What is atheroma
As a result of blockage of the external opening of the excretory duct of the sebaceous gland, difficulties begin with the outflow of secretions. Atheroma is a cavity formed due to the accumulation of a pasty secretion in the duct, with a sebaceous composition (fat drops, detritus, keratinized cells). The secretion has an unpleasant odor, and visually the cyst resembles a ball. Similar in size to a chicken egg. There is also scrotal atheroma and retention cyst. A soft growth occurs at any time and in the area where items of clothing come into contact with the skin. Wen is localized in the following places on the body:
- back;
- delicate facial skin;
- armpits;
- scalp;
- behind the ear;
- mammary glands;
- genital folds;
- buttocks;
- shoulders;
- chin;
- fingers;
- neck;
- shins.
Determining the diagnosis
The first logical action of a person when identifying an unknown formation is to examine and feel it.
It is most likely that the resulting formation will be atheroma if the main signs are present:
- there is no hardness of the tumor when palpated and itching;
- pressure is not accompanied by painful sensations and does not lead to displacement of the formation;
- a round cyst with a dark dot in the center - a clogged sebaceous duct.
If all of the above signs are present, you should calm down, breathe out and... visit a doctor! Only a specialist is able to correctly diagnose the disease and exclude the malignant origin of the tumor.
Causes of atheroma
Blockage of the sebaceous gland occurs when the obstruction of the ducts or swelling of the hair follicle (follicle), but what causes this phenomenon? There is no single reason. After trauma or due to increased testosterone levels, the outlet is blocked. Sebaceous secretions continue to accumulate, and the follicle becomes large and becomes atheroma.
Damage or rupture of the sebaceous glands may also be the cause. Due to the formation of a carbuncle or boil, the gland penetrates the skin, and the secretion continues to be produced. Purulent atheromas or acne may occur after blockage of the mouths of the hair follicles. Other causes of atheroma:
- hereditary factor;
- hormonal changes;
- poor environmental conditions;
- modern pace of life;
- hard work;
- impaired metabolism;
- seborrhea.
Prevention
The appearance of atheroma can be prevented if you follow simple rules. Experts recommend constantly cleansing the skin of impurities using scrubs, peeling, and masks. It is recommended to pay attention to steam baths and massage. If you are prone to illness, it is necessary to remove foods high in carbohydrates and animal fats from your diet. Preventive measures will help prevent the occurrence and development of the disease:
- A diet with minimal use of sugar, salt, spices, and sweets.
- Water procedures to keep the body constantly clean.
- Treatment of seborrhea, dermatitis, skin infections.
- Detection and treatment of excessive sweating.
Treatment of atheroma at home
Judging by the reviews of real people, it is dangerous to prescribe treatment for atheroma at home on your own. Without surgical intervention, it is possible to eliminate swelling only at the initial stage. Therapy may be with the addition of folk remedies, or it may consist of the use of special ointments suitable for each specific case. How to treat atheroma at home? The following ointments can be used strictly under the supervision of a specialist:
- To speed up the removal of purulent masses, take ointments with antibiotics that have an anti-inflammatory effect: Levosin, Oflokain, Levomekol. They are prescribed to relieve inflammation, tissue swelling, pain, and also after opening to prevent infection.
- Dermatoprotectors will help strengthen skin tissue, accelerate cell metabolic processes and change the epithelial layer. Prescribed Adolen gel, Effezel gel, Differin. With the help of such ointments, the risk of replacing atheroma with connective tissue and its growth is eliminated.
- Absorbable ointments are aimed at removing the postoperative scar and improving the blood supply to cells: Lyoton, Troxevasin, Heparin, Contratubes.
Treatment of atheroma at home with ichthyol ointment
After consultation on what constitutes atheroma - which can be treated at home - the doctor may prescribe additional medications for you. Treatment of atheroma without surgery is performed with ichthyol ointment. The product is effective at the first symptoms of a wen: the skin turns red, irritation and discomfort are noted. How to treat atheroma at home with ichthyol ointment:
- The product is used as a compress. To do this, take gauze bandages and soak them with the drug.
