Pityriasis versicolor is a skin disease of a fungal nature. It affects the stratum corneum of the epidermis and causes the appearance of colored spots on the human body. Young people are most susceptible to this pathology, but it may occur in children and the elderly. ICD-10 pityriasis code B36.0.
It is noticed that such lichen is most widespread precisely in hot countries, for which it is often called colored, beach or sunny. Those who are faced with this unpleasant disease should know how to quickly cure it at home and what rules must be followed.
Causes of the disease
Pityriasis versicolor is an infectious disease. Its causative agent is an oval, round or filamentous fungus that enters the human body upon contact with the carrier of the infection. It can be close contact, using the same towel or items of clothing. You can become infected with lichen through the use of common objects, quite often this happens in a public place.
Doctors note that contact with a carrier of infection may noteveryone. Some people are more susceptible, and it is they who develop symptoms in the first place. How do you know how prone a person is to a fungal disease?
Risk group
Doctors have been able to identify some factors that can cause pityriasis versicolor. Among them:
- genetic predisposition (if the next of kin was diagnosed with this disease, the risk increases several times);
- oily skin type and increased sweating (doctors attribute these features to the presence of a nutrient medium for enhanced reproduction of fungi);
- disorders of the endocrine system (e.g. diabetes mellitus, signs of obesity);
- presence of vegetovascular dystonia;
- the presence of infectious diseases or tuberculosis (under such conditions a person has reduced immunity and the body cannot cope with infectious agents);
- diseases of the gastrointestinal or respiratory system.
Clinical picture
Like any other type of lichen, this variety is manifested by the presence of spots on the skin. Another question: "What does pityriasis versicolor look like and how does it differ from others?". Spots of this origin can be recognized by their appearance and the symptoms they cause
Localization: mainly the upper part of the torso - on the neck, head, armpits, abdomen, spots in the groin may appear.
Shape: These patches are usually irregular, asymmetrical and vague.
Size: at the initial stagethe spots are small, but increase in diameter over time. Several individual lesions located close to each other may merge into a large one over time.
Color: The color of the spots may vary (hot pink, pale, tan).
Surface: the skin in the affected area begins to peel off, small scales are visible on it.
Sensations: No itching or pain, so the spots hardly bother patients.
Important! If spots of unknown origin were found on the body, you should not self-medicate. First of all, you need to contact the clinic for professional medical help.
Diagnostic Methods
The clinical picture of pityriasis versicolor is quite similar to the symptoms of some other skin diseases, so the doctor first prescribes a series of diagnostic procedures that can determine the exact cause.
- Wood's lamp. In this light, the affected areas of the skin turn pink or golden-green.
- Treatment with iodine solution 2%. The spots turn dark brown.
- Microscopic examination. In this case, the specialist accurately identifies the causative agent of the disease.
- Cultural analysis. In this case, a sample from the surface of the skin is used to germinate cells and, based on the results of the analysis, a diagnosis is made.
Without an accurate diagnosis, it is strongly not recommended to start treatment. An incorrectly selected course of therapy can lead toexacerbation of symptoms and development of underlying diseases.
Folk treatment for pityriasis versicolor
The main task in the treatment of lichen is the elimination of pathogenic fungi from the human body. Doctors in this case prescribe local and general drugs that have a detrimental effect on the causative agent of the infection. At the same time, many patients are wondering if it is possible to cure the disease at home?
In fact, it is possible, but for this you need to take into account a number of important details.
- Before you start therapy, you need to make sure that it is really pityriasis. Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and only on the basis of test results.
- Folk remedies help in the fight against skin fungus, but it will take much more time than when using medical drugs.
- One of the most important requirements is regularity. Treatment should be continued regularly.
- Hygiene is essential. A person should wear only his own clothes and use a separate, always fresh towel. This will protect his family from infection and prevent the fungus from re-entering the body.
- For the duration of treatment, it is better to reduce the number of stressful situations and sports (to reduce sweating).
Effective homemade ointments
For the manufacture of such medicines, only natural ingredients are used. This greatly reduces the risk of side effects andan allergic reaction.
- Ointment based on St. John's wort. St. John's wort has long been popularly known for its effectiveness in the fight against skin diseases. It is also suitable as a treatment for pityriasis versicolor. To do this, take the dry herb of St. John's wort, grind it in a coffee grinder to a powder state. You will need 1 dessert spoon of this powder and 4 tablespoons of petroleum jelly. These components are thoroughly mixed and used to regularly lubricate the affected areas of the skin. This procedure should be repeated 3-4 times a day.
- Healing ointment based on rue. To do this, use a dry plant, carefully crushed. You will need 1 part rue powder and 3 parts good butter. You can measure with spoons - for 1 spoon of the plant you will need 3 tablespoons of oil. All mix well and send the ointment to the refrigerator. Lubricate the spots of pityriasis versicolor should be at least 2 times a day.
- Ointment from fresh sorrel. In the summer, you can use a recipe based on fresh sorrel. As the patients themselves say, such an ointment helps to cope with the symptoms of the disease in just 10-12 days. A small amount of sorrel leaves is crushed into gruel and a little heavy cream is added. Regular use of the ointment gives a good result.
- Ointment from hellebore root. The dry root is carefully crushed (to a state of powder). Next, take 2 tablespoons of petroleum jelly and heat it in a water bath. It should have a liquid consistency. Vaseline is not removed from the fire, hellebore root is added to it and boiled for 15-20 minutes. After thatthe product is cooled and lubricated with skin areas several times a day.
