What do different types of lichen in children look like and how to treat them?

Ringworm is a common disease of infectious-allergic origin, which is most often diagnosed in children under the age of 14-15 years. Complex treatment, combining medications in the form of tablets and ointments for external application, can cure lichen and clear the skin of rashes.

Features of drug therapy for lichen

Drug therapy for lichen in children requires a serious approach to the medications used, because many of the medications are not suitable for them. The active substances included in their composition can cause an acute reaction on the part of the child’s body.

Treatment of the disease in childhood is carried out with antifungal and antiviral drugs for internal or external use.

When treating lichen in a newborn, tablets are prescribed extremely rarely, in the most advanced and severe cases. For the pink type of allergic origin, antihistamines are used, for the multi-colored type, antifungal tablets are used (Fluconazole, Terbinafine), for the shingles type, antiviral drugs are used (Acyclovir, Valacyclovir).

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Additionally, various sprays and shampoos are used - Terbinafine, Nizoral. They are used to wash the skin of the body and face, as well as hair. Such products are most effective when used simultaneously with an ointment or cream with the same active substance.

How to treat?

Question: how to treat lichen in children is a question for the average layman who requires a universal ointment or tablet.

It is immediately necessary to emphasize that treatment tactics, as well as rehabilitation time, depend solely on the severity and type of illness.

In addition, it is possible that temporary isolation of a sick baby will be required in order to localize the area where the infection is spreading.

The regimen, dose and procedure for taking medications is the exclusive prerogative of the attending physician.

All means are good for treating your child, be it traditional therapy or “grandmother’s” recipes that have come down to us from the depths of the gray Lukomorye, but have not lost their magical power.

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Types of lichen in a child

Tablets or ointment for lichen on a child’s skin are selected individually, depending on the type of dermatological disease.

Any type of disease is accompanied by skin rashes. At the initial stages of the disease, the rash is small in size and there are single spots. If left untreated, it becomes chronic, affecting large areas of the body with severe itching and pain.

Kinds

There are 6 types of lichen in total:

• shearer;
• pink;
• shingles, or herpes zoster;
• pityriasis, or multi-colored;
• red flat;
• plain or white.

A pediatrician will help make an accurate diagnosis. The examination includes one or more studies from the list:

• blood and urine tests;
• iodine test;
• skin scraping to identify the causative agent of infection;
• treating stains with a special device: if there is fungus on the skin, the light will be greenish.

Therapeutic tactics directly depend on the type and cause of the pathology.

Treatment of pityriasis rosea

Pityriasis rosea is one of the most common dermatological diseases. In many cases, rashes on the back, arms, and legs are of allergic origin and disappear on their own in the absence of contact with the allergen. Medicines for the treatment of pink type rashes:

1. Lorinden
   - hormonal ointment for external use. It is classified as a glucocorticosteroid and is therefore used only as prescribed by a doctor. Used for rapid spread of spots, severe itching and swelling.

2. Tsindol
   — the main active substance is zinc oxide, which dries weeping spots on the skin, prevents their infection and relieves burning. Approved for use in the treatment of children under 1 year of age.

3. Zinc ointment
   is a cheaper and no less effective analogue of Tsindol, containing zinc oxide. Apply to clean and dried skin 5-6 times throughout the day. Dries, reduces inflammation, accelerates tissue regeneration.

Additionally, antihistamines are prescribed - Claritin, Suprastin, Erius, Tavegil, which are selected depending on the age of the children.

Causes of lichen

To understand how and how to treat lichen for children, you need to understand the sources of the problem. Ringworm appears as a result of a certain type of virus coming into contact with the skin.

This happens from the simplest contact, direct or indirect. You can get infected not only from other people, but also from animals.

Particularly dangerous in this regard are stray animals that do not have medical supervision and care. Among them, lichen spreads quite quickly, which is why many people, including children, can become infected.

Weak immunity can cause infection. In many cases, minimal contact may not pose a threat because the body's immune system quickly copes with the virus. After a cold or serious illness, a child’s body can become very weak, making him more susceptible to external threats.

Here you can add allergies, increased sweating during hot periods of the year, physical damage to the upper layers of the skin and much more.

Treatment of ringworm

Ringworm most often occurs on the head, back, shoulders and legs. A child becomes infected from a sick animal, person or through his things. Before using the ointment, the affected areas of the body must be treated with iodine and only after that the medicine should be applied.