- It is necessary to change compresses for new ones 3 times a day. To prevent them from flying off, they are fixed with adhesive plasters.
- Treatment should be carried out until complete recovery - restoration of the skin area.
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Treatment of atheroma with Vishnevsky ointment
An excellent drug has a wide range of applications. Treatment of atheroma with Vishnevsky ointment should be carried out after a small allergy test. You can determine sensitivity to the components of the ointment by applying a small amount of the product to the area. If there is no negative reaction, then the ointment can be used only after opening the formation. If you apply the product before, then the pus will penetrate into the subcutaneous tissue. Bandages with ointment are applied for no more than 7 days, and changed after 12 hours. Contraindication: absence of obvious inflammation.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Externally, the neoplasms are a bit like a mobile elastic capsule. Even minor exposure may cause pain to the patient. At first, a small bump forms on the skin, but it soon increases in size and can reach a diameter of up to 5 centimeters.
Apart from cosmetic discomfort, atheroma does not cause any harm to the body. It is worth noting that this is exclusively a skin defect of a cosmetic nature. But incorrect or untimely treatment can lead to unpleasant consequences, including an inflammatory process. Due to the creation of suppuration inside the resulting capsule, it opens.
To diagnose this disease, it is enough to conduct a visual examination of the patient. A round and soft formation develops on its skin, which can reach the size of a matchbox. The affected area of skin takes on a coffee tint. This color change indicates the beginning of the inflammatory process. This neoplasm is considered inactive, and the patient himself may not be aware of its presence for a long time until the disease begins to progress.
Removing atheroma at home
The only way to get rid of the formation is surgically using a scalpel, radio wave or laser therapy. Removing atheroma at home is a dangerous procedure, judging by the reviews. How to get rid of atheroma? In the hospital, under local anesthesia, the doctor removes the contents and the cyst itself (capsule). The procedure does not exceed 40 minutes. Your doctor will tell you the correct methods of care after surgery at home:
- If the cyst is suppurated and inflamed, you should not smear the area with your own chosen products, as this can cause an abscess under the skin or phlegmon. The accelerated breakthrough of the abscess drives the infection deeper (inside).
- After removing the atheroma, the doctor explains how important it is to care for the remaining scar. To do this, external agents with a resolving effect are applied to the skin.
- When opening a purulent formation, it is necessary to use compresses with antiseptics and drugs with regenerating properties. After the symptoms subside (after a month), the atheroma is removed to avoid relapse.
Main symptoms
Externally, the wen looks like a small hump growing from under the skin. Basically, atheroma reaches a size of one to three centimeters. Large atheroma occurs in case of suppuration. A non-inflamed cyst is dense and painless to the touch, with clear edges, moves inside the tissue, but is fused to the skin. If you look more closely, you can see a clogged sebaceous duct in the center of the formation.
If you press on the atheroma, a little white or yellowish substance with a cheesy consistency may come out of this duct. But doctors strongly do not recommend squeezing out the contents of the capsule or trying to open the atheroma in any way. In such cases, it often becomes inflamed and leads to complications. The symptoms of a festering wen are:
- redness of the skin on the formation and around it;
- hyperthermia of surrounding tissues;
- increased body temperature;
- fever;
- signs of general intoxication of the body (when opening the atheroma capsule).
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If signs of suppuration appear, the use of traditional medicine recipes is strictly prohibited. In such cases, it is necessary to solve the problem surgically.
Treatment of atheroma with folk remedies
A quick way to eliminate such a disease as atheroma is treatment at home without medications. It must consist of a special action: you need to free the cyst from its contents. Herbal remedies are used in a variety of forms: masks, ointments, tinctures. If you take an unconventional approach, you should consult your doctor. Treatment of atheroma with folk remedies can be carried out using the following effective recipes:
- Rubbing with plant juice: rinse aloe, dry 2 large leaves. Grate to a paste consistency. Pass the mixture through cheesecloth. Wipe the formation with juice up to 6 times. Every day you need to take fresh juice.
- Lamb fat product. Render the fat and cool it. Pour into a cream bottle or other container and rub into the area 5 times a day. Add vegetable oil and garlic juice to the mixture.
