Many have probably heard of such an unpleasant disease as lichen planus. It is also popularly called the sun fungus. What is it? Why is this disease developing? Most often it occurs in people from hot countries with high humidity. The disease brings significant discomfort to the patient, including due to aesthetic defects.
Why does it appear
The main reason that color lichen appears in humans is the fungus. The causative agent of the disease are infections such as Malassezia furfur and Pityrpsporum orbiculare. Be sure to take all possible measures to treat this ailment. It will not go away on its own. When viewed under a microscope, color lichen looks like thick curved threads placed in the form of clusters on the epidermis.
How can you get infected
Let's dwell on this issue in more detail. Speaking about how to treat lichen, one can not help but mention the main causes and symptoms of this disease. Some believe that the main reason for its occurrence is an imbalance in the body, and it is not transmitted from person to person. However, according to dermatologists, color deprivation may well be infected. It is classified as conditionally infectious, since not every person develops characteristic symptoms during infection. Treatment should be carried out only if the disease manifests itself. Usually, symptoms are observed in people with low body resistance.
You can get infected in the following ways:
- By personal contact. Often, color lichen affects the whole family, since it is easily transmitted by cohabitation.
- Through personal hygiene items, if used by a sick person. It can be washcloths, towels, clothes.
- In the dressing room or public locker room.
If you find yourself the first signs of the disease, immediately start treatment.
Risk groups
You should familiarize yourself with them thoroughly. How to understand that you have lichen color? After all, the disease does not manifest itself immediately. The incubation period can be from 14 to 30 days. For a long time, people do not treat it simply because they do not notice its symptoms. However, there are a number of factors that provoke the accelerated development of the fungus. In this case, treatment can not do without.
The main reasons for the appearance of lichen in humans include:
- Genetic predisposition to dermatomycosis.
- Increased oily skin, disruption of the processes in the stratum corneum of the epidermis.
- Concomitant diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, vegetoneurosis, diseases of the endocrine system.
- Increased sweating - hyperhidrosis. With this disease, the chemical composition of sweat changes, which only contributes to the development of the fungus.
- With weak immunity. The disease is especially common among patients with tuberculosis. If signs of lichen are detected, it is worth checking before treatment if the patient is suffering from extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis.
- Vegetative-vascular dystonia, developing as a result of an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system. Concomitant symptoms in this case are also depression, dizziness, panic attacks.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. They have a bad effect on the skin condition. If the patient is diagnosed with lichen, treatment should begin with the root cause.
- Respiratory diseases: pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis.
- Hormonal disorders during pregnancy or menopause in women.
- The use of antibacterial gels and soaps.
Most often, people of middle age and children under seven years of age suffer from lichen. However, this ailment usually manifests itself only against a background of weakened immunity.
What diseases can be confused
How to identify lichen in humans? Photos of affected areas of the skin will help you conduct a preliminary diagnosis. But it’s better to consult a doctor. Indeed, the symptoms of color lichen are similar to many diseases.
Here are just a few of them:
- Syphilitic roseola: this disease is characterized by the appearance of pink spots. When probing, they can disappear.
- Vitiligo disease: difficult to treat.
- Deprive Gibber: an elongated pink spot forms on the skin, which peels off in the central part.
Before starting an independent treatment of the disease, color lichen at home, be sure to consult a qualified specialist. A dermatologist will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe therapy.
Signs
How to determine if a person has lichen in color? Treatment will give a guaranteed effect only if the disease has been diagnosed correctly. Usually, asymmetrical spots of various shades - from pink to cinnamon - appear on the skin affected by the fungus. After some time, they begin to merge into fairly large foci with uneven edges. With prolonged exposure to the sun, spots can change color. They brighten or acquire a dark brown shade. It is for this reason that lichen is also called multicolored.
Spots usually appear on the back. Less commonly, lesions occur on the shoulders, abdomen, and neck. In some cases, lichen appears on the scalp. Even after a course of treatment, the disease can reappear.
Diagnostic Methods
How to recognize color lichen in humans? Treatment, photos of severe cases, recommendations of specialists - all this interests patients. To diagnose multi-colored lichen, the doctor must necessarily collect a medical history of the patient. It is possible that factors predisposing to the disease are present in the environment. An objective examination will also help to make a diagnosis. If necessary, the doctor prescribes additional examinations.
Samples
There are several types of samples to confirm the diagnosis of lichen.
