Zinc ointment for lichen: treatment effectiveness, instructions and recommendations for use and reviews

Lichen (mycosis) is an infectious disease of the human skin. Appears as a result of contact of microspores of various types of fungi on the skin. It is a mistake to think that lichen planus is an exclusively childhood disease. Adults are no less susceptible to it than children.

The main factors that influence the appearance of lichen are visiting crowded places with high humidity, for example, swimming pools, saunas, baths, gyms. Domestic and street animals are also often carriers of infections. Often, pathologies of the thyroid gland, diabetes mellitus, and hormonal imbalances in the body can contribute to infection of a person’s skin with lichen.

Description of the disease

Depending on the type of lichen, the rash may be dry or weeping, pale pink or bright red.
Most often, the disease affects the back, face and chest of the child (it is in these areas that the largest number of sweat glands are located). The disease is infectious in origin and is caused by viruses or fungi. The disease most often manifests itself in the spring-summer season, when it is warm and humid outside. At the moment, a large number of varieties of lichen are known. Many of them are highly contagious and potentially dangerous to the child’s immediate environment. That is why, if there is any suspicion of an infectious disease, it is necessary to immediately show the patient to a qualified specialist.

Reviews

Larisa, Novocherkassk: I used Zinc ointment to treat ringworm along with Clotrimazole. It is transmitted to people from a sick animal, children are especially often affected. My review of the drug is only positive. The itching quickly disappeared, and the skin recovered within a few days.

Evgeniya, Voronezh: Suddenly, after an acute respiratory viral infection, I developed pityriasis rosea. The doctor said that this often happens when a person’s immunity decreases. For treatment, he prescribed Zinc ointment and dark rosehip oil. The ugly spots began to gradually fade, and after five days they disappeared completely.

Symptoms of lichen

The clinical picture of the disease directly depends on its form. There are 5 most common variants of lichen: pink, multi-colored, red flat, ringworm, shingles.

• Manifestations of pityriasis rosea. This type is characterized by the appearance on the child’s skin of a single pink plaque with a diameter of 3-4 cm. The formation is prone to peeling and provokes moderate itching. A week after the plaque appears, multiple daughter rashes form on the child’s skin. Pityriasis rosea often affects a child's back, shoulders and abdomen. Often the rash is localized in natural folds and curves.
• Symptoms of versicolor.
  Tinea versicolor usually occurs on the child's scalp or upper half of the body. This is one of the few varieties that affects only the upper layer of the epidermis and is not transmitted by contact. At the very beginning of the disease, lichen can be suspected by the appearance of small spots of pink, yellow or brownish color. Then the spots that appear gradually grow, forming large lesions with jagged edges. Lichen versicolor got its name due to its distinctive feature: focal rashes can change color over time, becoming dark brown or dark brown spots. In addition, this form has another distinctive feature - the skin elements are not accompanied by itching or burning of the skin, and therefore do not cause the child much discomfort.
• Manifestations of lichen planus.
  With this form, scaly spots of bright red or dark brown color appear on the mucous membranes or skin of the child. The disease can be identified by severe itching, which significantly reduces the child’s quality of life, and by the characteristic depressions in the middle of each rash. In most cases, formations are localized on the skin in the area of ​​natural folds, stomach and back. After recovery, long-lasting pigment spots may remain at the site of the rash.
• Clinical picture of ringworm.
  Ringworm is the most common form of the disease in children and adolescents. Pathology develops on the skin, nails, scalp and hair itself. The skin is affected by reddish round spots, accompanied by peeling and itching. If lichen affects the scalp, this is accompanied by the appearance of a fairly large area of ​​baldness, at the edges of which the hair breaks off at a level of 0.5-1 cm from the dermis (taking on a trimmed appearance). In addition to the main formation, multiple small lesions may occur.
• Symptoms of herpes zoster.
  This form predominantly occurs in older adolescents who have previously had chickenpox. Before the appearance of skin rashes, the patient experiences the following symptoms: weakness, drowsiness, chills, increased body temperature to subfebrile levels. The onset of the disease is often confused with influenza or ARVI.

A few days later, multiple rashes filled with clear liquid content appear on the child’s skin in the area where large nerve trunks and branches pass. Then the bubbles dry out, darken, and become crusty.

Other medicines

If indicated, other medications may be used in the treatment of pityriasis rosea. If elements of the rash cause pain, patients are recommended to use ointments and gels containing anesthetics (usually lidocaine) - Oflocaine, Inflarax, etc. When the temperature rises and general health deteriorates, take antipyretic drugs and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Indomethacin, Naproxen.

Pityriasis rosea is a non-contagious disease, so the patient does not pose a danger to others even during periods of exacerbation.

When secondary infections occur in pityriasis rosea, antibiotics are used, most often erythromycin. To heal the skin, you can lubricate it with Bepanten, Panthenol, Solcoseryl or other ointments that promote regeneration.