- Using a meat grinder or blender, grind the burdock root. Mix everything with butter or pork fat. Keep the product in the dark for 3 days. Lubricate periodically until symptoms disappear.
- You will need to separate the egg film from the shell and apply it for 2 hours. It is possible that swelling or redness will appear around the wen. After 3 sessions the contents will come out.
- A decoction of coltsfoot leaves is prepared at home like this: boil 3 leaves in water and drink 100 ml every day.
Treatment at home using lotions
When performing healing therapy to eliminate atheroma, be careful: herbal preparations often cause allergic reactions. They can manifest as rashes and itchy spots on the skin. Treatment at home using lotions is carried out in combination with basic medications. The exposure time of lotions varies, ranging from 40 minutes to 1 hour. To speed up the effect, it is recommended to carry out the procedure 3 times a day. The most effective lotions are:
- Ammonia: take 2 tablespoons, mix with water in equal proportions. Pour the product onto a clean bandage or cotton wool and apply to the atheroma. After the procedure, rinse with warm water and repeat every day.
- Dig up a peony from your summer cottage, take the roots, and chop finely. Take them 2 tbsp. l., add water (two and a half glasses) and boil. Strain the product through cheesecloth, cool and wipe the necessary areas with the broth.
- Bake the onion. Grind the laundry soap using a grater. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and apply to the atheroma along with the bandage. Change the resulting mask 2 times.
Patient reviews
There are many ways to treat atheroma. And some of them are characterized by high efficiency, and therefore deserve special attention. To choose the appropriate option for traditional therapy, you should read the reviews of patients who have experienced it themselves.
Vishnevsky ointment helped me remove a cyst in the neck area. I treated the affected part of the skin three times a day, and used wheat germ juice as a preventative measure. Just a few weeks later, all the symptoms of the disease were eliminated, and the condition of the skin at the site of inflammation noticeably improved. By the way, wheat germ can restore the normal functioning of the sebaceous glands.
Marina, Sevastopol
Until recently, she refused to have the operation, and she turned out to be right. I believe that going under the knife is the last thing, and most of the symptoms of atheroma can be eliminated at home. Personally, lotions based on potatoes, radishes and aloe helped me.
Olga, Moscow
I prefer traditional medicine and use crushed wormwood root in the form of a decoction. I was convinced that regular treatment of the affected area combats symptoms and prevents the development of complications.
Lyudmila, Crimea
Despite the many pharmaceutical drugs, treating atheroma at home is a very good alternative to official medicine. It is enough to find a suitable recipe and start preparing a decoction or lotion.
Therapy at home
In the kitchen of every housewife there are many products that will help speed up the maturation of the wen. Let's find out how you can cure atheroma at home.
- 1. Garlic, beet juice, carrots and black radish. Here is the most effective and harmless way to get rid of atheroma. To do this, you need to chop all the products and squeeze out the juice. Add 200 ml of wine and stir with a wooden spoon. Then put it in the refrigerator, and for treatment, take 1 tablespoon daily and eat after meals three times a day.
- 2. Cinnamon. One of the most effective and affordable remedies is cinnamon. This spice should be taken daily, 1-2 tablespoons orally. This portion can be divided into several doses and added to tea, honey, coffee.
- 3. Onion. A fast-acting method that will help to open the wen capsule in a short time. To do this, chop the onion and bake in the oven. Meanwhile, grate laundry soap on a coarse grater. We make a rectangle out of gauze (in several layers) and place a spoonful of baked onion and a spoonful of soap on it. Mix and apply to the formation. To avoid getting burned, you need to let the product cool down quite a bit. Hold for 4-5 hours. Then immediately attach a new one.
- 4. Carrots. You can make wraps with carrots, which are ideal for breaking up cysts. You need to prepare a mixture of grated carrots and flour (in equal quantities). Add cumin and fresh chopped rosemary leaves. You need to apply this compress three times a day.
- 5. Lamb fat. In order for the sebaceous sac to be cleared of pus, you need to melt the lamb fat, let it cool to room temperature and pour it into a container convenient for you, for example, a cream jar. Every 3-4 hours you need to rub the fat into the tumor. Do not rinse off.
