January 8th, 2020

Atopic Dermatitis 

 Atopic Dermatitis is formally known as Eczema, and is a non-infectious skin disease. It can affect people within their first two years of life, and be fully developed by five years of age. 

The signs that signify you have Atopic Dermatitis can vary from adults to children. For a child under twelve months there will be a rash developing on their head. Only half of the children who have this disease will carry it past three years old, and when they do it appears on their cheeks, upper chest, lower stomach, back, arms, and legs. For adults, it appears on the crease of the arm and legs, and the back of your neck. 

​The symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis vary depending on your hygiene, environment, genetics, and the number of allergies you have. Common allergens that play a role in the disease are dairy products, pollen, and dust mites. The perceptible symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis are itchy skin, red skin, blisters that break and leak fluid, along with a damaged corneal layer of skin that is inflamed. You will have patches of rough, dry, and semi bumpy skin on your body. 

To determine if you have Atopic Dermatitis doctors will do a skin examination, or they will take blood to test antibodies to see how they respond to certain allergens. Eczema can clear up and go away, last for several months, or it can clear up and continuously reappear for a lifetime. It all depends on the germs you are exposed to, the more you are exposed to the less eczema break outs you will experience due to the immune system growing resistant to irritants. 

​Treatment options for this disease range from steroid creams if the eczema is acute, getting shampoos, cleaners, and moisturizing products with emollients, lipid restoration moisturizers, UV radiation, laser therapy, allergy medications daily, and wet wraps. For holistic methods, you can try oils like primrose and borage, and vitamins like B6, E, and zinc.        

References  
​
Eczema: Overview. (2017, February 23). Retrieved September 06, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072583/   

 Handout on Health: Atopic Dermatitis. (n.d.). Retrieved September 06, 2017, from https://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Atopic_Dermatitis/default.asp