• Exifin, Lamisil, Zalain - have a pronounced antifungal effect, applied to the affected areas once every 7 days;
• Funginal and Clotrimazole - antifungal drugs are applied 2-3 times a day;
• Exoderil - the medicine is applied to the affected areas in the morning and evening for 2 weeks;
• salicylic and tar ointment - the medicine is applied in a thick layer in the evening, before bedtime.

In order to speed up recovery and prevent further spread of the disease, the affected areas of the scalp should be cut off every week, and the skin should be washed with warm soapy water.

If the rash spreads rapidly and healthy areas of the skin are affected, the patient is additionally prescribed antifungal drugs in the form of tablets.

The most commonly prescribed drugs are Terbinafine or Itraconazole. These medications are highly effective against many types of fungus and do not have a toxic effect on the body of children.

Treatment of shingles takes a long time

The causative agent of the shingles type of disease is the varicella zoster virus. If shingles is diagnosed, the incubation period in children is characterized by a complete absence of pronounced symptoms. After some time, a watery rash appears along the intercostal nerve fibers and may also appear on the child’s leg, arm, or face. The rash is accompanied by itching, burning and pain.

For the treatment of herpes zoster the following are used:

• Famciclovir or Famvir - inhibits further development of the virus, protects healthy cells, reduces pain;
• Acyclovir is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug that inhibits the further spread of herpes zoster;
• Valaciclovir is used to treat chickenpox and herpes zoster, which is often a complication.

Additionally, when using products for external use, drugs and dietary supplements are prescribed to strengthen the body's immune forces. Decreased immunity provokes the progression of herpes zoster.

Features of choosing children's ointments

If the choice of drugs that could be used to treat children were based only on effectiveness against pathogens, pharmacists could replace pediatricians. But each child’s body is unique, and therefore requires a specific approach. A medicine can help one person and cause a powerful allergic reaction in another. The doctor has to take into account the specific set of diseases of young patients, the development of internal organs, and the state of immunity.

Treatment of children often requires changing methods of therapy directly in the process of fighting lichen. Therefore, you should buy ointments only after consulting a pediatrician and undergoing diagnostic procedures.

Treatment of versicolor

If a child has been diagnosed with lichen versicolor, treatment and medications are selected depending on his age. Many antifungal drugs are approved for use only after 12 years, this must be taken into account before using them.

For the treatment of pityriasis versicolor (pityriasis versicolor) the following are used:

1. Clotrimazole
   - an effective antifungal agent that is well tolerated by the child’s body. It is allowed to be used at any age, except for children with an allergy to the active substance clotrimazole.

2. Miconazole
   - an antifungal drug based on the active substance of the same name. Used to treat fungal and bacterial infections.

3. Terbinafine
   is one of the most powerful antifungal agents, available in the form of tablets, sprays and creams. Approved for use by children over 12 years of age.

Antifungal drugs are prescribed in combination with ointments. The most commonly used are Fluconazole, Terbinafine, Orungal, Mycozoral, Lamisil. Medicines have their own age restrictions, which must be taken into account before use.

Price of ointments for lichen

Today you can order cheap therapy from a catalog at your usual pharmacy or buy it in an online store. Most of them are available without a prescription. The approximate price of drugs in Moscow is presented in the table:

Treatment of lichen planus

The child may suffer from lichen ruber. This is a chronic dermatological disease that is accompanied by bright red rashes. The spots quickly spread over the skin of the body, even affecting the mucous membranes and nail plates. It is characterized by a long, chronic course with alternating periods of exacerbation and remission.

For the treatment of red lichen in children, the following are prescribed:

• Salicylic ointment - reduces redness, exfoliates the top layer of tissue, stimulates the growth of new cells;
• Fenistil and Gistan are plant-based drugs that inhibit immune allergic reactions and cleanse the integument;
• Pimecrolimus and Tacrolimus are non-hormonal ointments with decongestant, anti-inflammatory, and soothing effects;
• Solcoseryl - applied to the affected areas, promotes their rapid healing.

In addition, antihistamine tablets are prescribed with products for external application - Diazolin, Loratadine, Fenistil. The therapeutic course is long and can range from 4 weeks to 6 months.

Effective and cheap antifungal ointments

To treat lichen in children at home, effective, inexpensive, safe ointments are used, which are selected depending on the type of disease and its symptoms. If rashes occur on any part of the body - legs, butt, back, cheek, you can use inexpensive and effective means for external treatment of the affected areas of the skin.

1. Sulfuric ointment
   — contains sulfur and petroleum jelly, which are well tolerated by the child’s body and do not cause allergies. Accelerates the healing of affected tissues, destroys many types of fungal microorganisms.