- 6. Chicken eggs. One of the miraculous remedies is egg films. You need to boil the egg, peel it and remove the film from the white (it may remain on the shell). Apply it daily to the formation on the skin, just remember that every day there should be a new film.
- 7. Sour cream and honey. Mix honey with full-fat sour cream in equal proportions and add a pinch of salt. Mix and apply several times a day to the cyst. Leave for 20 minutes, then wipe off with a clean towel.
In order to quickly eliminate a problem such as a wen, you need to maintain regularity and not interrupt treatment. If redness occurs or the atheroma begins to enlarge, you need to stop self-medication and run to the hospital.
Forecast for the development of a festering cyst
To put it figuratively, any atheroma, even if it is small in size, is a kind of “time bomb”.
Any injury can damage the epidermis, and then the progressive inflammatory process produces the following complications:
- Abscess;
- Cellulitis, forming diffuse inflammation under the skin;
- Blood clot formation is a possible cause of death.
This means that at the first signs of atheroma inflammation, you should consult a doctor. This could be a surgeon, dermatologist.
Vishnevsky ointment
Treatment with Vishnevsky ointment brings quite good results. This product is famous for its composition and beneficial properties. The ointment is used to treat many skin diseases and atheroma is no exception. In order to open a cyst, you need to apply the ointment daily to a bandage or cotton wool and apply it to the formation. The size of such a compress should not be much larger than the wen itself. For convenience, the bandage can be secured with a medical plaster.
Remember that after 7-8 hours you will need to apply fresh ointment. After 1.5 weeks the wen should break through.
Medicinal plants
Recipes that we inherited from our grandmothers are most often prepared using herbal plants. Indoor plants that have healing properties are also often used.
- Sagebrush. In order to prepare an infusion from this plant, you need to take 6 coffee spoons of chopped herb and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water over it. Stir with a spoon and let sit for 30-35 minutes. After time, strain the infusion and apply as a compress daily.
- Primrose. To get rid of wen, you can prepare a decoction of primrose. Take a glass of water and a large spoon of dried primrose (chop it first). Mix and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Afterwards you will need to cool and strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. The finished product is added while bathing.
- Peony roots. Take peony root and grind it in a blender. Pour 2 tbsp. two glasses of boiling water. Bring to a boil and leave to cool. Strain and treat the atheroma with the resulting decoction daily.
- Callisia fragrant. Take 5-6 leaves of the plant (also called golden mustache), rinse under running water. Grind and apply on gauze or cotton wool to the wen.
- Burdock ointment. In order to prepare this remedy, you need to take burdock root (about 100 g) and the same amount of melted fat or butter. Grind the root in a blender and mix with fat. You should get a homogeneous mixture. Place the container with the ointment in a dark place for three days, then pass through a sieve. In order for the cyst to burst, you need to apply gauze with ointment and try not to remove it for up to 3 days. Usually during this time the wen breaks through and the gland is freed of all excess.
- Field ivy. This plant is a good remedy in the fight against cysts. To obtain a medicine intended for the treatment of atheroma, you need to chop the leaves and stems of the plant, then fill the glass halfway. Pour vodka to the top of the glass and pour into a dark glass container. Leave in the refrigerator for three weeks and the drug is ready. Before use, it is necessary to filter, moisten gauze and tie to the formation. Treatment was continued until the cyst capsule was destroyed.
- Aloe. Everyone knows that this indoor plant has many beneficial properties. In order to cure atheroma, you need to prepare aloe juice daily and wipe the formation up to 6 times a day. To do this, take several leaves of this plant and grind them to a paste. Pass it through a sieve or cheesecloth and start treating the wen.
Why is surgery contraindicated?
Some patients are terrified of surgical interventions. Severe fear or mental illness may be contraindications to surgical removal of atheroma.
During surgery, analgesics are used for pain relief. The presence of allergies to medications, such as novocaine and lidocaine, is an absolute contraindication to anesthesia. Not every patient can withstand skin dissection without pain relief.
After surgery, a scar remains. Many patients are looking for alternative ways to treat their tumor.