Molluscum contagiosum is a skin infection. It is caused by a virus. Molluscum causes small bumps or lesions to appear on your skin. Most of them are less than half an inch in diameter. They have a hard white core. Some lesions have a small dent or dimple in the center. The lesions are the same color as normal skin, but they look waxy. They usually dont hurt or itch.
The molluscum contagiosum virus is very common, and almost everyone has it. A healthy immune system will control molluscum so that if lesions appear, they do not last for a long time. People with weakened immune systems can develop molluscum lesions that spread, last for a long time, and are very difficult to treat. About twenty percent of people with AIDS will develop molluscum.
Molluscum can be spread by direct skin contact. It often spreads through sexual activity. Molluscum can infect any part of the skin, but it is common on the face or in the groin and pubic areas. It can be spread from existing lesions to other parts of the body or to other people. It can be spread by objects that came in contact with a lesion. Men with HIV often develop molluscum on their face. Shaving with a razor blade can spread it.
Because the virus that causes molluscum is so common, it is not possible to avoid being exposed to it. However, if you have molluscum you should make sure that the lesions dont touch anyone else. You should also be careful not to spread molluscum to different parts of your body. Be careful not to scratch the lesions or to cut them while shaving. Some doctors think that using an electric shaver helps prevent the spread of molluscum.
Molluscum is not a serious health problem. However, many people find the molluscum lesions to be very unattractive. This can cause serious emotional or psychological problems. A doctor can easily identify molluscum lesions. They are waxy, flesh-colored bumps that do not hurt or itch. There are only one or two other infections that cause skin problems that look at all similar to molluscum.
Molluscum lesions are treated the same way as warts. Unfortunately, the lesions often return and need to be treated again. They can be frozen with liquid nitrogen. This is the most common method of treatment. Molluscum lesions can be burned with an electric needle or a laser. This treatment can be painful and sometimes leaves scars.
Molluscum can be treated with chemicals used on warts such as trichloroacetic acid, podophyllin, or podofilox. These chemicals can not be used on sensitive skin or near the eyes. They can be cut or scooped out surgically. This treatment can be painful and can leave scars. Another approach is to use the antiviral medications cidofovir, cantharidin or imiquimod. These drugs are applied directly onto the lesions. They can cause local skin irritation.
Molluscum lesions can be treated with drugs used to treat acne such as tretinoin or isotretinoin. This is a newer approach. These drugs reduce the amount of oil in the skin. The top layer of skin dries out and peels off. These drugs can cause redness and soreness. Tretinoin is a cream that is put onto the lesions. Accutane is taken in pill form.
The acne drugs tretinoin and isotretinoin tend to dry out the skin. Dry skin is also a side effect of the protease inhibitor indinavir and some other antiretroviral medications. If you take use tretinoin or isotretinoin to treat molluscum along with antiretroviral medications that can cause dry skin, your skin problems could get worse.
Plant medicine for molluscum is composed of naturally occurring high intensity antiviral extracts which have a lethal effect against the virus. This molluscum treatment provides maximum and rapid penetration of antiviral agents into cell membranes without damaging healthy skin tissue. As a result, this treatment for molluscum enjoys a well earned reputation for its curative effects.
As is known, chemical synthetic drugs have a very strong side effects and can cause canceration and malformation to the body, damage of physiological function, and even paralysis and death. While the ingredients of plant medicine are all biological organics and essential materials that are harmless to human selected and left by long-term practice. Thus, plant medicine dissolves molluscum without damaging healthy tissue. To learn more, please go to http://www.naturespharma.org.