The joints swell, cannot function normally, which leads to disability and decreased immunity.
How to determine lichen in humans in this case? Spots of psoriasis are very characteristic - they always peel off densely, resembling powder with flour. Any surge of emotions leads to an exacerbation of the disease.
Diagnosis of lichen
How to determine lichen in humans? The lichen itself is clinically obvious to a specialist. But its appearance can only be established by microscopy of scraping from the skin. The determination is made on the filaments of mycelium and spores.
Spores are grown in a nutrient medium and, after their rapid growth, they accurately establish the type of pathogen - the cultural method. In addition, a skin examination in the rays of the Wood lamp (express method) is used for diagnosis, but taking a scraping is mandatory.
Even if you yourself have discovered lichen in yourself, only a specialist can choose the right treatment. In autoimmune processes, blood is drawn for the presence of antibodies. But the most informative is the PCR method.
How to treat lichen in humans
Treatment depriving local and general, includes the use of antimycotics, antiviral drugs, immunomodulators and vitamins. If necessary, cytostatics, antihistamines, etc. are prescribed. The choice is determined by the pathogen, stage of the disease, its neglect, etc.
The main goal of the treatment is to prevent the process from becoming chronic and to conduct a full-fledged treatment of the acute stage. Otherwise, relapses occur necessarily. Self-medication is excluded, it will not be correct unequivocally.
The standard treatment regimen consists of:
- Stain treatment (tar, ichthyol ointment).
- Symptomatic treatment with diuretics, sedatives.
- Physiotherapy (ultrasound, laser).
- Desensitizing therapy - antihistamines.
In case of damage to the scalp, Nizoral shampoo helps. This antifungal agent relieves itching and peeling of the skin well.
With single lesions, you can limit yourself to local treatment: ointments and iodine - fungi do not like him.
If several areas of the skin are affected, a general treatment is added. With eczema, immunoprotectors are necessary. In severe cases, treatment with corticosteroids, detoxification therapy, physiotherapy.
With psoriasis (since this is an autoimmune process), cytostatics, plasmapheresis, etc. are used.
Tablets. Drug Overview
Tablets are applicable only with a few foci of lichen, lesions of the scalp.
The most often called: "Orungal", "Griseofulvin", "Lamisil", "Terbinafine", "Fluconazole", "Nizoral".
Despite its effectiveness, antimycotics are hepatotoxic, therefore, dermatologist monitoring is necessary.
Ointment for lichen
Their advantage is deep penetration into the skin, longer exposure and lack of absorption into the blood. Ointments are often combined with tincture of iodine: in the morning, the affected area is smeared with iodine, and at night - with ointment.
Of ointments, the following are most often used:
- 10-20% sulfuric ointment;
- salicylic;
- sulfuric tar;
- "Mikospor ointment";
- "Nizoral";
- "Clotrimazole";
- "Mycoseptin";
- Lamisil et al.
Ointments are well combined with disinfectants (furatsilinom, potassium permanganate, chlorhexidine). They pre-treat the affected skin, and then apply the ointment. Duration of use is prescribed by a doctor.