These microorganisms are representatives of typical skin microflora, are found in most people and do not cause the development of the disease. But under the influence of external or internal factors, the pathogen can transform from a non-pathogenic form into a pathogenic one: the fungus penetrates the upper layers of the skin and damages melanocytes - the cellular structures responsible for the pigmentation of the skin.
As a result, the patient develops small spots of different colors: from pale pink to red-brown, with noticeable peeling in the center. When touched, the scabs flake off easily and resemble flakes, which is what gives pityriasis versicolor its name.
Symptoms of ringworm
From the moment the fungus enters an area of the body until the first symptoms of lichen can pass a month and a half. A red, round rash appears on the skin and peels off. Mostly there are no additional symptoms, unlike, for example, shingles (herpes zoster), which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the general condition. Only in rare cases, patients with trichophytosis complain of a rash accompanied by mild itching.
The course of ringworm on the human body can have 4 forms:
- Ringitis superficialis, which focuses on the hair.
- Superficial ringworm, concentrated on smooth surfaces of the skin.
- Chronic ringworm.
- Lichen deep is a severe form of the disease that is suppurative in nature.
Most often, lichen lesions are concentrated on the skin under the hair. Their sizes vary from the size of a pea to the size of a palm. In the areas affected by the rash, the hair begins to break off, only a small part of the hair remains above the surface (up to 5 mm), which is why the lichen is called “ringworm”.
If ringworm is localized in open areas, it takes the form of red oval spots that peel and rise at the edges. Sometimes they may itch.
It is worth noting that with inadequate treatment, ringworm can become chronic. In this case, a person can live with this disease not for years, but for decades. At first, the lesions are modest in size, but gradually they grow, become crusty and have a very unpleasant odor.
girdling
Shingles (Herpes Zoster) is a viral pathology that affects the skin.
Causes
The cause of the disease is type III herpes virus. The infectious agent, when it first enters the body, causes a well-known childhood disease - chickenpox. After recovery, the pathogen remains in a latent state in the nerve cells of the spinal cord; when the immune system is weakened, it becomes active and causes Herpes Zoster. Every 4 people who have ever had chickenpox develop shingles. The likelihood of pathology increases with age. The majority of patients are people over 50 years of age.
Clinic
The disease begins with a feeling of burning, itching and pain. The next day, the body temperature rises, and groups of bubbles filled with clear liquid form on the skin along the nerve. Their number is gradually increasing. They dry out and become crusty.
Treatment measures and their duration
- treatment of elements with a solution of Methylene blue, fucorcin or Brilliant green;
- antihistamines (Suprastin, Claritin, Cetrin) to reduce itching;
- painkillers and antipyretics (Nurofen);
- for severe underlying diseases, antiviral drugs (Panavir, Acyclovir) are prescribed.
How many days the disease lasts depends on the level of immunity. In most cases, the skin changes heal within two weeks. With severe immunodeficiency, a bacterial infection may occur. Then the recovery process will take up to a month.
How can a person become infected?
After contact between healthy and infected skin, the fungus enters the epidermis first. The cause of ringworm infection can be not only human skin, but also wool or scales.
If the infection occurs in the hair area, then the fungus seeps into the hair follicle, completely filling it. Due to damage to the hair by harmful bacteria, it begins to break.
Sources of infection with ringworm are sick people and animals. Particular care should be taken with puppies and kittens, since the course of the disease in them is easier and the foci of lichen may be less noticeable.
Conclusion
The main reasons for the occurrence of lichen in humans are insufficiently strong immunity, non-compliance with personal hygiene, bad habits and close contact with infected people. It is possible to protect yourself from infection with dermatosis by leading a healthy lifestyle and carrying out simple hygiene procedures.
The course of diseases caused by heredity, psycho-emotional reasons or metabolic disorders can be alleviated. With the help of prevention, it will also be possible to improve the quality of life of a sick person and reduce the number of relapses.
