How does pityriasis rosea occur? Causes, symptoms, what pityriasis rosea looks like

Pityriasis versicolor or pityriasis versicolor is a common skin disease. It affects both children and adults. This disease is also popularly known as “sun fungus”, since it is ultraviolet radiation that causes spots on the skin.

Source: Fotolia

What is pityriasis versicolor?

Versicolor (pityriasis versicolor) is a fungal disease. Its peak activity is spring and summer. This type of lichen has a low degree of contagiousness and does not provoke inflammation, affecting only the upper, stratum corneum of the epidermis and the mouth of the hair follicles. In very rare cases, it is possible to transmit the fungus from a sick person to a healthy person through the use of common hygiene and household items.

Who's at risk

In small quantities, the fungus that causes pityriasis versicolor lives constantly in the human body without manifesting itself in any way. However, under favorable circumstances, it begins to actively reproduce, provoking the disease. The greatest number of diseases are diagnosed in people living in hot and humid climates. In addition, people with excessive sweating are susceptible to the disease.

Also provoking factors are:

endocrine disorders,
oncology,
hormonal imbalance,
genetic predisposition;
stress;
frequent visits to the solarium;
prolonged exposure to the scorching sun;
chronic pathologies of the digestive tract (gastritis, esophagitis, peptic ulcer);
wearing underwear and clothing made of synthetic materials;
abuse of antibacterial skin hygiene products;
chronic infectious process in the body (HIV infection or AIDS).

In some cases, pityriasis versicolor may appear as a complication of diabetes mellitus or tuberculosis.

As a rule, young people aged 16 to 40 years suffer from this disease. It is extremely rare in children under 7 years of age.

Symptoms of pityriasis versicolor

A characteristic symptom is irregular or round spots of various sizes on the human body. At the beginning of the disease they are small in size with clearly defined edges. isolated from each other, but with its development they merge, forming one large affected area. Color – from yellowish to pink-red. The skin at the locations of the spots changes its structure, and small pityriasis-like peelings appear on it. Itching is rare. The disease is characterized by a chronic course, sometimes the spots last for months, and sometimes disappear even without treatment. Over time, the spots change color, and in their place the skin loses pigment (so-called achromia occurs).

How to recognize pityriasis versicolor

There is a simple test that doctors always resort to for the differential diagnosis of pityriasis versicolor. It can also be done at home. This test is called the “iodine test”. They do it like this: take a cotton swab and dip it in a regular alcohol solution of iodine. Swipe a stripe with the swab, covering the spot on the skin and the area on both sides of it. The fungus in pityriasis versicolor infects and loosens the epidermis. Therefore, if you “owe” the appearance of a spot to this particular disease, iodine will color it much more intensely than the surrounding areas of the skin.

Source: dr.alina.rifgatovna

There are a number of diseases whose symptoms are similar to those of pityriasis versicolor:

vitiligo;
syphilis;
pink lichen of Zhiber.

Unlike pityriasis versicolor, they do not give results with the “iodine test”. If you suspect any of them, you should immediately consult a doctor!

Localization of pityriasis versicolor

Most often, this type of lichen affects the upper body, neck, abdomen, armpit area, and chest. However, it can “spread” to other parts of the body, including the face.

Types of pityriasis versicolor

Depending on the external manifestations (color of the spots), pityriasis versicolor is divided into the following types:

yellow;
black;
achromic (colorless).

Treatment of pityriasis versicolor

Treatment of this type of lichen is a rather labor-intensive process, but complete recovery is possible. In therapy, several groups of drugs are usually used sequentially. In order to choose the right ones correctly and thoughtfully, you need to understand why they are prescribed.

Exfoliating. This group includes: iodine solution, salicylic alcohol, boric acid, ichthyol ointment. Since pityriasis versicolor only affects the top layer of the epidermis, exfoliating (keratolytic) products may be enough to remove it from the skin. Especially if there is a single lesion or 2-3 small spots. However, dermatologists usually do not limit themselves to these drugs.

Antimycotic (antifungal). These medications are usually prescribed topically, meaning they should be applied to the skin. The choice is quite wide and you can choose a cream, gel or ointment at your discretion (it is better, of course, to consult a doctor). Particular care must be taken in selecting medications for pregnant, lactating and young children.

It is extremely important to adhere to the recommendations on the duration of the course. It usually lasts 10-14 days depending on the product. After the disappearance of visible spots, in no case should you stop treatment - the fungus is still in the stratum corneum of the epidermis, and if you do not continue the course for another 4-5 days, a relapse may occur over time.

