First of all, you should understand that lichen is a disease that is most often caused by viruses or fungi. It is easily transmitted from one person to another and can even pass from sick animals. It is quite difficult to answer exactly the question of how lichen begins in a person, because it can manifest itself in different ways. In medicine, several types of lichen are distinguished, and each of them is considered dangerous.
Specialists have noted cases of infection with deprive patients who have been taking certain medications for a long time, after which they have an allergic reaction. At risk are people from 30 to 70 years old, as well as young children and adolescents who do not take good care of hygiene.
Signs of lichen
Every person should understand for himself how lichen begins. To do this, it is enough to at least know the first signs of this disease. It should be noted that the disease sometimes has a latent form, but most often there are cases when the disease proceeds openly.
Lichen usually appears on the scalp and genitals, but there are times when it covers the entire body of the patient. Basically, the degree of its manifestation depends on what type of pathogen has entered the body.
Consider the common first signs of the disease:
- In the body there is a violation of pigmentation, it is because of this that the skin that has been affected becomes darker or lighter. Sometimes there is severe redness, and the skin becomes almost brown. I must say that such spots can spread throughout the body, causing a lot of trouble for a person.
- In the area of pigmentation, the skin may begin to peel off, over time, small bubbles begin to appear, which are filled with a clear liquid. Then they burst, and liquid flows out of them, a crust forms.
- All changes may be accompanied by severe itching, which is difficult for the patient to endure. But the more the patient scratches, the more actively pathogens will spread to other parts of the body.
It should be noted that the first signs of lichen in each person can appear individually, because the type of pathogen plays the main role.
Types of lichen
Today, science knows a huge number of varieties of lichen. Specialists distinguish them according to various criteria, for example, the color of the rashes, shape, location may differ. Consider the main types of lichen:
- Pink.
- Flat.
- Color.
- Girdle.
- Shearer.
- Scaly.
Naturally, these are not all types of such an insidious disease, but they are the most common.
You need to know not only how lichen begins, but also how to treat it. The disease, although unpleasant, is treatable. The main thing is to start activities in this direction in a timely manner, then it will be possible to get rid of lichen faster. There are even cases in medicine when treatment is not required.
Lichen symptoms
Of course, the symptoms manifest themselves in different ways, it all depends on what type of pathogen has entered the body, but consider the general ones that are common to most cases:
- If you pay attention to the photo of the incipient lichen, then we can safely say that almost always small groups of bubbles initially appear on the body, inside of which there is a cloudy liquid.
- Rashes can be located in different ways and affect both sides of the body, and only one.
- Severe itching begins in places of the rash.
- In some cases, the temperature rises.
- There is inflammation of the lymph nodes.
- Rashes may initially have a light yellow color. In just a few days they become dark.
- After the formations on the skin begin to burst, they are covered with a crust, which subsequently begins to peel off.
- The borders of lichen spots will not be smooth, but they appear clearly.
- Excessive body sweating.
- Rashes after a while begin to merge into onecommon spot.
- Lichen, which is located in the hairline area, negatively affects the hair roots, making them brittle.
- When running forms of lichen, an unpleasant odor is felt.
- Often the disease manifests itself in the curves of the arms, legs, buttocks and waist. In fact, symptoms may vary from person to person.
Causes of pink lichen and its treatment
It is important to know how rosacea begins because it is considered common and not fully understood. Most often it manifests itself in the form of inflammation in certain areas of the skin, in the places of its localization, pink round spots are observed that peel off, are characterized by a pale color of the edges. To name the exact reasons why this type of lichen occurs, experts find it difficult. Some dermatologists say that if this type of disease is mild, then it may not be treated. After two months, the illness will go away on its own, but a doctor may prescribe antihistamines to relieve symptoms.
Causes of shingles
Shingles is no less rare. How the disease begins, everyone who has encountered it knows. The main symptom is that groups of bubbles may appear on the body on one side, which are very itchy and burst. In this case, treatment is considered necessary, as the person is faced with severe pain in the ribs and chest.
Specialists conduct treatment in three directions, first of all, bubbles are eliminated, theytreated with greenery. To remove the focus of infection, Acyclovir is used. In the case when itching becomes unbearable, special ointments and creams are prescribed.
Manifestation and treatment of ringworm
Ringworm is the easiest to recognize. Almost everyone knows how this disease begins. In addition to the appearance of red rashes, a person is faced with a host of different symptoms. First of all, the skin flakes off at the site of the lesion, while all this is accompanied by severe itching. The main problem is that ringworm is most often localized in the scalp.
It damages not only the scalp, but also the hair. How lichen begins on the head, adults and children know. The fact is that the hair becomes brittle at the root and falls out in places of rashes, leaving bald patches.
Therapy is necessarily carried out in a complex. The patient is prescribed Terbinafine or Griseofulvin. Places affected by lichen are treated with special ointments and creams that do an excellent job with the fungus. Such drugs can only be prescribed by a dermatologist after he has made a diagnosis. With a strong inflammatory process, hormonal drugs may be prescribed.