Diagnosis of ringworm
Diagnosis and treatment of ringworm are the responsibility of dermatologists and trichologists. First, the specialist evaluates the appearance of the lesion. If a patient has uniform baldness throughout the entire scalp, this indicates the possibility of microscopy, and uneven thinning of the hair and the presence of black dots between them indicates trichophytosis. A special Wood's lamp is used to examine the scalp. In its light, the fungal cells give in to a bright glow. Microscopy is bright green, while trichophytosis is bluish-white.
The doctor takes scrapings from the surface of the lesions, as well as hair and scales for the necessary examination. The nature of the fungus is examined under a microscope, the cells of the pathogen are identified. The resulting material is inoculated, from which it is already possible to accurately say about the type of pathogen and its sensitivity to drugs.
Gibert's disease
Zhiber's pityriasis rosea is an infectious-allergic disease.
Causes
Its causes and mechanisms of development are not fully understood, and the causative agent has not been identified.
The disease develops:
- after a cold;
- against the background of stressful situations;
- with hypothermia;
- after vaccination;
- after insect bites.
Pityriasis rosea occurs mainly in spring and autumn and affects people under the age of 35. The disease is not contagious and therefore does not pose an epidemiological danger.
Clinic and diagnostics
A pink spot with a diameter of 2 to 10 cm forms on the skin - a maternal plaque, then several smaller spots - screenings - appear within a week. At first their surface is smooth, but over time it begins to peel off. The patient feels itchy skin.
Treatment measures and their duration
The disease may resolve on its own within 4–6 weeks without medical intervention. But if there are a lot of rashes, and their number continues to increase, it is necessary to treat the lichen.
Prescribed:
- antibacterial drugs (erythromycin);
- antivirals (Acyclovir);
- antihistamines to reduce skin itching (Cetrin, Suprastin);
- enterosorbents (Filrum, Polysorb);
- salicylic-zinc paste on lesions;
- hormonal ointments: Hydrocortisone, Elokom.
Sometimes the disease becomes recurrent, periods of improvement alternate with the appearance of new elements on the skin, and can last up to six months.
How to treat ringworm
At the first symptoms of ringworm, you should immediately seek medical help. The less the disease progresses, the easier it is to treat. Before going to the doctor, it is not recommended to wet the affected areas and lubricate them with brilliant green or iodine. The correct thing to do is to apply a piece of bandage to the affected area and cover it with a band-aid.
You should immediately prepare for the fact that the treatment of ringworm is long-term, it can take more than 5 weeks. Everything will depend on the stage of neglect and the depth of the lesion. The doctor's recommendations must be followed strictly, otherwise ringworm will become chronic.
If there is no more than one lesion on the body, and the person feels normal, then local therapy is quite sufficient. Treatment is usually carried out with antifungal ointments and iodine. If the degree of damage is greater and several foci of lichen are observed on the body, the person is prescribed inpatient treatment. Antifungal drugs are used in the treatment of ringworm, as well as local therapy with solutions, ointments, and creams.
Main types
Modern dermatology has several main types of lichen: vesicular or herpes, red flat (plus several of its varieties), pink, shingles, multi-colored, pityriasis versicolor.
Each disease is caused by a specific type of fungus or virus and has its own symptoms. At the same time, the issues of prevention for all species remain the same. To better understand how to prevent the disease, let's consider the main routes of transmission of infection.
Treatment of ringworm with tablets and ointments
Medical practice for the treatment of ringworm uses the following types of tablets:
- Itraconazole;
- Fluconazole;
- Herbinafine;
- Clotrimazole.
These drugs are taken until the scalp culture is negative. In most cases this happens within 1 or 2 months. If ringworm is accompanied by a bacterial infection, antibiotics are added to treatment.
For ringworm in humans, ointments are used together with tablets:
- Ciclopirox;
- Ketoconazole;
- Sulfur-salicylic;
- Oxiconazole;
- Bifonazole.
Ringworm that has become chronic is quite difficult to treat. In such cases, treatment for lichen is enhanced by applying a special composition to the scalp, which contains salicylic acid. The composition must remain under the bandage for at least 48 hours. Then the head is washed well, the lesions are treated with an alcohol solution made from iodine, and then an antifungal ointment is applied.
