Molluscum Contagiosum – What it is, Symptoms and Treatments!

Molluscum Contagiosum – What it is, Symptoms and Treatments this disease in addition to being very dangerous it is contagious. In addition,  Molluscum contagiosum is a common disease caused by a virus that affects the upper layers of the skin .

The name Molluscum contagiosum implies that the virus develops, grows and spreads rapidly on skin contact . Similar to warts, this virus belongs to the Poxvirus family and enters the skin through small lesions of the hair follicles, not affecting any other internal organs.

What is Molluscum Contagiosum?

Molluscum contagiosum  is a skin infection that causes small pearl or flesh-colored bumps. The bumps can be clear, and the center is usually indented. The infection is caused by a virus . The virus is easily distributed but not harmful.

What Are the Symptoms of Molluscum Contagiosum?

The bumps are round with a dimple in the center. They are slightly smaller in size than the eraser at the end of a pencil. Bumps do not cause pain. They can appear alone or in groups.

They usually appear on the trunk, face, eyelids or genital area. The bumps can become inflamed and turn red as your body fights the virus . People who have a weakened immune system can have dozens of larger bumps. These may need special treatment.

What are the Symptoms of Molluscum Contagiosum:

If you or your child comes into contact with the Molluscum contagiosum virus , you may not see symptoms of infection for up to six months. The average incubation period is between two and seven weeks.

You may notice the appearance of a small group of painless lesions. These bumps can appear alone or in a birth of up to 20. They are usually:

• Very small, shiny and smooth
• Flesh color, white or pink
• Firm and shaped like a dome with a tooth or dimple in the middle
• Filled with a central core of waxy material
• Between 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter, or between the size of a pin head and the size of an eraser on top of a pencil
• Present anywhere except on your palms or soles of your feet
• Present on face, abdomen, trunk, arms and legs
• Present on the inner thigh, genitals, or abdomen in adults
• However, if you have a weakened immune system , you may experience more significant symptoms. Lesions can be as large as 15 millimeters in
• diameter, which is approximately the size of a dime. The bumps appear most often on the face and are typically resistant to
• treatment.

How Molluscum Contagion is Diagnosed:

Your doctor will do a physical exam and may take a sample of the bumps for testing. If you have bumps in your genital area, your doctor may check for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as genital herpes.

How Molluscum Contagion is Treated:

In most cases, Molluscum contagiosum does not need to be treated. The bumps usually go away on their own in 6 to 9 months. But in some cases, they can last much longer, sometimes even for years.