Ointment for the treatment of pityriasis versicolor

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.

Symptoms of lichen

What symptoms indicate that you have contracted lichen planus? It should be noted that lichen affects not only the skin of the body, but also mucous membranes, nails and even human hair. As a rule, any type of this disease begins with the appearance of the following symptoms:

• minimal increase in body temperature;
• the appearance of chills, mild headache, and sometimes nausea;
• later the temperature rises, and itching appears in certain places (face and body, less often - limbs);
• after a few hours, bubbles will appear at the site of redness, which soon burst and only a crust remains.

An effective remedy for various types of lichen

Diseases such as ringworm or trichophytosis of the skin, versicolor or pityriasis versicolor are manifested by the formation of a rash in the form of spots, nodules, and blisters. The rash is accompanied by thickening, itching and peeling of the epidermis. The pigmentation of the affected areas of the skin is disrupted.

Clotrimazole ointment eliminates several types of fungus. Itching and redness will go away faster if you alternate the use of an antifungal and a steroid external agent. Genital fungus in men and women is treated with Clotrimazole cream.

The active substance of the drug for external use penetrates precisely into those layers of the skin where the parasitic organism lives.

Clotrimazole has a fungicidal or fungistatic effect. The antifungal substance is good for diseases caused by yeast microorganisms. For the treatment of dermatomycosis, as well as mixed skin infections (pathogenic fungi and bacteria), it is enough to use a drug containing 1% active ingredient.

Treatment of lichen in adults

The diagnosis of lichen planus is made by a dermatologist; only in some cases additional tests are necessary. If the diagnosis is made incorrectly, then treatment can bring a negative result, which can lead to the transition of the disease to the chronic stage.

Treatment of lichen planus should be comprehensive. Only a doctor can select a remedy that will help to cope with the disease as much as possible, taking into account the stage of infection and its extent within certain areas of the body.

Methods of application

Before using the remedy, wash the affected area of ​​the skin or mucous membrane with warm water and liquid soap that has a neutral pH value. You can take a shower before applying ointment or cream. After water procedures, dry the skin with a soft towel.

Treatment of skin and nail fungus

Apply the ointment or cream to the affected area 2-3 times a day and rub in gently. For an area of ​​the body the size of the palm of an adult, a column of external product 5 mm long is sufficient. If the skin has dry, dense scales, then it is better to use an ointment that better softens heavily keratinized plaques.

When applying the product at night under a bandage, the content of the active substance in the skin increases.

Apply the ointment to treat the fungus until the symptoms disappear. After this, the product is applied for another 2 weeks. This scheme is the most effective; it helps to completely get rid of the pathogen. 1% cream treats acute dermatomycosis, 2% - thrush. During the day, it is preferable to use a less oily dosage form to lubricate the skin.

Before applying the cream to the groin area, a man should take a shower and dry his body with a soft towel. Then you need to lubricate the skin of the penis with a thin layer of the drug. Apply the cream morning and evening. The course is from 10 to 14 days. For candidal balanitis and balanoposthitis, Clotrimazole is applied for 2 weeks.

Use during pregnancy and lactation

Clotrimazole, when used externally, as clinical trials have shown, does not have a negative effect on the fetus in the womb. Treatment with ointment is possible in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. A topical antifungal agent is safest in the last three months of pregnancy, when the organs of the unborn child are almost completely formed.

Clotrimazole ointment and cream can be used during breastfeeding. No studies have been conducted on how and in what quantities the active substance penetrates into human milk when applied to the skin. Therefore, it is recommended to interrupt breastfeeding during treatment.

Analogues of the drug

The active substance of the ointment and cream was created a long time ago and has been well studied. External products based on clotrimazole are produced in many countries. Russian pharmaceutical companies usually use petroleum jelly and mineral oil as a base, which significantly reduces the cost of finished drugs.

Analogs for the active substance:

It happens that the antifungal agent is not effective. The way out of this situation is to change the drug to an analogue from the same drug group, which has a similar mechanism of action and indications. Instead of Clotrimazole ointment and cream, you can use group analogues. Antifungal ointments and creams:

Clotrimazole is part of the combination drug Candide B. The second component of this cream, the hormonal substance beclomethasone, has a strong anti-inflammatory and antiallergic effect. The cream is used to treat thrush, which is accompanied by pain and itching. The price of the drug is 430 rubles.

