Pityriasis Rosea - How To Get Rid Of It?

Pityriasis Rosea

This is a situation considered as an unsightly condition in which a person experiences a rash which usually begins in the form of an oval spot on the person's face, chest, back, upper arms, thighs or abdomen and is very itchy. This condition is known as herald patch and can expand up to ten centimeters or four inches across the body of the person. After this, the person may start to have smaller spots which start to appear in the middle of the body which looks similar to a drooping pine-tree branch and expand throughout the body of the person.

The occurrence of this problem of pityriasis rosea is not age specific which means people of all ages are known to suffer from this condition but the main age group which usually experiences this situation, falls under the age of 10 to 35 years. A person suffering with this problem normally gets relieved from this on its own in a time span of 10 weeks. 

Several treatments can be opted for getting relieved from the symptoms of this problem. The rash has a continued effect for several weeks and it disappears on its own without leaving any kind of scar or mark on the body. The condition does not transfer from person to person which means it is not contagious, its effect can be reduced through application of medicated lotions which helps in the reduction of the itchiness and speedy disappearance of the rash from the body.

Symptoms of Pityriasis Rosea

Generally pityriasis rosea starts as an oval shaped, scaly and slightly raised patch which is known as the herald patch. It begins to appear on the back, chest, face or on the abdomen. There are certain people who experience sore throat, headache, fatigue and fever before the appearance of this herald patch. 

After a time gap of a few days to a few weeks, since the appearance of the herald patch the person starts to notice the presence of scaly spots or small bumps throughout the abdomen, chest, back or face which are in the form of a line tree. These rashes are very itchy. 

Causes of pityriasis rosea

The exact reason for the cause of pityriasis rosea is not at all clear. An infection caused by a virus can trigger this problem of pityriasis rosea.

The most visible cause for pityriasis rosea is a virus, as believed by the dermatologists this virus which causes this problem is said to be human herpes virus. This human herpes virus is found in the rashes, saliva and blood of a person suffering with this disease of pityriasis rosea. 

Pityriasis rosea is not at all linked to cold sore causing herpes virus as this is not at all contagious. Once you have this you cannot prevent it from happening as it has no clear origination.

Complications because of pityriasis rosea is not likely to occur but there occurrence could have effects such as:

• Severe itching on the rashes.

• Spots which are temporary (lasting for a week or few months) on the skin turns out to be lighter or darker than your normal skin tone and this happens after the inflammation has started because of the hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation (likely to happen in cases of people having black or brown skin).

• One group which stand at a chance of having very serious problems and complications because of pityriasis rosea is of pregnant women, pregnant women when suffers from pityriasis rosea are at a great risk of having miscarriages.

Treatment

This condition of pityriasis rosea can get healed on its own without any kind of treatment within a time period of 4 to 10 weeks. When these rashes do not vanish on their own and itching continues after that time period too, you need to consult with your doctor for the treatment of the condition. This condition ends without leaving any kind of mark or spot and also this generally does not return back.

Medications

Home remedies or self care:

• Try to prevent yourself from overheating as this condition can become worse in the presence of heat. You can reduce the risk of overheating by avoiding hot temperatures wherever possible, not go inside hot pools or tubs and do not take part in any kind of strenuous activities during this condition

• You should try to stay away from sunburn as it may lead you to feel miserable and you can reduce the chance of getting a sunburn on the rashes by covering them with a loose cloth, application of sunscreen which is SPF-30 or above and broad spectrum protection (these should be fragrance free and gentle to all the skins and you should apply only on those areas which cannot be covered by clothes) and you should always go into a shady place whenever and wherever it is possible to.

• You can apply concealer on your face if the rashes are present there, this will help you avoid any kind of irritation on the rash. The concealer should be formulated for sensitive skin only.

• You should reduce your discomfort because of shower, skin care products and bath because strong soaps and hard water worsens the condition of the rash and causes more itchiness as these things act as triggers for the itch. You can implement certain things when you have rash such as:

  • Application of any kind of soap or skin care products which is antibacterial or contains any kind of fragrance or deodorant into it should be avoided.

  • After you get out of the shower you should apply a moisturizer on the dry skin after three minutes (it should be fragrance free and gentle).

  • You should bathe with lukewarm water or cold water (as cold as you can tolerate).

  • Body wash, soap and cleanser should be fragrance free and gentle.

The rash is generally very itchy and few cases it turns out to be very severely itchy and this condition can be treated at home by following certain procedures like:

• Taking antihistamine drugs which are non drowsy will help you stay away from itchiness when you are awake.

• Take a cloth, soak it well in cool running water by placing the cloth under it, this makes a very nice cold compress. After soaking it thoroughly wring the excess of water from the cloth, keep the cloth over the itchy part of the skin for 4 to 5 minutes. This will make you feel relieved and relaxed from the itchiness.

• Hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion or pramoxine lotion can be used in cases of people suffering from pityriasis rosea under the age of 12 years. This will help the child get relieved from the itchiness but you should consult with the pediatrician before its application and check for its reaction by applying it on a small surface first.

When these home remedies do not work to relieve the person from the symptoms or lessen the duration of the pityriasis rosea you can consult your doctor. He will prescribe you medicines like antihistamines and corticosteroids with increased dosage but when they do not prove to be helpful he may suggest you to go for a light therapy. During this light therapy, the person is exposed to direct natural or artificial light which results in the easing of the symptoms. 

Light therapy may help you get relief from the symptoms but it will leave permanent spots on the skin which are much darker than the usual skin tone. These spots do not disappear even when the rashes have gone.

Conclusion

When you experience any of the above symptoms you should immediately contact your health advisor and begin the self care treatment. If none of the self care routine proves to be helpful go for the medications and light therapy without any second thoughts. I hope these tips help you while facing this problem of Pityriasis Rosea.