Dubai
London
Bangladesh
Can lichen planus cause itchy ankles?
Our immune system defends our body against illnesses and infections. It will try to get rid of anything unfamiliar like germs and parasites. There are chances of experiencing purple or red itchy bumps on the body when your immune system reacts to stress, allergens, or infections. This inflammatory condition is called lichen planus. These flat bumps most often occur on the inner forearm, wrist or ankle, and sometimes the genitals.
Having a skin problem can prompt intense distress and frustration. According to a study by the American Academy of Dermatology of the 1,675 patients with lichen planus — 90% of respondents reported lower self-confidence, 54% reported helplessness and anxiety, and more than half said they avoid face-to-face contact.
One good thing to know is, lichen planus is not infectious and does not run in families.
Symptoms of lichen planus
The condition is so named because its lesions are similar in appearance to the lichen organisms, which are often found on trees and rocks.
Lichen planus symptoms depend on the part or parts of your body affected. Common symptoms include:
- Skin: The most common symptom is shiny purple or red bumps. The intensity of itch and its spread varies from person to person. Fine white scales or lines may appear with the bumps. They can occur anywhere but are most common on the wrists, arms, back, and ankles.
- Mouth: Lichen planus inside the mouth may look like lacy patches of tiny white dots. These patches may appear on the inside of your tongue or cheeks.
- Nails: Lichen planus develops on a few or all of the fingernails and toenails. Splitting, thinning, ridges and nail loss are symptoms of the condition.
- Scalp: Lichen planus causes irritation, redness, and tiny bumps on the scalp. In some cases, hair may start to thin and hair loss patches may occur.
- Genitals: Lichen planus in genitals can cause purplish, flat bumps.
- If you have no pain or discomfort in the lesions, home remedies can heal the condition. However, for severe symptoms, you may need to look at some treatment options.
Conventional treatments for lichen planus
- Corticosteroids
Corticosteroid creams or ointments for lichen planus are commonly prescribed over-the-counter medications to reduce pain and inflammation. Common side-effects of topical corticosteroids include skin irritation or skin thinning where the cream is applied and oral thrush (a type of fungus that accumulates in the mouth). If steroids are used for long periods as a treatment, they may result in complications that could be challenging to reverse.
- Phototherapy
Phototherapy (light therapy) may help to clear lesions from the affected area on the skin. Ultraviolet B light is used typically for phototherapy; this penetrates only the upper layer of the skin.
- Retinoids
If the condition doesn't respond to corticosteroids or light therapy, you might get a retinoid medication prescribed such as acitretin.
Retinoids can cause birth defects. These drugs are not recommended for pregnant women or those looking to get pregnant.
We recommend consulting a dermatologist before trying any treatment for lichen planus. Some drugs and vitamin supplements can result in adverse reactions when combined with prescription medicines.
Also read: https://www.drbatras.com/how-manage-lichen-planus
Homeopathic treatment for lichen planus
Lichen planus is a chronic and stubborn condition to treat, but with homeopathy, recovery from this skin condition is achievable. Homeopathy primarily focuses on controlling the spread of the disease with a reduction in the lesions.
A homeopath will consider the patient’s personality, lifestyle, hereditary factors and medical history before selecting homeopathic treatment for lichen planus. This will help to treat the causative factors of lichen planus with no side effects. Deranged immunity is known to be the basic cause of the disease. Homeopathic lichen planus treatment boost and correct deranged immunity.
According to the Indian Association of Dermatologists Venereologists & Leprologists (IADVL), the use of homeopathic treatment in lichen planus has been described in the literature as a possible alternative to corticosteroids. Homeopathic medicines like Sepia, Antim-crud., Sulphur and Thuja have already been tested and proved effective in controlling this pathology. Lichen planus medicines in homeopathy heal the inefficient immunity and bring it back to normalcy.
At Dr Batra’s®, we have successfully treated skin conditions of more than 1.40 lakh patients over the last 35 years. As authenticated by the American Quality Assessors, our positive treatment outcome rate is 94.3% in treating skin conditions, including lichen planus. Book an appointment with us for a long-term and effective relief from lichen planus.