How to remove white spots from ringworm

Many people find out that they have pityriasis versicolor only after white, discolored spots appear on the skin. In this case, there is no need to worry: it just means that the fungus has already been destroyed and a cure has occurred. The fungus that causes tinea versicolor disrupts the functioning of melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation. Therefore, especially if you spend a long time in bright sun, previously affected areas appear discolored. Usually the white spots disappear after 3-4 tanning sessions.

Ringworm is quite common in people of different ages and genders. The disease is characterized by the formation of rashes of different shapes and colors on the skin, which are accompanied by peeling and itching. Such manifestations are not only unpleasant for others due to their appearance, but also spoil the mood of their owner. When faced with such a problem, it is important for a person to quickly learn how to get rid of lichen on the body.

Causes of lichen

The disease is infectious in nature. Its appearance is caused mainly by fungi and viruses, which can reside constantly in the body and not manifest themselves in any way.

Medical experts associate the occurrence of lichen with a disruption of the protective function and weakening of the human immune system. Such provoking factors may be:

Frequent stressful situations and emotional overstrain.
Infection with various viruses.
Hypothermia.
Long-term use of antibiotics.

Types and symptoms of lichen

Such skin formations are classified as follows:

Ringworm is pink, appearing on different parts of the body. It may be brown in color. First, one spot is formed, which is the mother spot and promotes the growth of the remaining daughter plaques.
Flat red, characterized by severe itching and the appearance of tubercles of the corresponding shade. Over time, the formations merge with each other into a single plaque.
Shingles, activated by herpes. It affects the human nervous system. Ringworm is localized along the nerve trunks, causing pain, burning sensation and itching.
Ringworm, formed on the scalp. Ringworm looks like a spot with uneven outlines. At the site of its formation, hair loss occurs, so the lichen becomes noticeable to others. The area with lichen gradually becomes covered with a white crust or scales and causes severe itching. Ringworm is contagious and the incubation period can be up to 42 days.
Pityriasis versicolor, which appears in the form of colorless, scaly spots.

Most often, the disease appears on the skin of the face, head, and sometimes on the nails. Some types of lichen are difficult to diagnose, making them difficult to cure.

Treatment of deprivation

How to quickly get rid of lichen? The answer to this question interests everyone, since such a skin defect causes discomfort to a person and spoils his appearance.

At the beginning of treatment for education, it is necessary to determine the type of lichen in order to select the appropriate treatment. Only a dermatologist can correctly diagnose the disease by conducting additional examination using modern equipment.

There are many drugs and methods for treating skin ailments. In pharmacies you can buy various products to get rid of lichen.

These include:

tablets or injections for systemic therapy;
external use products, for example, ointments, shampoos, creams, medicinal tinctures or aerosols.

Such variety and availability of drugs allows you to quickly get rid of skin defects through proper treatment. Self-therapy can aggravate the situation and contribute to the transition of the disease into a chronic form, which will be much more difficult to get rid of. This is explained by the similarity of lichen with other pathological processes on the skin, so even long-term use of folk remedies will be ineffective and ineffective. Traditional methods are allowed to be used in combination with the main treatment after prior agreement with a doctor.

You can get rid of lichen after a course of recommended therapy and compliance with preventive measures. Ringworm, caused by a fungal pathogen called Trichophyton, responds well to physiotherapeutic treatment. And multi-colored lichens can be easily removed with the help of solar ultraviolet rays. Serious problems are caused by lichen planus, which sometimes requires treatment in a hospital setting.
After recovery, dermatologists recommend undergoing ultraviolet irradiation with a lamp and undergoing repeated tests. We can talk about a complete cure after 3 studies with negative results for the presence of the disease.

Large lesions, on the recommendation of a doctor, may require treatment with antibiotics, which help destroy fungal cells and stop their proliferation. It is important to understand that uncontrolled treatment of lichen can lead to infection of other people even with the slightest contact.

Getting rid of ringworm with ointments

You can cure ringworm on your own thanks to the local use of drugs that have antifungal properties.

These include the following ointments:

Clotrimazole;
Miconazole;
Lamisil;
Mycoseptin;
Exoderil;
Zalain;
Acigerpin or Zovirak;
Terbinafine;
Sulfur and salicylic ointment;
Healing ointment called "Yam".

