Atopic dermatitis is a chronic eczema characterized by itching and dryness of the skin. Its prevalence rate is 18% in children of both sexes and persists at about 3% for adults.
Atopic dermatitis is usually related to other pathologies such as bronchitis, asthma, allergies to mites, grasses, certain animals or headaches, either their own or those of direct relatives.
Atopic dermatitis is a skin reaction to various allergens. It manifests itself as if it were an allergy, although it is not an allergy in the strict sense. To prevent the appearance of outbreaks of atopic dermatitis, the most important thing is to keep the skin well hydrated at all times and to correctly treat any lesions that may appear.
Atopic dermatitis appears mainly during the first months of life, remaining until the age of six or seven years in most cases. However, it can sometimes persist into adulthood. In these cases, treatment is more complex.
Symptoms of atopic dermatitis
The main symptoms of atopic dermatitis are intense itching and stinging. Both force scratching, which together with skin dryness often leads to over-infection, resulting in very typical lesions secondary to scratching.
It mainly affects areas with large folds such as the inner sides of the elbows or the areas behind the knees.
Sometimes, it can manifest itself in nervous and hyperactive people as a consequence of the enormous discomfort that they present continuously due to the intense itching.
Treatment for atopic dermatitis
Depending on the degree of skin involvement, the appropriate treatment is used in each case. However, it is always essential to maintain a high degree of hydration of the skin by using moisturizing lotions for the whole body and washing with a very mild oil-based bath gel.
It is also advisable to take antihistamines orally for prolonged periods of time and to apply antibiotic ointments to areas that may have become infected as a result of scratching or even corticosteroid creams.
When the patient does not respond to the usual treatment, it may be necessary to resort to the administration of immunomodulatory drugs, phototherapy or systemic corticosteroids.
In a very high percentage of cases, atopic dermatitis may disappear at around 12 years of age.
Only 3% of affected patients continue to show signs of atopic dermatitis into adulthood. However, when the disease is associated with asthma or certain allergies, for example to dust mites, it may persist for years requiring continuous treatment.
Advice for children suffering from atopic dermatitis
Many parents wonder whether it is appropriate to bathe a child with atopic dermatitis every day. They are also concerned about what type of clothing to wear or even which foods can worsen this pathology.
Dermatology specialists advise using very mild, oil-based soaps that help keep the skin surface in optimal conditions of hydration and elasticity. When the dryness is intense or the outbreaks are very potent, there are cleansing lotions that can be used without the need to remove them with water.
Regarding clothing, the ideal is to use basically cotton clothing. Patients suffering from atopic dermatitis often have a poor tolerance to direct contact with wool and synthetic fiber clothing. When a child with atopic dermatitis complains of itchy clothing, avoid forcing the child to wear it or try to always wear cotton underwear to mitigate the harmful effects of rubbing and itching.
As for the influence of foods, there is much discussion on this subject with controversial opinions. It is believed that some foods such as cow’s milk and its derivatives, nuts, bananas and red fruits can worsen skin lesions, although this depends on the degree of reactivity of each patient.