Folk remedies for pityriasis rosea can only be used in combination with medications, otherwise they can aggravate the course of the disease and cause serious complications.

Reasons for deprivation

The main reason for the formation of lichen is associated with the penetration of a viral or fungal infection into the body.
However, the infection process itself has not been fully studied. Scientists remain unknown why not all children (even those at risk) suffer from lichen. Despite this, there are factors that increase the risk of developing the disease in a child:

• excessive emotional and physical stress;
• exposure to stress;
• decreased immunity;
• the presence of infectious inflammatory processes;
• avitaminosis;
• allergic reactions;
• increased sweating;
• hereditary predisposition.

Infection of children most often occurs in crowded places: kindergarten, school, summer camp, public swimming pool.
Also, a common cause of the development of lichen is contact with domestic or street animals, after which the rules of personal hygiene were not followed. Each form of lichen has specific causes. Thus, pityriasis rosea clearly shows an infectious-allergic nature. Shingles develops as a result of various types of viruses entering the body, ringworm and multicolored fungi.

Antiviral agents

It was not possible to accurately determine the causative agent of pityriasis rosea, but some studies prove that it is caused by the human herpes simplex virus. Accordingly, local and oral drugs with antiherpetic activity are often used in the treatment of the disease. These are usually medications based on acyclovir, a substance considered most effective in fighting the virus.

Acyclovir

A drug based on acyclovir, which is available in tablet form. Prescribed for infectious processes caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2. When interacting with enzymes, it forms an active compound that blocks the proliferation of pathogenic cells.

The standard dose is 200 mg 4-5 times a day, the duration of treatment is 5 days. Acyclovir is not used in cases of individual intolerance to the components, a tendency to allergic reactions, or under the age of 2 years. The list of side effects of the drug is quite large, ranging from digestive disorders to headaches and hallucinations.

The most common drugs based on acyclovir are Acyclovir, Zovirax, Gerpevir, Panavir.

Most often, tablets are used in the treatment of pityriasis rosea; in advanced cases, injections and infusions are necessary. Antiviral drugs are ineffective against other types of pathogenic microorganisms, so before treatment it is necessary to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease. If there is no result, the drug is discontinued, otherwise it may cause side effects.

Diagnosis of lichen

Medical dermatologists have many years of experience in diagnosing and treating children infected with lichen.
Modern examination methods and high-tech equipment allow specialists to identify the form and characteristics of the course of the disease even during the first visit to the clinic. At the initial appointment, the doctor talks with the child and his parents, listens to complaints, tries to determine the factors that contributed to the occurrence of skin pathology (contact with street animals, infected people, etc.). Then the specialist proceeds to a visual inspection, during which he evaluates the size of the formations, their color, shape and location. After a preliminary diagnosis has been established, the child is sent for additional studies to confirm it:

• microscopic examination of scraping of rashes;
• Balzer iodine test;
• Wood fluorescence microscopy;
• Beignet symptom test.

In addition, a general blood and urine test will help determine the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.

Composition of the ointment

Yam ointment is an oily substance with a uniform consistency. It has a gray-brown tint. You can purchase the product in veterinary pharmacies in tubes and plastic jars. Its active ingredients are the following:

• Sulfur. It has a pronounced antimicrobial effect and gives the product a specific smell.
• Zinc oxide. The substance has pronounced anti-inflammatory properties.

The effect of the ointment is enhanced by the auxiliary ingredients in the composition of the drug. This:

• Vaseline, which has softening properties and eliminates dry skin.
• Lanolin, which has a penetrating effect and improves the delivery of medicinal ingredients deep into the skin, increasing the effectiveness of treatment.
• Salicylic acid, characterized by wound healing properties.
• Birch tar, which has antiseptic and antimicrobial properties.

A special feature of the drug is the absence of ethyl alcohol, synthetic dyes and flavors. Despite its safe composition, the product cannot be used for daily use. It is indicated exclusively for medicinal use. The saturated composition may, if used uncontrolled, provoke negative reactions in the body.

Treatment of deprivation

Features of the treatment of lichen are determined by its type, severity and localization of the lesion.
Depending on the cause of the disease, the child may be prescribed antifungal, antihistamine or antimicrobial drugs, corticosteroids, immunomodulators and multivitamin complexes. It is recommended to apply antipruritic and anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of ointments or creams directly to the lesion. In addition, physiotherapeutic procedures have proven themselves well in the treatment of lichen: laser therapy, cryotherapy, UV treatment, etc.

To prevent re-infection, all clothing, linen and towels must be specially treated or replaced with new ones. Prevention of the disease consists of maintaining good personal hygiene, strengthening the immune system and keeping the house clean.

Diagnosis and treatment of lichen in the clinic for children and adolescents “SM-Doctor” means professionalism, modern equipment and affordable cost. Our specialists know how to get rid of the disease in the shortest possible time. Contact SM-Doctor dermatologists at a convenient time!