Unearthing The Distress Caused By Oral Lichen Planus

December 1, 2012 robot Health

There is a common reason among patients suffering from oral lichen planus: they tend to be experiencing distress because of this condition. But what do we really know about the condition known as oral lichen planus? Let us try to find out more before we delve into the distressed part. This is where we will come to learn that it is a condition which manifests through formations on the skin that, at some level, resemble the organisms that are known as lichens. They truly resemble lichens, even sharing the dark colored feature as well as the hard-to-the-touch texture. There is no part of the body which proves to be immune to these growths, and not even the oral zone of a patient is spared. It becomes quite distressing for patients when lichen planus starts affecting them, especially in their oral zone. But why are patients particularly in agony when oral lichen planus affects them, particularly in the oral zone? The fact that the oral zone is a particularly conspicuous place and lichen planus appearing on them is so obvious is the first source of distress for patients suffering this condition. Unless the patient takes a vow of silence and not make a peep while his oral lichen planus is at its peak, there is no way he can hide his condition as it is very visible around the mouth. When people see someone with oral lichen planus, they immediately assume it is a condition worse than it actually is. That explains much of the stigma attached to people who have had the misfortune of falling ill with this condition.

There is yet another reason why patients are particularly distressed when they have oral lichen planus: the condition can wreak a lot of havoc to their personal lives. Speaking becomes such an ordeal for anyone who is afflicted with this specific condition. Suddenly, even eating and drinking start to feel like such a chore, and anything that involves the use of the tongue or the mouth is sheer torture.

There have been too many distraught patients in the past who complain a lot about their oral lichen planus. Thus, once they look into ways to treat the condition, they would have to be counseled adequatey. It is the aim of counseling to make the patients understand that lichen planus is, should they want to, entirely manageable. While it is, first and foremost, an incurable condition, oral lichen planus can still be managed and controlled through the use of certain medication. It is understandable how a lot of patients are concerned about their lives becoming messed up by this condition. What most patients don’t know – and thus have to be counseled about – is that oral lichen planus is essentially transient. It could disappear after a while. It is the responsibility of a physician to inform the patients that, incurable through conventional medicine though it is, they can derive lasting relief from some alternative therapies.

Disease, Health, lichen planus, oral, treatment,