They act equally effectively, but you should choose a drug only with a doctor, based on the patient’s contraindications.
You need to lubricate the affected area of skin three times a day, applying the product using movements from the edge of the formation to its center to avoid the spread of infection to healthy areas. It is recommended to additionally use iodine, which has an antifungal and disinfectant effect, or salicylic alcohol.

How to get rid of lichen on the face? Dermatologists may recommend the use of hormonal creams and ointments, for example, Advantan, Lokoid or Beloderm, in the fight against such a disease, believing that their effectiveness will be noticeable after a few days.

Drug treatment does not give immediate results; clearing of the skin may occur in about 10 days. And hormonal drugs only relieve inflammation and suppress local immunity, but do not kill the infection. Fungi can continue to multiply and spread to healthy areas of the skin.

Shampoos against lichen

Specially designed shampoos are a great way to deal with lichen on the scalp.

For example:

Nizoral containing ketoconazole (an antifungal component);
Keto-plus, containing zinc;
Exoderm;
Sebozol.

Apply the product in a circular motion to the affected scalp, then rinse thoroughly. The recommended number of procedures is 2 times a day for a week.

How to get rid of lichen at home?

Some types of lichen can be cured using folk recipes. These include tinctures from medicinal plants, decoctions, mixtures and homemade ointments.

Recipe examples:

Sift the rye flour. Sprinkle on cleaned ringworm.
Rub raisins onto affected areas of the skin.
Mix a fly in the ointment and the white of 1 egg. The ointment should be used to treat pink and red lichen planus.
Use freshly squeezed garlic juice mixed with castor oil to wipe the inflamed areas.
Tincture of birch leaves helps in the fight against red versicolor. The product should be applied several times a day to the formation. There is no need to remove the remaining broth.
Honey with added salt should be applied if lichen has formed around the mouth.
Lichen ruber should be doused with hot water twice a day for three minutes. Improvements will occur in 3 days, and complete disappearance of the formation should be expected in two weeks.
Lichen planus can be cured with Lassara paste, which is prepared from two parts salicylic acid, 25 grams of zinc oxide, 25 parts rice starch and 48 parts yellow petroleum jelly.
A red beet compress helps get rid of lichen on the hands. You need to apply the pureed vegetable to the affected area, renewing it periodically.
Treat the skin with saline solution. To prepare, you will need 5 liters of plain water and 1 tablespoon of sea or table salt. After lubricating the lichen, the solution does not need to be washed off; it should be completely absorbed into the skin. This procedure will keep the damaged area dry and clean.
Spread a cabbage leaf with white sour cream and apply to the area of the lichen. This compress needs to be changed immediately after the sheet dries.
Mix 3 tablespoons of fish oil with 1 spoon of tar. The mixture is applied to the inflamed area overnight. If there is no fat, you can use butter.
Alcohol tincture of calendula flowers relieves lichen. The plant can also be used as an ointment.
Wipe ringworm with buckwheat decoction. It is prepared very simply: a glass of cereal is boiled in several glasses of water. The resulting decoction is filtered and used in the treatment of skin lesions.

Prevention of lichen

It is quite difficult to find a suitable way to get rid of lichen. Therefore, it is better to follow a few simple preventive measures to reduce the risk of such a disease.

Avoid injury to the skin; in case of any damage, you should immediately use an antiseptic. Any open wound, even a small one, can cause infection.
Use only your own personal hygiene products.
Maintain immunity and prevent its weakening. It is enough to harden yourself, eat well, and avoid nervous and stressful situations.
Eat more foods with antiviral properties. For example, lemons, garlic, carrots or beets.
Use folk recipes for tinctures or decoctions of medicinal plants as a preventive measure against the formation of deprivation.

Problems of skin disorders and damage require timely diagnosis and treatment with the help of a qualified physician. This approach to your health allows you to avoid even minimal complications.

29,633 views

The causative agents of lichen can be in the human body for years and not manifest themselves in any way. True, under certain circumstances the immune system fails, after which lichen appears in one or several places at the same time. That is why you need to know how to remove lichen so that there are no problems.

Factors that provoke the appearance of lichen:

Weakening of the immune system;

Chronic stress;

Viral infection;

Long-term use of antibiotics;

Hypothermia.

The main signs of lichen in humans are:

Spots on the skin of various shades;

Violation of skin pigmentation - darkening or lightening;

Skin itching;

Peeling of the skin;

Hair loss.

With such symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor to establish a diagnosis and, if necessary, determine the type of lichen. Symptoms of lichen are similar to other skin diseases. Only after a thorough examination can treatment be prescribed, which will differ depending on the type of formation.