Medicines for herpes zoster

Treatment is more effective the earlier it is started. Home treatment is acceptable in mild cases. The main goal of treatment measures is: suppression of virus reproduction during an exacerbation; formation of an adequate immune response and its long-term preservation; preventing the development or restoration of those disorders that are caused by the activation of infection in the body. Of course, the gold standard for the treatment of herpetic infections are drugs based on acyclovir or its derivatives. These are drugs with direct antiviral action that can quickly relieve symptoms of the acute phase of the disease. However, these drugs often have contraindications due to age, as well as restrictions on use during pregnancy. It should also be remembered that in recent years the level of resistance of the herpes zoster virus to drugs based on acyclovir has been increasing, which may affect the effectiveness of treatmentiv. Being drugs of direct antiviral action, acyclovirs do not have any effect on immunity parameters, and therefore do not prevent the development of relapses. That is why, more and more often, specialists prefer complex therapy, which, in addition to the above treatment methods, includes drugs to support immunity, as well as B vitamins.

Clinical recommendations for the treatment of herpes in adults, among others, contain interferon preparations, which, in addition to their antiviral effect, also have pronounced immunomodulatory properties. Such drugs include VIFERON Suppositories/Ointment/Gel. Local therapy for herpes zoster consists of following a rational regimen (no washing, wipe the skin around the lesions with 2% salicylic alcohol) and the use of local antiviral drugs and symptomatic remedies. To eliminate pain, acupuncture, physiotherapy, UV irradiation, and laser are used. Corticosteroids, sometimes recommended for herpes zoster, should be treated with caution, as their use may cause the process to spread. If a secondary infection occurs, treatment with antibiotics is carried out. Treatment of postherpetic neuralgia is carried out by a neurologist. Shingles can lead to the development of serious complications, so even home treatment for shingles should be carried out according to medical recommendations.

What is shingles, what causes it, and what does childhood chickenpox have to do with it?

This is a type of herpes infection that affects the nervous system and has skin manifestations. The disease is caused by the same type of virus as chickenpox. Chickenpox is considered to be not a very serious childhood disease, but it does not go away without leaving a trace. After an infection, a lifelong carrier of the virus is formed in the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord in a “dormant” state, which does not require treatment. At the moment of weakening of immunity caused by various factors discussed above, the virus is reactivated. It is interesting that herpes zoster is called “shingles” because clinically it manifests itself in the form of a rash, which is located along the nerve trunks and visually, especially in advanced cases, resembles a “belt”. It is also important to understand that only shingles is caused by the VZV virus. Other lichens may have a completely different origin, and therefore the approach to their treatment may be very different.

Information about herpes group viruses

Herpes viruses are widespread in the human population and have a wide variety of clinical manifestations, affecting various organs and tissues. Currently, 8 types of human herpesviruses are known, divided into 3 groups: α-herpesviruses - herpes simplex viruses type 1 and 2 (HSV-1, -2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), β-herpesviruses: cytomegalovirus (CMV) ), human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6), HHV-7 and γ-herpesviruses: Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and HHV-8 (2). Studies have shown that 87% of those examined have specific IgG to the varicella zoster virus, which may indicate infection at an early age (1). In 2017, there were 4 deaths from chickenpox, 3 of which were children. The incidence rate of children and adults is increasing from year to yeariii. So the potential health threat concerns the majority.

In practice, doctors of many specialties quite often encounter the treatment of diseases caused by HSV types 1 and 2 (labial and genital herpes), VZV (varicella, herpes zoster), for which diagnostic and therapeutic methods have been developed and standardized. However, despite the presence of a large arsenal of antiviral drugs, the effectiveness of systemic therapy for recurrent herpes infection is often, alas, low. To achieve long-term remission in treatment, an integrated approach is important: drugs that directly affect the virus plus stimulation of antiviral immunity.

Herpes type 3 (VZV) is especially dangerous for pregnant women, as it negatively affects the fetus. The level of antibodies in the mother's blood is sometimes insufficient to protect the fetus; this is due to a decrease in immunity during pregnancy; drugs with an immunomodulatory effect may be required. Herpes zoster during pregnancy is a marker of the immune response: if chickenpox recurs, it is necessary to urgently take measures to prevent infection of the fetus. The degree of danger to the fetus depends on the duration of pregnancy and the titer of protective antibodies in the mother. Drugs that can be used for herpes zoster during pregnancy - VIFERON Gel, VIFERON Ointment.

Ointments as part of a comprehensive treatment

Treatment of pityriasis versicolor includes taking medications, treating the affected areas with local antiseptics, and applying special antifungal ointments. An integrated approach to the treatment of the disease is the basis of course treatment for different types of lichen.

Foci of inflammation must be treated with special keratolytic and antifungal drugs.

Remedies from the first group soften the damaged layer and help reject the stratum corneum. Antifungal drugs act directly on the pathogen, promote drying and healing.

Sometimes patients are prescribed multicomponent medications, which include antibacterial components and hormones. For mild forms of the disease, it is sufficient to use only local remedies. Advanced pathologies and cases of extensive damage to the skin are treated only systemically.