Here is some of them:
- The Balcer test is a simple and effective technique that allows you to distinguish multi-colored lichen from other dermatological diseases. During the Balcer test, a 5% iodine solution is applied to the affected area of the skin. Damaged skin cells acquire a more intense color.
- Benje's test is another simple sign by which it is easy to detect a disease. It is enough just to scrape the affected area with a special probe a little. With color depriving, the skin begins to peel noticeably.
- Illumination of the affected area with a Wood fluorescent lamp. In the UV spectrum on the skin, the spots give a reddish-yellow or brown glow.
- Microscopy method. This is the most reliable way to diagnose lichen. For its holding, a scraping is taken from the affected area. The analysis will help determine if mycelium or fungal spores are present in it.
Treatment basics
If you suspect that you have lichen color, then you should definitely visit the dermatologist's office. The doctor will accurately diagnose and will be able to determine the course of treatment. Many patients begin to self-medicate and take antifungal drugs without consulting a specialist. But this can only aggravate the situation. Only a doctor can determine the type of lichen and choose the right antifungal therapy regimen.
The main methods of dealing with an unpleasant disease
What you need to know about treatment? How to choose the most effective drug? With color depriving, experts recommend spending more time in the sun. This will help kill the fungus. In addition, when tanning, spots become discolored. However, after exposure to ultraviolet pigmented formations can persist for several months. To combat the disease, external antimycotic agents are also used - solutions, sprays, ointments, creams. Usually, doctors prescribe drugs such as salicylic ointment, Bifonazole, Terbiafin, Clotrimazole. Topical preparations are recommended to be used in a two-week course.
What are other treatments for lichen? Photos of infected areas sometimes show quite extensive areas of damage. In severe cases, prolonged drug treatment is required. Dermatologists usually recommend taking antifungal medications. Ketoconazole, Itraconazole, and Fluconazole help best. You can use analogues that use the same active substances.
During the entire treatment period it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning in the room. Bed and underwear is recommended to wash the patient at high temperatures - not lower than 90-100 degrees. Clothing should also be ironed carefully on both sides. Washcloths are better to change.
Recommendations of specialists
The attending physician selects a course of therapy aimed at restoring the skin. This takes into account the location of the focus and its prevalence throughout the body. In most cases, the disease can be easily cured at home, following the recommendations of a specialist. It is important to remember that when the first signs appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. The effectiveness of treatment depends on the location of the provoking agent. If local therapy after the course of treatment did not give a positive result, the doctor will prescribe the use of antifungal medications. You should also adjust the general condition of the body and deal with the causes that led to the occurrence of lichen.
Preparations
What medicines help to overcome color lichen?
Treatment usually involves a course of taking drugs such as:
- "Resorcinol."
- Nizoral.
- "Naphthyne."
- "Clotrimazole".
- Zinc pyrithione.
- Keto-plus.
Today keratolytic drugs are used only as part of complex therapy. They give a positive result in conjunction with other methods.
Typically, specific antifungal drugs are used to treat multicolored lichen. The maximum effect is obtained by the use of antimycotic agents in the form of solutions. They allow you to accumulate the active substance in the surface layer of the epidermis. This prevents the formation of the components necessary to maintain the vital activity of the fungus, which leads to the destruction of its structure. It is most convenient for patients to use means in the form of a spray, for example, "Thermicon" or "Lamisil".
To cure color lichen localized in the scalp, you can use zinc-based ointments and shampoos. The product must be applied to the scalp and left for 5-7 minutes. After that, it is simply washed off with water. Typically, such drugs are recommended for use within a week. For the prevention of relapse, you can periodically use such drugs every seven days. Psorilom is well suited for this purpose. It must be applied to problem areas. To wash off the composition from the skin is not necessary. Tar in this tool provides a good anti-inflammatory effect. Combined drugs are also effective. They are affordable and easy to use.
At the initial stage, experts do not recommend taking a shower or bath. It is necessary to ensure prolonged contact of the preparations with the skin. This increases the chances of a speedy recovery. In severe cases of the disease, a course of antifungal drugs is usually prescribed. The attending physician will calculate the dosage and frequency of taking the tablets.
Conclusion
Many have already experienced on their own experience with such an unpleasant disease as lichen. Photos of skin areas affected by this disease are given in the article. If such lesions occur on the skin, you can not self-medicate. Only a professional doctor can correctly diagnose the disease and prescribe an appropriate course of therapy. Try to always monitor your health. Then there will be no problems!