Types of lichens and methods of their treatment

Ringworm. This species can affect both smooth skin and hairy parts of the body. Most often, ringworm occurs in preschool children. The incubation period lasts 5 days.

The main symptoms: itching, the formation of reddish patchy rashes, peeling, the rash lesions tend to grow, the spots give off a sweetish smell, etc.

Since ringworm is caused by a fungus, the antifungal drugs Fungoterbin or Lamisil are used to treat it. In case of shallow skin lesions, topical ointments can be used. If the fungus has moved deeper, then you need to additionally use antifungal drugs. Physiotherapy gives quite good results. It is very difficult to cure ringworm on your own, so it is better to immediately contact a specialist.

Shingles. This type of lichen is a one-sided viral infection of the skin and looks like blisters with clear liquid. Once the virus spreads, a person may experience pain that lasts for about a month.

Main symptoms: rash in the form of groups of blisters, itching in the areas of the rash, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, localization near the nerve trunks.

Drug treatment includes antiviral drugs that are designed to suppress the herpes virus. In addition, immunostimulating drugs are prescribed to increase the body's resistance to the virus. Painkillers are also needed as the patient will feel severe pain. Physiotherapy can help overcome this lichen, because the herpes virus dies under the influence of UV rays.

Pityriasis versicolor. These formations arise as a result of a fungal infection entering the human body. Pityriasis versicolor or multicolored lichen is characterized by rashes in the form of small spots of a brownish color. The diameter of the formations does not exceed 5-6 mm. The number of spots can increase sharply, after which they begin to merge.

The main symptoms: peeling of the rash, the appearance of yellow-pink spots, uneven boundaries of the spots, increased body sweating, itching.

To treat this type of lichen, you will need antifungal agents: Nizoral, Fungoterbin or Mycozoral. You also need to be treated with drugs that are taken orally. Pityriasis versicolor responds well to treatment, but the characteristic pigmentation sometimes remains for some time.

Lichen planus. This disease can occur regardless of age. It appears as red papules and is characterized by a rather protracted course.

The main symptoms: the appearance of reddish papules, localization on the back of the feet, long-term persistence of pigmentation, painful sensations in the lesions, damage to the mucous membranes.

In this case, antihistamines and medications with a sedative effect help.

Pityriasis rosea. This disease consists of large pink spots. As a rule, pityriasis rosea occurs in adolescents and is observed from several weeks to several months.

The main symptoms: the appearance of round spots, the rashes do not merge into a single focus, slight pain, itching.

In many cases, pityriasis rosea disappears on its own, without special treatment. If necessary, drugs from the group of antihistamines may be prescribed.

Ringworm is an unpleasant disease that can appear at any time. As practice shows, these formations do not pose a threat to health, but they still need to be dealt with. When the first symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor, since self-medication does not always give the desired result.

Some time passes after suffering from the flu, a cold as a result of severe hypothermia, severe stress, and you are surprised and frightened to discover on your body a bright pink spot about 3-5 cm in diameter, oval or round in shape, slightly protruding above the surface of the skin. At first, this is a single spot, which sometimes does not increase in size and, frankly speaking, does not cause any particularly unpleasant sensations, apart from, of course, the very fact of its existence. Therefore, most of us simply shrug it off and reassure ourselves: “Oh, nonsense! If you’ve been bitten by something, rubbed against something, or have an allergy to medication, it will go away on its own!”

However, after taking a bath, using a “miracle remedy” recommended by a friend who knows everything in the world, or simply over time, secondary rashes begin to appear around the first spot, gradually covering an increasingly larger surface of the body. Now you are worried not only about your appearance: you are overcome by weakness, there is a slight increase in body temperature in the range of 37.0-37.2 C, sometimes you have a headache and, most importantly, itching appears in the area of the rash, especially at night. And you finally decide to visit a dermatologist.

After an examination, taking skin scrapings, and sending you for a general blood and urine test, the doctor summarizes the results and, with a smart look, surprises you with the news: “You have Gibert's disease or pityriasis rosea!»

Of course, the word “” does not evoke positive emotions. And in combination with a prescription written out by a doctor, which forlornly lists an antiallergic drug in tablets and several ointments “to choose from”, a combined composition with the obligatory presence of corticosteroids, does not add optimism. And you begin to persistently search for information about this disease on the Internet, ask acquaintances and friends.

