What is this disease?
Flat red lichen is a disease of the skin and mucous membranes, in which small nodules with a shiny surface appear, sharply limited from the surrounding skin. The color of the rashes is dense red, cyanotic or brownish. Nodules can merge, forming plaques up to 1 cm in diameter. Dermatosis is usually accompanied by skin itching. Eruptions often occur on the skin of the forearms, shins, rear of the feet, often on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity and the external genitalia. Nails can thin out and even partially or completely break down. They appear areas of turbidity, furrows and depressions. Red flat lichen runs both acutely and chronically. The disease occurs at the age of 30-60 years, and more often in women. The patient does not present any danger to others. To clarify the diagnosis, a skin biopsy is done.
Why is it?
The causes of the appearance of flat red lichen are still not fully understood. Exacerbations of the disease can cause colds and infections, stress, hormonal disorders, diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal tract diseases, liver cirrhosis, mucous membrane injuries of the mouth, taking certain medications (antibiotics, antimalarials), exposure to household chemicals. Also note a hereditary predisposition to deprive. However, the main blame for the development of the disease is placed on autoimmune processes, in which the immune system fails and begins to kill the cells of the body itself.
How is flat lichen treated?
Positive results of treatment can be achieved only taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient, the nature of the course of the disease and the conditions accompanying the disease. In addition, therapy implies the consistent and cursory use of various means and methods to combat the disease.
In acute form of red flat lichen use antibiotics (ekmonovicillin, penicillin). A good effect gives the use of such drugs as: thiamine, hingamin, ascorbic and orotic acids, rutin, retinol and tocopherol acetate. In the presence of severe itching, sedatives and antidepressants are prescribed, which normalize sleep and reduce itching. And also antiallergic drugs (tavegil, claritin, telfast).
Patients are advised to undergo a course of vitamin therapy. Vitamin A and its derivatives (tigazone, neotigazone, etretionat) normalize the activity of cells. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate) allows for a complex treatment with hormones to reduce their daily dose and shorten the period of hormone therapy. In the treatment of flat red lichen, immunostimulating drugs are prescribed (reaferon, interlock, neovir, ridostine). With a chronic recurrent course, funds that improve the oxygen supply of tissues (cytomeMak, Actovegin) are recommended.
For external use are suitable applications of hormonal ointments (hydrocortisone and prednisolone ointment), solutions and mixtures with menthol, anesthesin, citric acid, antihistamines. Apply ichthyol, naphthalan, sinalar, lokokorten. From physiotherapy procedures use current therapy: electrosleep, diadynamic currents in the spine area, inductothermy of the lumbar region. Also, ultrasound is prescribed for the spine area and ultraphonophoresis (introduction of drugs with ultrasound), X-ray therapy (X-ray radiation therapy). Large plaques are destroyed by cryodestruction (freezing) or electrocoagulation (moxibustion).
Folk remedies in the treatment of flat red lichen
• Apply to the affected area of the mouth (for 30-60 minutes) a cotton wool soaked with sea-buckthorn oil. On an empty stomach take 1/2 teaspoons of sea buckthorn oil.
• 4-6 times a day make lotions with undiluted apple cider vinegar. The procedure lasts 10 minutes. Instead of vinegar, you can use the juice of viburnum or cranberries.
• 3 tbsp. spoons of flowers Mullein, 1 tbsp. spoon of celandine and 1 tbsp. a spoon of willow bark pour 1 liter of boiling water, insist an hour. Decoction several times a day, rub the affected areas, as well as this tool is used for compresses.
• Grated red beets are applied to the problem site. Dry dried gruel is replaced with fresh. Treatment is carried out until the disappearance of lichen.
• 1 tbsp. spoon of calendula flowers, 2 tbsp. spoons cones of hops and 2 tbsp. Spoons of burdock roots are poured 200 g of boiling water, put on fire, then filter. Mix 1 tbsp. a spoonful of broth and 2 tbsp. spoon of petroleum jelly. The resulting ointment is applied to the affected areas with a thin layer several times a day.
• 150 g of birch tar is mixed with 2 egg yolks and 100 g of fresh cream. Rub into the affected area 2 times a day.
• Sore place is smeared with "milk" milk powder or a mixture of fresh milk and ash from the oak bark.
• 2 tbsp. Spoons of leaves of a Tartar are poured into a glass of boiling water, insisted for an hour. Take infusion of 1/2 cup 3-4 times a day.
• Infusion of roots and leaves of a blooming soapberry medicinal take on 1-2 st. spoons 3-4 times a day after meals.
External treatment is desirable to combine with the intake of herbal infusions (herbs are mixed in equal parts):
- yarrow, wormwood, St. John's wort, sage, plantain, juniper, centaury, nettle, horsetail;
- grass wormwood, dandelion root, birch buds, clover flowers, penny root, string;
- bearberry, goldenroot grass, immortelle flowers, tansy flowers, yarrow, burdock root ,;
- the root of the cinquefoil erect, the root of the saber, the mountain ash, the flowers of the cornflower, the hips, the weed grass, the fruits;
- St. John's wort, juniper berries, birch buds, dandelion root, nettle, black elder flowers.
2 tbsp. spoon collection pour 1 liter of boiling water, insist the night in a thermos. Take all the infusion during the day for 100-150 ml. The course of treatment is 3-4 months with a break for 10-14 days. Then the collection is changed and the treatment is continued. The entire course lasts no less than 12 months. In the future, they switch to preventive reception of charges in spring and autumn (2 months each).