2. Ichthyol
   - an antifungal agent, it is recommended to smear it for pityriasis versicolor. Shows high effectiveness in other dermatological diseases of fungal origin.

3. Sinaflan
   is prescribed for the red flat and pink type of the disease. Allowed for use after 2 years of age.

One of the most popular inexpensive drugs is Clotrimazole. It is effective for any lichen of a fungal nature. The medicine is applied in a thin layer to clean, dried epidermis 3-4 times a day. The course of treatment is up to 8 weeks until the rash disappears and 4-8 weeks after to consolidate the result.

Treatment of Giber's disease

Pityriasis rosea disappears on its own within 1 to 2 months. There are no recurrent cases of pathology, since the disease leaves lasting immunity. During the period of rashes, the baby should be protected from exposure to the rays of the sun.

The following groups of drugs are used as symptomatic therapy:

1. Antihistamines. Infants are most often prescribed the drug "Fenistil" in the form of drops (for oral administration) and gel (for external use).
2. Antiviral agents. It is recommended to treat rashes with Acyclovir ointment.
3. Vitamins. These remedies help strengthen the immune system. In infancy, taking the Multi-Tabs Baby multivitamin complex is indicated. This product is available in the form of drops and can be given to a child from birth.

Synthetic and antibacterial ointments

Ointments containing synthetic antifungal substances or antibiotics are considered effective treatments for lichen. Such active substances include terbitafine, clotrimazole, ketoconazole, mycosolone.

Popular ointments with synthetic and antibacterial components:

• Mikoseptin - a medicine based on undecylenic acid is applied to the affected areas of the skin in the morning and evening for 14 days;
• Mycozon is a miconazole-based medicine used to treat fungal, bacterial, and mixed infections;
• Fungoterbin - pharmacological action is due to the active substance terbinafine;
• Nizoral - shampoo and cream with the active ingredient clotrimazole, is most effective for multi-colored and ringworm in children.

Such medications are most effective at the initial stage of the disease in children. In the chronic form, it is recommended to change medications periodically, since fungi and other pathogens may develop resistance to them.

Plain (white)

Lichen simplex is diagnosed mainly in children 3-15 years old; young children usually do not encounter it. Boys are at risk. Most often the disease occurs in the off-season - spring and autumn.

Such lichen is removed with hormonal ointments - for example, Hydrocortisone or Prednisolone. They are approved for use in children from 6 months. The standard course of therapy is 2 weeks.

During the treatment period it is not recommended:

• sunbathe;
• wash with hard washcloths;
• wear clothes made of synthetic materials.

Reference

Lichen simplex is similar to pityriasis versicolor, but with the latter, the spots are white only at the beginning, then they change to light brown.

Brief summary

Treatment of lichen in children at home is carried out using ointments, creams and other means for external application. Their use helps to get rid of minor rashes and inflammation in a short time.

If the dermatological disease becomes chronic, antihypertensive drugs (Loratadine, Claritin, Diazolin), antiviral drugs (Acyclovir or Valacyclovir), and antifungal tablets (Fluconazole, Termicon, Lamisil, Terbinafine) are prescribed.

Strengthening the immune system, systematically hardening the body, and a balanced diet are important. A decrease in protective forces contributes to the rapid progression of the disease. Therefore, dietary supplements, multivitamin complexes, regular walks in the fresh air and gymnastics are useful.

Prevention - how to protect a child?

Some readers will find this section simply unnecessary. Because it will list measures that are simple to the point of naivety, which self-respecting people must, but also must, observe and demand the same from their children.

But don’t consider this as intrusiveness - we will repeat the lesson with you again:

1. When returning after a walk, immediately wash your hands with soap. During the summer season, we strongly recommend using disinfectants. Don’t be lazy - check the thoroughness of the hygiene procedure performed by your baby.
2. Strictly exclude children from contact with stray animals.
3. Do not allow children to use other people's personal hygiene items: combs, washcloths, toothbrushes, towels.
4. Do not allow yourself and forbid your children to try on other people’s clothes, shoes and hats.
5. Regularly strengthen your child's immune system. To do this, use every opportunity: walks in the air, hardening, dousing with cold water, taking natural vitamins, a healthy and balanced diet.
6. During the seasonal risk period, “get hooked” on a hypoallergenic diet. These are vegetables, meat, rice, potatoes, dairy products. They will become a natural shield for you during a viral attack.

We hope that after reading this educational material you have a real tool in the fight against this skin infection. And the folk wisdom that it is better to prevent trouble than to fight it will come in handy when it comes to skin disease.