Molluscum contagiosum is a fairly common disease of viral origin. Moreover, this disease is affected mainly by preschool children. Therefore, many parents are interested in questions about how a mollusk looks in a child, what are the causes of the disease. So is it possible to get rid of the disease?
Clam in a child: causes of the disease
As already mentioned, the cause of the disease is a virus, which is transmitted both through close contact with an infected person, and through the air. In addition, a common way of infection is possible, for example, when sharing toys, towels, bedding, clothes, etc. You can also catch the infection when you visit public pools, showers or baths. The state of the human immune system also matters - the stronger it is, the less likely it is that skin lesions occur. That is why molluscum contagiosum is much more often diagnosed in children than in adults, which is associated with the development of immunity.
Mollusks in children: photos and symptoms
Of course, every parent at least once in his life has encountered the problem of a rash in his baby. Nevertheless, the mollusk on the skin of a child is quite easy to distinguish from allergic rashes, rubella, chickenpox and other diseases. As a rule, with a similar disease, small vesicles of flesh, whitish or pink appear on the skin. Most often, the rash affects the skin of the face, neck, shoulders, abdomen, hands, hips, and sometimes the genital area. Pimples can have different sizes - sometimes they are almost invisible, but often their diameter can reach two centimeters. In some cases, neighboring rashes merge with the edges, forming quite large areas of damage. Molluscum contagiosum in a child is extremely rarely accompanied by itching, burning or any discomfort. That is why the disease is most often diagnosed already at later stages of development.
Molluscum contagiosum in a child: how to get rid of a rash?
In the presence of such a rash, the child should be taken to a dermatologist. Naturally, for starters, it is necessary to conduct tests to confirm the presence of a viral infection. Nevertheless, if you gently squeeze the pimple with tweezers, a small amount of whitish liquid will flow out of it. It is worth noting immediately that the mollusk in a child is extremely contagious, so for the duration of treatment it is worth restricting the patient’s contact with other children. Fortunately, modern medical methods help to quickly cure such a disease. The child is prescribed immunomodulating drugs that enhance the activity of the immune system. In addition, it is necessary to cleanse the baby's skin from a rash:
- In some cases, cryotherapy methods are used - each acne is cauterized using liquid nitrogen. The procedure is extremely unpleasant, but the use of local anesthesia can minimize discomfort.
- Today, laser removal is becoming increasingly popular, as it is more effective and does much less harm to the skin.
- After removal, crusts remain on the skin, which in no case should you try to remove yourself - you need to wait until they themselves fall away. In addition, the skin must be treated with special gels that accelerate the recovery process, as well as neutralizing a viral infection.