It should be noted that self-treatment of ringworm at home can only worsen the situation. Incorrect selection and administration of medications, dose and duration of administration can cause ringworm to become chronic.
Eczema Prevention
There are several rules that, if followed, will help reduce the likelihood of eczema or ease the course of the disease:
- Maintain personal hygiene. Warm baths with chamomile decoction, the use of salicylic and camphor alcohol for inflammation of the hair follicles.
- Cure from concomitant diseases.
- Use of specially developed cosmetics selected by a cosmetologist.
- A balanced diet, from which allergenic foods should be excluded (citrus fruits, eggs, strawberries, red berries, sweets, peaches and apricots).
You should also avoid overheating.
Maintaining hygiene in case of contact with a sick person
If there has been contact with a person or animal infected with ringworm, you need to take the necessary measures:
- Wash your hands thoroughly with antifungal soap several times. The best remedies in this case are tar soap or brown laundry soap;
- You should also wash your entire body with an antifungal agent, since the fungus could get on any part of the body and clothes, which also need to be washed;
- A week after contact with a person with lichen, you should see a doctor. He will be able to detect ringworm in its early stages, when it is easily treated.
Prevention of ringworm
It is not easy to protect yourself from lichen, but by taking the necessary measures it is still possible. Prevention of ringworm is based on the following rules:
- Hygiene standards. Very often children are exposed to the disease, this suggests that lichen can be classified as a so-called ailment of dirty hands. That is why you need to carefully ensure that children wash their hands more often, especially when coming from outside, and also before eating.
- Try to prevent children from coming into contact with stray animals. Often they become sources of infection with ringworm. The first symptoms of lichen in animals are lost areas of hair, as well as whiskers.
- If ringworm affects someone in the family, then contact with the rest of the household should be eliminated as much as possible. The patient must have individual towels, cutlery, combs, bed linen, etc.
- If someone in the family has ringworm, it is necessary to disinfect all surfaces in the house or apartment as often as possible. It is imperative to do daily wet cleaning, ventilate the room, and try to keep it clean.
- The patient's clothes and bedding should be washed in high temperature water and be sure to iron everything.
- After visiting places such as a swimming pool, bathhouse or sauna, you must take a shower with an antifungal agent and wash your hair thoroughly. The swimsuit needs to be washed.
Pet care
Animals living in your home (cats, dogs, hamsters, rats, parrots, etc.) are also susceptible to ringworm. The fungus, which is the causative agent, continues its life activity for 2 years in the environment, so you can become infected at any time.
Even if your pet does not walk outside, it is possible to bring the infection into the house on shoes.
How to protect yourself and your pets:
- don't let them come into your bed;
- do not feed from your own dishes;
- select a separate corner in the apartment;
- inspect the fur more often;
- do not allow dogs and cats to come into contact with homeless individuals;
- visit a veterinary clinic for timely vaccinations;
- Wash your pets with antibacterial shampoos after walks.
Strengthening the immune system
Of course, immunity plays a major role in creating favorable conditions for the settlement of fungal microflora in the body. The skin has many protective functions that only work actively with good immunity.
In order for the body to fight not only ringworm, but also all types of infections, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system, which means following the following principles:
- Nutrition should be healthy and proper. To do this, it is important to develop an individual intake of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. It is necessary to minimize the consumption of fatty and high-calorie foods, smoked meats and other equally harmful products.
- Fresh air and walking should become an integral part of everyday life. A person who leads a sedentary lifestyle, as a rule, loses his health quite quickly.
- Physical activity has always been and will be the key to good health;
- Tune in to positive emotions. Scientists have long proven that happy and optimistic people get sick much less often;
- Healthy sleep should last at least 8 hours. It is very useful when a person goes to bed and gets up at the same time every day;
- Drinking regime plays an important role in human health. Daily consumption of at least 1.5 liters of clean water has a positive effect on the body;
- Taking vitamins. It is better when the vitamin complex is selected by a doctor, taking into account the person’s age, lifestyle and other significant factors. In spring and autumn, the body especially needs vitamin therapy.
If you adhere to at least half of these rules, your immune system will cope not only with skin infections, but also with viruses of various origins.
