What is lichen?

Quite often you can hear how ignorant people inmedicine people, hardly having seen on a skin of an animal or the person any jazvochki or rashes, hasten to warn the child going next: "Do not approach to it, he the lichen, you can catch from it!". Such statements are fundamentally wrong, because, firstly, not all rashes on the skin are necessarily deprived, and secondly, not all lichens are infectious.

Let's try together to understand this complex issue and first we will find out what is lichen from a medical, rather than a philistine, point of view.

Lishay - what is it?

Lishay is a common name for skin diseases of differentetiology. In a single group, these diseases combine similar symptoms - a change in the pigmentation of skin areas; rashes in the form of small nodules of different colors; itching and flaking in places where there are rashes. Depending on the external manifestations of the disease, the place of rashes, and most importantly - on what exactly caused this disease (virus, fungus or a malfunction in the immune system), doctors distinguish the following types of deprivation, which can hurt a person:

Petrified;
Ringworm;
Shingles;
Scaly;
Pink.

Peregrine lichen

It is a rude, or, as it is still called,colored lichen, is recognized as non-contagious, since its causative agent - yeast-like fungus - refers to that group of yeasts that are constantly present on the skin of any person.

The main symptom of this type of lichen is small,clearly defined reddish-brown spots on the skin that do not sunbathe in the sun. These spots are usually located in the back, neck and armpits. The skin affected by the fungus is typically scaly, its scales are similar to bran, which is why this form is deprived and called "otrubrious".

The yeast fungus, which causes this deprivation, most actively multiplies in moist and hot air, so people who rest on the seaside resorts are often sickened with pungent lichen.

Treats pityriasis antifungalpreparations of topical application (ointments, creams, shampoos), in especially severe cases additionally designate any systemic antimycotic (for example, "Fluconazole").

Ringworm

This type of lichen also has a fungalorigin, it is usually caused by fungi trifitons, because of which ringworm is also called trichophytosis. Most often, ringworm suffer from pets - cats or dogs, as well as children of any age. This form of deprivation is really very contagious - you can get it after direct contact with a sick person or animal, as well as through a fungus infected with objects. The main symptom of ringworm is the strongly itchy, pink ring-shaped spots on the skin of the body and round ones, the size of a coin, and sometimes even more, the bald patches on the head (the fungus affects the hair, as a result of which they break off under the root). Treat ringworm with antifungal medications, such as "ketoconazole", "terbinafine" or "mikoseptin."

Shingles

This type of lichen is of viral origin. The causative agent of this type of lichen is a varicella zoster virus that belongs to the herpesvirus family. This disease is characterized by severe neuralgic pains that occur along the nerve pillars, and further unilateral rash on the skin localized in the same places. Eruptions initially have the form of papules, which quickly turn into vesicles - vesicles filled with serous fluid. To treat shingles, antiherpetic drugs (for example, "Acyclovir") and analgesics (for example, Ketoprofen) are used.

Pink lichen

Pink lichen is not contagious. Its origin is not established for certain, many doctors believe that the cause of this deprivation is the allergic reaction of the body to a certain viral infection. There is no specific treatment for pink lichen. As a rule, over time it passes by itself.

Other information on the causes and methods of treatment of various types of lichen can be found in the articles: