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Although it is hidden under a beautiful name, it takes away both health and beauty. Rose – an acute contagious skin disease that can be really dangerous.
He can start suddenly, without any symptoms that would signal trouble. Suddenly there is a high fever – even up to 40 degrees Celsius. It is accompanied by a feeling of crash and shivering. “It’s probably the flu,” we think. But it quickly turns out that characteristic changes have appeared on the body. The skin is blood red (hence the name of the disease), it is shiny, hot and tense and it hurts a lot when we touch it. It happens that serous blisters appear on the diseased skin, which can rupture – and then they reveal a layer under the epidermis from which serous fluid can ooze. Lymph nodes in the affected area get bigger. The skin around the lesion, however, looks normal, it is nice, and the lesion itself is clearly demarcated from healthy tissues.
The disease progresses rapidly: initially, a small spot may spread to larger and larger areas of the skin. It happens that red bands travel deeper into the body from the lesion along the lymphatic vessels, which also undergo inflammatory processes and related changes. Inflammation and swelling of the lymphatic vessels can complicate the form of adhesions and distortions, resulting in impaired lymph circulation. It happens that it is even the cause of significant swelling and the so-called elephantiasis – when, even with a lean physique, the legs become puffed up and swollen – so that they are almost as wide in the ankles and calves as they are in the thighs.
Sounds awful? And rightly so – because this disease can really bother you. This is the rose (Latin erysipelas): an acute infectious disease of the dermis, underlying tissue and surrounding lymphatic vessels.
Rose infection
As if the soreness of the rose caused little trouble, the disease further complicates the lives of those affected by it, settling in what is probably the most troublesome place: it likes the face. This is her most common location. However, it also happens on the skin of the lower limbs, especially in people suffering from varicose veins with a tendency to ulcerate.
Where did all these problems come from? It happens to them because of an infection. Rose is a disease caused by gram-positive bacteria from the streptococcus family – and more precisely, group A hemolytic streptococcus. When they get into our skin through rubbed or damaged epidermis, they start to multiply, causing problems. The gates of infection on the legs may be caused by varicose veins, the more so that due to the poorer blood supply, the lower limbs affected by varicose veins are less resistant to microbial attacks. On the face, rose gates open mucosal injuries around the nose or mouth, small cuts or bites. In a word: everything that breaks the continuity of the skin and epidermis and exposes us to infection when we touch an unprotected place with a dirty hand.
Rose diagnosis
The diagnosis must be made by a doctor, although the disease has so characteristic symptoms that it is not difficult to diagnose it. However, it is necessary to rule out staphylococcus aureus infection (it can also have similar symptoms), skin phlegmon, herpes zoster infection, deep vein thrombosis (when it occurs on the legs), acute contact dermatitis or erythema nodosum. If changes have occurred on the face, the likelihood of developing systemic lupus and a more dangerous type of rose – cancerous rose must be ruled out.
Rose treatment
Although it can be long-lasting. Treatment is by taking antibiotics. If changes are detected in the early stages, oral medication and home treatment are often sufficient. However, if the changes are already advanced, the doctor usually prescribes intravenous antibiotics, which must be administered in a hospital.
The most commonly used drug is penicillin, as streptococci are sensitive to its effects. If there is no improvement, medicine uses cephalosporin drugs, which are quite effective. At the same time, the patient is given medications to reduce general ailments and improve well-being: painkillers and antipyretics. As a rule, there is no need to use special ointments for the affected areas, but if the erythematous skin has blistering, you can apply ointment with an antibiotic or lubricate the wound edges. In most cases, therapy lasts from 10 days to two weeks and ends with complete recovery. The skin rarely leaves traces or scars, although in the case of necrotic forms, permanent and unsightly changes may occur.
Unfortunately, we also have bad news: the rose has a tendency to relapse. Once an infection has occurred, it does not give immunity to subsequent illnesses, and the changes like to return to the same places where they have already appeared. Fortunately, however, it does not come back in everyone – and even if it does, it is enough to keep a minimum of vigilance and rush to the doctor at the first symptoms of a relapse. Stopped at the very beginning with a rapid administration of an antibiotic, it will not have a chance to develop into a full-blown form.
Text: Hanna Mądra