I’ll say right away that it’s not possible to put everything into pieces and get comprehensive information about the nature of the disease, the causes of its occurrence and methods of treatment. Today, doctors who have learned to diagnose based on the totality of facts do not really know this. pityriasis rosea, and may prescribe purely symptomatic treatment to make the patient feel better and speed up the recovery process. It is known for certain that severe stress can become a “detonator” and provoke the development pityriasis rosea, however, it has not yet been possible to isolate the causative agent of the disease. It is for this reason Gibert's disease modestly referred to as " allergic-infectious skin diseases».

It is impossible, accordingly, how to attribute pityriasis rosea to bacterial, viral or fungal diseases, and prescribe appropriate treatment with specialized drugs. Due to the obvious similarities in developmental stages pityriasis rosea With shingles, it has been suggested that Gibert's disease may be caused by changed herpes virus types 6 or 7, however, this has not yet been confirmed. It seems quite possible that we become infected with a pathogen pityriasis rosea, like the herpes virus, but for the time being it does not manifest itself in any way, but under certain circumstances it blooms in full bloom. This theory is also supported by the fact that after a “complete” recovery from pityriasis rosea Repeated relapses of the disease are possible.

Let's try to summarize briefly: pityriasis rosea begins with a single pink spot, the so-called “maternal plaque” or “maternal spot,” which is usually localized on the patient’s torso, less often on the arms. The formation does not have clearly defined boundaries, they are smoothed out, and at this stage the patient is practically not bothered by anything. After about a week, the spot begins to resemble a crater with a concave, flaky center and a ridge along the edge, its color changes to bright pink. The patient's lymph nodes become enlarged and all the symptoms described above appear. Secondary rashes pityriasis rosea, in addition to the torso and arms, can spread to the neck and legs, but the rash almost never occurs on the face. After two weeks, the spots begin to change color to yellowish-brown, while the middle remains pink and flaky. Gradually, the spots fade and disappear, but in some cases white marks remain on the skin for a long time or, conversely, areas with increased pigmentation. The patient’s recovery may occur in 2-3 months, or it may take six months or more.

Additionally, the patient may be bothered :
- a feeling of severe dryness and “tightness” of the skin in areas of rashes;
- peeling of the skin between spots, its redness;
- sharp deterioration of condition after contact with water.

There is a clear connection between a sharp weakening of immunity and the development Giber's disease is also clearly visible, and therefore the peak incidence is observed in winter and spring. There are known cases of the disease developing after stress, skin damage, metabolic disorders, blood-sucking insect bites. Pityriasis rosea has no gender preferences, most patients are men and women from 16 to 40 years old, this disease develops extremely rarely in children.

In diagnostics pityriasis rosea Of primary importance, in addition to the general complaints of the patient, is the localization of the primary maternal plaque, the absence of recurrent rashes within a week, and also the fact that recurrent rashes occur exclusively along the so-called Langer’s lines, which are located along the natural skin folds. A blood test will show an increase in the number of leukocytes and ESR levels, as evidence of the presence of an inflammatory process in the body, and a general urine test will show traces of protein. Scraping is taken mainly to separate pityriasis rosea from other similar diseases.

In treatment pityriasis rosea the main place is given to medications that increase immunity (immunomodulators and vitamins), relieve allergic manifestations (primarily itching - antihistamines and corticosteroids are indispensable here); in case of extensive rashes with secondary bacterial infection due to scratching, antibiotics are prescribed. A beneficial effect of UV radiation on patients has been noted, so sunbathing or visiting a solarium is not forbidden, but it is better to avoid synthetics and scratchy woolen items in the wardrobe for now.

Diet is also of great importance. Patients with pityriasis rosea are advised to exclude it from the diet:
- citrus fruits;
- eggs;
- chocolate;
- nuts;
- alcohol;
- strong coffee and tea;
- spicy;
- fatty;
- fried.
You are allowed to wash only in the shower, without soap or a washcloth.

Opinions about contagiousness pityriasis rosea also vary greatly. There are cases where the disease developed in several family members at the same time, but at the same time there is a lot of evidence when, even if there was a sick person in the house and very close contact with family members, no one else got sick. Even in this case, doctors blame the state of the immune system: they say, if everything is fine there, pityriasis rosea you are not in danger. Just in case, it is strongly recommended that you do not share a comb or towels with the patient.

There is no specific prevention for pityriasis rosea . The key to success here is a healthy lifestyle and the absence of concomitant diseases. And, alas, no one is guaranteed against stressful situations.

Good health to everyone!