Pityriasis rosea, possibly a viral infection, is a common skin disease that presents itself as scaly, reddish-pink rash. This condition is mostly seen in children and young adults.

Causes:

• The cause remains unknown.
• It is non contagious.
• Some of the studies suggest that it may be caused by viruses or after taking certain medications such as antibiotics or cardiac medications.
• This condition is triggered or aggravated in winters.
• It is most commonly seen in the age group of 10-35 years

Symptoms:

• The rash usually appears on the back, abdomen, or chest and then spread to the neck, arms, and legs.
• The rash may remain for some days to several weeks. It may be self-limiting in many cases, and may resulve in about 2-3 months without medicines.
• General feeling of getting ill as tired and achy or getting a culd just before the rash appears.
• The rash may be seen as what may be called as ‘herald patch’ which is the first sign to appear.
• The rash appears as a large, oval, scaly lesion typically seen on the back, abdomen, armpit, or chest.
• In few days time the rash may spread to other parts of the body presenting as skin redness or inflammation.
• Rash found on back tend to form a Christmas tree pattern.
• Typically the rash exists without itching, however in some patients mild itching may be present.
• Exposure to heat or culd, vigorous exercise, etc can worsen itching.
• It may lead to skin disculoration after the rash is subsided that usually takes months to fade.

Diagnosis:

• Mostly diagnosed clinically by expert eyes.
• Since this condition can look like other skin disorders like eczema, ringworm, syphilis, or psoriasis, a skin biopsy may be required to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment:

The rash usually go away on it’s own in around 2-3 months time but sometimes the symptoms are so distressing that it needs to be treated. In some cases it may remain for more than 3 months.

• Conventional medicines aim at relieving itching and inflammation caused by pityriasis rosea. The medicines include antihistamines, local and oral corticosteroids and calamine lotion.

Homeopathic management:

Homeopathic treatment is found effective in Pityriasis rosea and it is strongly recommended, especially in resistant and severe cases.