Your brief guide to the lichen planus condition and its symptoms

About the Lichen planus syndrome

This is basically a condition of the skin; rashes develop on an area of the body although in worse cases rashes may come up on several parts of the body at a time. The condition usually affects your skin, insides of the mouth or oral mucosa, the nails, scalp or skin on the head which normally remains covered with hair and the genital area including the vagina, penis and the vulva.

Medical science identifies the condition of Lichen planus as a type of Lichenoid dermatosis. According to experienced doctors, this particular skin disorder is characterised by the presence of firm discoloured and raised bumps on the surface of the skin.

Lichen planus – is it an autoimmune condition?

Lichen planus is not an autoimmune condition although it can easily cause a similar response. Some of the top notch medical practitioners explain it is an unknown condition causing inflammation in the skin. In medical terms an unknown condition is called idiopathic condition and Lichen planus is an ideal example of it. In this condition the natural immune system of a patient attacks the parts of the patient’s body instead of protecting it from the invading disease-causing microorganisms.

People who possess a strong and healthy immune system have sufficient T cells in the body. T cells are special type of cells that provide protection from this condition. The T cells of the people who develop Lichen planus on the other hand attack a protein structure present in the skin and the mucus membrane. The reason why the T cells attack the protein structure is yet to be uncovered.

Typical symptoms involved

The symptoms of Lichen planus vary widely based on the part of the body it is affecting. Typical symptoms include the following –

• Appearance of tiny dots on the insides of the cheeks, the lips and the tongue
• Even the nails may stop growing any more, change colour or suffer cracks and splits
• Tiny and raised dot may appear on the skin, including the genital areas, as a result of this condition

The dots that appear measure around 0.4 mm and may grow up to 1 cm. even sores may develop as a result. It is important to mention that the condition does not hurt. However when you scratch the rashes, the skin may break to develop an infection. The infection may cause pain.

Lichen planus versus Lichen sclerosis – are they same?    

Both Lichen planus and Lichen sclerosis are conditions of the skin that particularly attack the mucus membrane. Moreover, both are idiopathic or unknown conditions.

Now let us quickly go through few basic facts about Lichen scleroris .

• Lichen scleroris happens to be a long term condition of the skin.
• It makes skin gradually become thinner, itchy, developing sores and finally scar.
• The condition may affect any part of the skin although it particularly affects the area around the genitals and the anus (or anogenital parts of the body).
• People who are on menopause are more likely to develop the condition.

There is a striking difference between the two conditions. It is rare that Lichen scleroris affects the mucous membrane in the mouth.

Lichen planus versus psoriasis – the differences

Psoriasis is also a specific condition of the skin just like Lichen planus and both the conditions lead to discoloured rashes. The difference between the two conditions is that Psorasis turns out to be scaly and it does not usually affect the insides of the mouth.

Who are more likely to develop Lichen planus?

Everyone is potentially prone to the condition of Lichen planus .  Age or gender is no bar for it. However females who are between the age group of 30 and 60 years are more likely to develop the condition easily.  Researches tell females are twice as likely to develop it as males. Chances of developing the condition are even higher for females who are around the age 60.  Men, on the other hand are likely to suffer from it in their 40s. If you develop the condition on the skin, then you are pretty likely to develop it in your mouth as well.   

How Lichen planus affects the body

The condition usually affects the skin around the wrist and the elbows along with the back of the hands and the front of the lower legs. One out of every two patients suffering from it develops the condition in the mouth as well including the tongue. The condition of Lichen planus typically starts as a small dot inside the cheek or the tongue. In severe cases the neighbouring skin turns inflamed and sores are likely to come up. Initially the spots or lesions that come up are tiny measuring around 0.4 mm. in course of time the size may go up to around 1 cm.

About treatment and remedies

Now let us discuss the remedies and cure from this condition. Thankfully, medical science offers remedies for burning mouth syndrome. If the condition affects your mouth, usually it gets cleared away within five years. You can alleviate the symptoms which include sores and irritation through the following means –

• Maintaining sound oral hygiene – Brush and floss the teeth effectively every day to remove plaque build-ups and food debris stuck in the mouth. Get the teeth cleaned professionally by your dentist or dental hygienist every six months.
• Minimise injuries to the mouth – When injuries are there in the mouth, the condition usually turns more severe; even flare ups are pretty common in such conditions. In order to avoid injuries or trauma to the mouth here are a few tips – brush the teeth gently, diligently apply orthodontic wax around your orthodontic braces and wires, if you have piercings in the mouth, it is better to remove those as well.
• Replacing fillings in the tooth – Some people are allergic to the metals used in dental fillings. These allergic reactions are quite similar to the symptoms that Lichen planus shows up. It is a good idea replacing amalgam or metal fillings in the mouth with alternative materials that are hypoallergenic.

Certain issues that cause Lichen Planus to flare up include NSAIDs or non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, specific metals, chemicals and even pigments, certain vaccines, the condition of Hepatitis C, certain medicines that are prescribed to patients suffering from chronic arthritis, high blood pressure and heart disease. Trained and experienced dental professionals working at the Smile Clinic London assure Lichen planus is not contagious. The disease does not spread through skin to skin contact or unprotected sex with someone who is already suffering from it.