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Lichen Planus
Lichen Planus is a common skin disorder where skin develops bumps which are itchy, flat-topped and gradually become scaly patches. It is not a contagious condition. It may take months to years to heal. Rather than a disorder, it is reactive action in response to any trigger. Lichen Planus can develop into anybody but people of middle age are more susceptible to this problem. People of both sexes are equally prone to this disorder. Middle age people, between 30 to 70 years develop this condition which is rare in young and elderly. Lichen planus does not differentiate in different races.
Any part of the body can develop this condition but it is usually observed that, these patches occur on inside of wrists, on lower legs, on torso or on the tip of vagina or penis, conjunctiva of the eye and the gastrointestinal tract, bladder etc. But scalp or nails are rarely affected by this problem but if it attacks these areas, it does permanent damage to hair or nails.
Symptoms of Lichen Planus:
If a person is suffering from lichen planus, his skin has tiny, flat-topped raised lumps, which usually have angular shape. Their color may vary from pink to purple. Gradually, with passing time, they develop white lines or spots, called Wickham’s striae, on them. There is a purplish tint which can be observed from a certain angle. These bumps are shiny because there are delicate scales. Rarely do they turn into blisters. These bumps are mostly itchy.
When lichen planus occurs in mouth, there may be painless white patches, sore gums or inflammatory ulcers which make it difficult to eat or drink anything. It has white and lacy appearance when it occurs on the mucous membrane, like in mouth. Though it is rare, on the palms or the soles of feet, lichen planus can turn into an ulcer.
In most of the cases, lichen planus do not require treatment for about one-fourth of time due to very mild symptoms.
Causes of Lichen Planus:
Like many skin disorders, exact cause of lichen planus is not known. Some causes may be
· Due to viral infection (hepatitis C)
· Reaction to any chemical like those used for developing photographs
· There may be allergy to certain medications, any product used in dental applications which cause lichen planus in mouth
· Excessive stress
· Hereditary
· Autoimmune disorder
· Some medications prescribed for heart disease, high blood pressure or arthritis also said to develop this condition in some individuals
Treatment of lichen planus:
Doctor can diagnose it by examining the skin and condition of patches. He may prescribe biopsy of affected skin patch to confirm the diagnoses.
Lichen planus on skin can not be cured. But there are treatments which are effective in pacifying the itching and inflammation and soothe the rashes until they clear away. Each case is different and one single treatment cannot be prescribed for all the forms of lichen planus.
Lichen planus usually gets cured on its own within two years.1 To calm itching, doctors usually prescribe antihistamines.
1 Corticosteriods are also prescribed which can be taken orally or injected or applied to the skin. These help in controlling itching and inflammation.
2 To soothe painful ulcers, medicated mouthwash can be used.
3 Psoralens plus ultraviolet A treatment (PUVA) is effective for people suffering with severe form of lichen planus.
4 It these sores are result of allergy to any drug, that particular drug should be discontinued.
In many cases, when rashes of lichen planus get healed, they leave a dark brown mark over the affected area over the skin. Eventually, these marks too fade away like bumps as the time passes. Lichen planus can recur in most of the cases.
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