Molluscum Contagiosum: Causes, Symptoms, Transmissions, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Treatment, Complications and Prevention

Molluscum contagiosum is a typical skin infection brought on by a virus. It causes bumps that range in size from a pinhead to a pencil rubber and are painless, spherical, and hard.

Infection may spread to nearby skin if the pimples are scratched or injured. Furthermore, Molluscum contagiosum can be transmitted through direct contact with contaminated objects and from person to person.

The most common victims of Molluscum contagiosum are youngsters, but it can also afflict adults, especially those with weakened immune systems. Adults can get molluscum contagiosum by sexual contact with an infected partner if they have a strong immune system.

In many cases, pimples disappear after six months to two years if they are left untreated.

Causes Of Molluscum Contagiosum

When you acquire the M. contagiosum virus, a form of poxvirus, you develop molluscum contagiosum.

While lesions are visible, this virus can still spread from person to person. Additionally, you can spread the virus from one piece of skin on one portion of your body to another.

Transmission Of Molluscum contagiosum

M. contagiosum can spread from one person to another in a number of ways, including:

• Skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. Touching the skin sores of someone who has molluscum contagiosum can cause you to contract the infection. In the course of regular play with other kids, youngsters can spread the illness. 
• Sexual interaction is the most common way for teens and adults to contract it. In addition, playing contact sports like football or wrestling where there is direct skin-to-skin contact might result in infection.
• Coming into contact with objects that a person with molluscum contagiosum has touched. Viruses can persist on surfaces that have come into touch with skin. Handling contaminated towels, clothes, toys, or other items can result in the virus being caught.
• Sharing sporting goods that have come in contact with a molluscum contagiosum patient. As a means of spreading to another person, the virus might stay on equipment. Baseball gloves, wrestling mats, and football helmets are a few examples of these products.
• Internally spreading. The illness could spread throughout your body if you have molluscum contagiosum. By touching, scratching, or shaving one area of your body that has the virus, you can then touch another area of your body and spread it.
• Children's communal swimming lessons are one setting where transmission tends to occur more frequently. The virus cannot spread from your body to another person's if skin lesions are no longer visible.

Symptoms of Molluscum contagiosum

Signs and symptoms of molluscum contagiosum include:

• Round, raised, and skin-colored bumps
• Small lumps, usually less than 1/4 inch in diameter (less than 6 millimeters), are present.
• Bumpy surfaces with a little dot or dent in the top center
• Pink, itchy bumps
• Children who have bumps on their faces, trunks, arms, or legs
• Adults with bumps on their genitalia, lower belly, or inner thighs if the illness was contracted sexually.

Risk Factors Of Molluscum Contagiosum

Molluscum contagiosum can affect everyone, however, some populations are more likely than others to contract the virus and show symptoms. These organizations consist of:

• Children between the ages of 1 and 10 People who live in tropical regions are those whose immune systems have been compromised by cancer treatments, organ transplants, or by immune system-damaging conditions like HIV.
• People who have atopic dermatitis, a typical kind of eczema that results in scaly, itchy rashes.
• Persons who engage in contact sports like football or wrestling, where skin-to-skin contact is widespread.

Diagnosis Of Molluscum Contagiosum

The molluscum contagiosum-related skin lumps have a distinctive appearance. Because of this, molluscum contagiosum can frequently be identified by physical examination of the affected area by your doctor. They could use a skin scraping or biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.

Even though molluscum contagiosum is unlikely to require treatment, you should always have your doctor examine any skin lesions that persist for more than a few days. Other potential causes of the lesions will be ruled out by a molluscum contagiosum diagnosis, including:

• Skin cancer 
• Warts
• Chickenpox 

Treatment Of Molluscum Contagiosum

In between six months and two years, molluscum contagiosum typically improves without medication. You are no longer contagious once the bumps have disappeared. It's possible for the virus to re-infect you after you've recovered.

A dermatologist (a specialist in skin conditions) may be recommended by your doctor if the disease is severe or has spread widely in order to discuss your treatment options for the bumps.

One or more of the following may be used in therapy:

• An irritant medication, such as retinoic acid or benzoyl peroxide
• A medication (cantharidin) that causes blisters and removes the bumps
• Scraping
• Freezing(Cryotherapy)
• For those whose immune systems are compromised, laser therapy may be a possibility.

Your doctor could numb your skin first since some procedures can be uncomfortable. Possible side effects of treatment may include infection and scarring.

Complications Of Molluscum Contagiosum

The majority of Molluscum Contagiosum cases resolve on their own. However, certain individuals have difficulties, such as:

• Conjunctivitis, an eye infection that may develop if lesions appear on the eyelid, 
• Impetigo, a skin infection that results from scratching lesions. 
• Disseminated secondary eczema, which may develop as a result of your immune system overreacting to the virus.
• Widespread, larger-than-normal molluscum contagiosum, frequently on the face (this frequently occurs in patients with lowered immunity).
• Abrupt pitting scarring that may occur naturally or as a result of surgery to remove a lesion.

Prevention Of Molluscum Contagiosum

Some of the preventive measures for molluscum contagiosum include:

• Clean your hands. The infection can be stopped from spreading by washing your hands frequently.
• The bumps should not be touched. Viruses can also be propagated by shaving over infected areas.
• Refrain from lending or sharing personal stuff. They consist of things like clothing, towels, hairbrushes, and other private goods.
• Avoid making sexual touch. Avoid having sex until the bumps are treated and gone if you have molluscum contagiosum on or near your genitalia.
• Overlap the ridges. Avoid direct touch by covering the bumps with clothing when around people. When you're not among people, keep the affected area exposed to air to encourage healthy skin. Apply a waterproof bandage to the lumps before swimming.

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