Pink zoster - common form

Pink zoster - common form
Manifestation
Treatment

Pink zoster Pink zoster - a fairly common species of lichen, causing extensive skin rash and the appearance of reddish portions flaky skin all over the body. In three of the four cases, patients also complain of itchy skin, sometimes - quite strong.

Usually the symptoms of pink depriving disappear within three months, regardless of whether the patient is treated or not. This disease does not pose a serious threat to human health and life, but in most cases it turns out to be extremely unpleasant and can cause serious psychological discomfort.

Pink zoster is not transmitted to other people, including - through physical contact with the patient.

Consult your doctor if the pink lichen makes you strong itching - it may recommend funds for relief of this symptom (such as antihistamines). You should also consult a doctor if symptoms persist after three months after the appearance, if the rash spreads quickly through the body, and if from appearing on the skin of plaques pus or blood.

In most cases, the pink lichen passes without treatment is not more than twelve weeks, in some cases - in six months.

Who is at risk

It is estimated that one person out of fifty, seeking a dermatologist, reveal pink shingles. Most patients with this disorder - the representatives of the age group from 10 to 35 years. However, there are cases where pink zoster was diagnosed in ten months in infants and in the elderly over 80 years.

Women pink zoster occurs twice as often than men, but the reason for this remains unclear. Most people in their lifetime rose developing zoster only once. About one person out of fifty cases develop recurrent episodes.

Symptoms

Symptoms of pink lichen are often held three distinct stages, each with its own characteristics, but the first and the second stage of the following is not observed in all patients.

The first symptoms

Slightly less than half of the patients who developed zoster pink, marked the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease during the term of a few days up to one week before the rash appeared. These first symptoms include:

Increased body temperature (38C or higher);
Indigestion and / or upset stomach;
Lack of appetite;
Headache;
Joint pain;
The general feeling of malaise.

Maternal plaque

The next stage of the disease is usually the appearance of a red oval plaque (called maternal plaque), the central part of which is strongly shelled. Within a few days the mother plaque increases and reaches its final size of 2-10 cm in diameter.

Typically, the parent plaque appears on the body (usually in the abdomen or chest) or neck. Much less maternal plaque formed on the face, scalp, or in the genital area.

Secondary rash

In most patients, the secondary rash appears within the period of a few days up to two weeks after the onset of maternal plaque. This rash form small, somewhat convex surface of scaly plaques with a diameter of 0.5 to 1.5 cm. As a rule, there are numerous plaques on the torso, neck, forearms and front thighs. In most cases, the pink lichen does not hit your face.

People with fair skin plaques are usually pinkish or reddish color. On dark skin plaques may appear gray, dark brown or black What colors combined with black: less darkness and pathos .

On the back of the diseased plaque, usually located "herringbone" on chest and form a V-shaped pattern. The rash is not accompanied by painful sensations, but in most cases it causes itching - from mild to severe. Itching can be enhanced when a person sweats, wears tight clothes, wash or swim.

In typical cases, the parent plaque and secondary rash Rash: Classification - primary and secondary elements completely disappear within twelve weeks after the first symptoms of pink lichen. Some patients of the symptoms can persist for up to six months.

In place of the missing patches may be sections of a light or dark skin. This should not be a cause for concern - the tone of the skin is completely normal in a few months. After the pink lichen on the skin is left scars.

When you need to see a doctor

Earlier we talked about the fact that a doctor should contact the case pink shingles causes severe itching, disturbing sleep or focus on daily activities - sometimes this can not be managed without the use of prescription drugs.

Also see your doctor if you have any unusual for pink lichen symptoms such as:

The rash appeared on his arms and legs, but it did not affect the body;
The rash spreads very rapidly, and the little plaques, but they are large in size and form large clusters;
From plaques on the skin secrete fluid.

Skin rash that does not pass for the three months and the other unusual symptoms may indicate a less common disease than pink zoster - such as psoriasis or syphilis (rash may be a sign of secondary syphilis).

Causes of pink lichen

Despite years of extensive research, the cause of the development of the pink lichen is still unknown. However, most experts believe that the disease is caused by the body's response to viral infection previously transferred.

In favor of this theory mention the following facts:

Development of symptoms usually takes a certain stage, as in the case with some types of viral infections affecting the skin, such as measles and chickenpox.
In most patients, pink zoster occurs only once in a lifetime, and this suggests that they have an immunity to the pathogen of the disease, which persists throughout life.
In most cases, pink zoster affects people aged 10 to 35 years.
In a survey of patients with a history of pink lichen, they had found the genetic code of the virus, although it can not be considered a direct proof that the pathogen is a virus.
Many researchers believe that the cause of the development of the pink lichen is a virus from the family of herpes viruses, but so far it has failed to establish.

In addition, despite the possible viral origin, pink shingles is not contagious, unlike chicken pox or impetigo - a bacterial skin infection. Therefore, people living in the same house with someone who is sick pink lichen, can enjoy with him some towels and even sleep in the same bed without fear of infection.