Diagnosis of lichen
In order to determine the type of lichen that a person has, you should definitely contact a specialist. Initially, the dermatologist will conduct a visual examination and collect all the necessary data in order to make a diagnosis based on them. Given the data obtained and how it beginsringworm, the doctor may order additional tests.
As a rule, a scraping is done from the affected skin. The obtained materials are carefully studied under a microscope, after which it is determined whether they contain mycelium threads, since it is by them that the type of lichen pathogen is established. When these data are obtained, the spores are placed in a nutrient medium so that they germinate, and based on the results, final conclusions are drawn.
In the case when lichen begins due to a weak immune system, it is recommended to determine the allergen that causes it and eliminate this irritant. A dermatologist may order a blood test for his patient.
Basic treatments for lichen
Regardless of how the beginning of lichen looks, it must be treated in any case. First of all, therapy boils down to the fact that the doctor prescribes antifungal or antiviral drugs, but only after diagnosis and determining the type of pathogen. Consider what standard therapy includes:
- Stain treatment is mandatory, for this a special ointment is used, most often it is ichthyol and tar.
- For each patient, drugs are selected separately that are aimed at reducing the manifestation of symptoms, for example, sedative and diuretic formulations can be used for these purposes.
- If the patient is indicated for physiotherapy, then it may consist in the treatment of damaged areas with a laser or ultrasound.
- Most experts agree thatthe patient must exclude psychological stress and observe the correct regimen, alternating rest with work.
- When ringworm is caused by an allergy, anti-allergic therapy is carried out.
Knowing how a person's lichen begins is simply necessary in order to respond in a timely manner and begin treatment. In no case should the disease be allowed to become chronic, as this entails dangerous consequences. As soon as a person discovers suspicious formations and changes on his body, he should immediately seek help from a specialist. Only a doctor will be able to prescribe a set of drugs that will help you quickly get rid of this unpleasant disease.
Parents should know how lichen begins in children. A photo can help with this, but nothing can replace the advice of a specialist, so at the first sign you should immediately go to a pediatrician and a dermatologist. It is important to remember that children take many drugs in lower dosages than adults, so self-medication in this case is extremely dangerous.
Few people know, but a special diet is recommended for lichen:
- In order to remove toxins from the body, you need to drink more water.
- It is important to cleanse the intestines, so doctors recommend eating more cereals.
- Medication can affect gut flora, which is why it is important to consume more dairy products.
- It is recommended to eat at least five times a day.
Onsome time will have to give up spices, alcoholic beverages and various pickles.
How to get rid of lichen using folk methods
It should be noted that the main treatment is medication, but you can still turn to folk remedies as auxiliary methods. If lichen begins in children, why not use grandmother's recipes? But at the same time, we must remember that turning to traditional medicine is permissible only after consulting a doctor.
Here are the main methods that you may find useful:
- Celery gruel is considered an excellent remedy in the fight against lichen. It is applied every day to the affected area.
- Helps fight lichen wheat oil. To do this, it is enough to calcine the millet in a pan until a black oil with a certain smell is formed. The resulting composition can lubricate the sore spot. For a full recovery to occur, several of these procedures are recommended.
- A good ointment can be prepared by yourself. To do this, take one hundred grams of honey and a tablespoon of garlic ash obtained after burning the plant completely (stems, arrows, cloves) on a ceramic or metal sheet. Lubricate the affected area with the resulting composition.
- Tar soap will help to cope with lichen pathogens. Especially effective is the product, which still contains birch tar. It is necessary to lather the affected area well and wait until it is completely dry. Suchthe procedure should be done every day for a crescent.
- In the pharmacy you can buy tea tree oil, mix it with water in a ratio of 1 to 4 and treat the affected areas.
Now, knowing not only how lichen begins, but also how to get rid of it, it remains to use all methods and means to treat it. Alternative methods are more suitable as additional responses, especially if the child has to be treated. It is important to remember that you can get rid of this unpleasant disease only by using medications and folk remedies in combination.
Prevention
It's enough just to see a photo of how a person's lichen begins, and understand that the fight against this disease will not be easy. Therefore, it is best not to treat the disease, but to prevent it. To do this, there are certain preventive measures that every person has been familiar with since childhood.
- First of all, you should take care of yourself and strictly observe the rules of personal hygiene.
- In no case should you use someone else's clothes that have not undergone preliminary heat treatment, shoes, and even more so personal hygiene items.
- You can't touch animals you don't know, and even more so those that clearly have lichen.
- Special attention should be paid to the question of when and how lichen begins in children. A photo of any sick child indicates that young children are more exposed to this disease than adults, in addition, lichen lesions can be simply huge. That is why in kindergartens and schools every yearrequire parents to have their child examined by a dermatologist.
Lichen is a very unpleasant disease, but it can be completely treated. There are even cases when the disease goes away on its own. If lichen is not treated, then the consequences can be very deplorable, for example, the skin will have an unpleasant, repulsive appearance, or bald areas will be observed on the head. And the symptoms themselves that accompany this disease cause a lot of trouble. In no case should you endure them, but it is best to consult a qualified doctor at the first signs of the disease.