- Ointment from burdock and hops. The preparation of this drug will require a little more time, but the result is worth it. Take crushed burdock root (about 2 tablespoons), mix with 15 hop cones and calendula flowers (about 10 flowers). This herbal collection is placed in a container and poured with a glass of boiling water. The broth is boiled in a water bath for about 20 minutes. After that, the liquid is removed from the fire, cooled and filtered. This decoction is mixed with 100 g of petroleum jelly and chopped licorice root (about 2 tablespoons). After thorough mixing, a uniform consistency is achieved. Apply this ointment 2 times a day.
Infusions from lichen
In addition to ointments, infusions and decoctions are good for fungal skin diseases. They can be used as compresses and lotions.
- Decoction of celandine. To prepare such a remedy for the treatment of pityriasis versicolor on the body, you need to use 1 cup of boiling water and about 2 tablespoons of celandine grass. The grass is poured with water and insisted under a lid or in a thermos for about 30 minutes. During this time, the broth will have time to infuse. Use a decoction of celandine as a lotion. A bandage or gauze is moistened in the liquid and applied to the sore spot for 1 hour.
- Decoction of mint. Peppermint effectively fights the causative agent of infection. Prepare the decoction in the following way. For 1 cup of boiling water, take 1 tablespoon of peppermint and insist under the lid for about an hour. Treat spots on the skin 2 times a day.
- Immortelle tincture. This medicine can be used as an independent remedy and combined with many other folk recipes. For its preparation, 0.5 liters of water and 50 g of chopped immortelle grass are used. After steaming, the broth is left for 1 hour to infuse. After straining, the liquid is used for lotions.
- Decoction of eucalyptus and string. The crushed parts of eucalyptus and string are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1. A spoonful of this dry mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water and boiled for about 20-30 minutes in a water bath. After cooling and straining, such a liquid is used for compresses or rubbing the affected skin areas.
- Decoction of calendula and blackberry leaves. Another excellent means of therapy can be called a medicinal collection of blackberries and calendula. These plants have proven their effectiveness in the fight against skin diseases of various nature. One spoon of calendula is mixed with two spoons of blackberry leaves and poured with a liter of boiling water. This liquid can not be boiled, but put in a thermos to infuse for 15-20 minutes. Use a decoction inside of 250 ml daily. This volume should be divided into 2-3 parts and taken throughout the day.
- Iodine. Regular iodine will help to cope with the fungus. To get rid of the symptoms, spots are smeared with iodine every day. The only drawback of this option is the staining of the skin. In other words, it is not advisable to treat pityriasis versicolor on the face in this way, since traces of iodine will be clearly visible.
Berry maskfrom lichen
A lot of positive feedback can be heard about a healing mask made from fresh berries. To do this, take the berries of viburnum or cranberries, knead them into a pulp and put them in place of the lichen. These berries not only fight pathogens, but also restore and nourish the skin. Apply such masks daily until the symptoms disappear completely.
There is another option for using viburnum and cranberries - combining them with salicylic and boric acid. By mixing these ingredients, you can get an effective ointment for the symptoms of pityriasis versicolor.
Lemon with beets
These products are easy to buy in any store, and they will be very useful for those people who suffer from manifestations of fungal skin diseases. Beets will need about 200 grams. It is cleaned, washed and crushed in any convenient way. Juice is squeezed out of the resulting slurry and mixed with the juice that will be obtained after squeezing one lemon.
This remedy can be taken orally and topically (on the skin). For ingestion, about 150 ml of water is added to the juice of lemon and beets. You need to drink the medicine 100 g three times a day. If used topically, do not dilute with water.
Cabbage with sea s alt
This mixture is often used in the treatment of pityriasis versicolor at home. White cabbage is finely chopped. The easiest way to do this is with a blender. Approximately the same amount you need to take and fresh grass bear ears. Grass is best used withflowers. Bear ears are crushed like cabbage.
Fine sea s alt is added to the resulting mass. Its volume should be ⅕ of the volume of cabbage and grass. After thorough mixing, the mixture is applied to the skin for about 1 hour. Repeat the procedure twice a day.
Buckwheat decoction
Many people love buckwheat porridge, but few people know that this product is incredibly useful for those who suffer from skin fungus. Such a medicine is obtained completely natural, hypoallergenic and as cheap as possible. At the same time, the effectiveness of simple buckwheat will pleasantly surprise many. If you believe the reviews, the treatment of pityriasis versicolor when you turn on this tool starts to go much faster.
To prepare the medicine, wash 1 cup of buckwheat, pour into boiling water and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. All this time, stir the porridge lightly so that it does not burn. After the porridge is ready, the remaining water is drained, cooled and used for lotions on the affected part of the skin. You can use this remedy several times a day.
Mild detergent
As already mentioned, personal hygiene during treatment requires special attention. On the one hand, a person with such a diagnosis must constantly maintain the cleanliness of the skin. On the other hand, do not irritate the skin, as this may increase the symptoms of the disease.
A mild, gentle cleanser can be a decoction of soapwort. It differs from soaps and shower gels in its natural origin.and gentle, non-irritating effect on the skin. In addition, soapwort blocks inflammation and eliminates pathogens on human skin.
To prepare a soap decoction, crushed soapwort root and boiling water are required. The proportions in this case are 1:1. The broth is boiled for 20 minutes, after which it is removed from the heat and insisted under the lid for another hour. The cooled liquid is filtered and used twice a day for washing.
Such folk recipes can be used separately and combined with each other. In addition, you should not refuse the medication prescribed by the doctor. Such tablets and ointments eliminate the causes of pityriasis versicolor and fight its manifestation.
In the event that after 10-14 days of using folk remedies there is no improvement and the spots have not decreased in size, you should seek medical help. Perhaps, against the background of pityriasis versicolor, other skin diseases began to develop that are not susceptible to this type of treatment.
