Lichen Planus is an itchy, non-infectious disease of the skin and mucous membranes on the arms, legs, trunk, nails, genitals, and throat. It is an auto-immune disease. Firstly, we shall define what an auto-immune disease is. An auto-immune disease is an abnormal immune system that attacks normal functioning body parts i.e. arms, legs, genitals, and throat primarily. For example, in Lichen Planus, the immune system attacks the above-mentioned body parts and causes rashes and bruises. It is a painful medical condition which even medical science has not been able to come to grips with. Thereby, natural remedies for Lichen Planus are in vogue these days. Lichen Planus is a relatively common disorder with an incidence of 0.5% to 2.0% of the general population.
Symptoms
Symptoms are painful according to the site of their occurrence. For instance, rashes in the genitals and the throat are extremely hurting.
For instance, they might occur in the throat which makes the patient highly miserable. Recurrences or flare-ups can occur after weeks and can reappear after years in oral Lichen Planus.
A very gripping aspect of Lichen Planus is that it causes depression, anxiety, and other psychic disorders for as long as the duration of this intimidating illness.
Causes
It is common knowledge that stress and allergies play a vital role in causing Lichen Planus. There is no doubting the fact that an average person’s lifestyle has become highly stressful. Thereby stress plays a significant role in one falling prey to this disease. People with allergies to certain allergens such as pollen or dust are at great risk of contracting Lichen Planus. Hepatitis C is a major cause of the occurrence of Lichen Planus. Hepatitis C is a chronic disease of the liver. It is contracted by excessive use of alcohol or blood transfusion. As opposed to hepatitis C, Hepatitis A and B are viral in nature and they go away with the passage of time. Hence, they have no role in causing Lichen Planus.
Allergies and infections have a significant role to play in people contracting Lenis Planus. Antihistamines and antibiotics, including corticosteroids, are used to cure this disease. The only effective mode of treatment is the use of steroids. Although steroids are the preferred mode of treatment in Lechin Planus, they have some very terrifying side effects. Water retention, loss of hair, acidity in the stomach are some of the most usual reported side effects of the use of corticosteroids.
Another cause of the flare-up of Lichen Planus includes the flu vaccine. Some other factors responsible for the repeat episodes of Lichen Planus are:
Certain other chemicals, metals, and pigments
Certain Pain relieves certain medication for heart disease, high blood pressure, and arthritis
Diagnosis
Primarily, doctors diagnose the disease by merely having a look at the rashes cum bruises but cannot conclusively diagnose the disease. Thereby, they advise a punch biopsy to ascertain the exact nature of the disease. Sometimes, the wound caused by the biopsy requires stitches. In most of the cases, a bone marrow test is conducted and then examined for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) i.e. Blood Cancer. This is so as itchy rashes are a symptom of leukemia too. The symptoms of AML and Lichen Planus are similar.
Natural Home Remedies for Lichen Planus
Turmeric is also known as Haldi in common vernacular contains antioxidants which are also present in many multivitamins. It has been used in Asian medical science even before the birth of Christ. Its efficacy has been mentioned in the Vedas also. In the case of oral Lichen Planus, a lot of difficulties are faced in speaking, eating, and swallowing. Turmeric is one of the valuable Home Remedies for Lichen Planus helps in putting an end to this difficulty.
The majority of the people suffering from the condition prefer Natural Treatment for Lichen Planus over allopathic medication to help alleviate the menacing symptoms of itchy skin or bruises.
Turmeric
Turmeric has been studied for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties for pain relief. Its major ingredient curcumin is responsible for its analgesic properties. Turmeric has also been shown to be effective in preventing throat and mouth cancer.
Sage
For people suffering from oral Lichen Planus, chewing Sage helps alleviate much of the pain they are suffering from.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is one of the beneficial options for the Herbal Treatment for Lichen Planus. Applying Aloe Vera combined with honey soothes the pain for people suffering from Lichen Planus of their skin which relieves their pain to quite an extent.
Oats
Oats are technically known as Avena sativa. They have a long history of use in medical science. Oats are known to relieve stress which is one of the chief factors in the occurrence of Lichen Planus.
Essential Oils
Some Essential Oils for Lichen Planus are known to relieve pain. Whichever oil suits a patient or has a palliative effect the former should use that. Some examples of the essential oil include tea tree, frankincense peppermint.
Borax
Borax is used in Natural Remedies for Lichen Planus as a palliative to soothe mouth ulcers. It is extremely helpful in controlling itching.
Valerian
As discussed in the next section, stress is a major cause of Lichen Planus. Valerian has sedative properties. Hence, it is extremely effective in alleviating stress and thus contributes to the prophylaxis of Lichen Planus.
Other Herbal Remedies for Lichen Planus include:
Petroleum jelly
Calendula
Coconut Oil
Lemon Balm.
Visit at Natural Herbs Clinic for further details.
