Atopic Dermatitis: Eczema - Research Paper Example

? “Atopic Dermatitis” Atopic Dermatitis – Eczema Atopic dermatitis is a con-contagious skin disease and it causes itchy skin. It is a common disease which affects people all around the world and it is like an allergy that causes problems such as asthma, hay fever or inhalant allergies and eczema (chronic dermatitis). The appearance differs and it may be for a number of reasons such as genetics. (Bieber & Leung, 2002) The skin in atopic dermatitis becomes inflamed and itchy, it becomes red and swells up and may cause small blisters, crusting, scaling, cracking or weeping of the skin. Dry skin is also one of the commonalities in patients diagnosed with AD. (Bieber & Leung, 2002) Even though it is a disease that occurs all around the world, it usually affects young children and infants and may sometimes stay till adulthood or even have its onset at that time. The disease condition doesn’t stay consistent; it may become severe or worse and there are times when the skin is itch free and clear, which is the period when the disease has gone into remission. Even though it is a disease that is usually experienced by young people only, it usually clears up when kids get older, or a state of permanent remission, and even though it may subside, their skin can still remain a little dry and sensitive throughout their life. (Bieber & Leung, 2002) There are various reasons for the onset of AD. It may be a single factor or multiple factors such as a less humid environment, seasonal changes, detergents or soaps that are harsh and even cold weather. The environment can also simply be a trigger to a gene that is already prevalent in the patient and that means that as the environment changes, it activates the disease and its symptoms appear, even though the gene wasn’t active before. (Bieber & Leung, 2002) Differences between eczema and atopic dermatitis There are different categories of eczema such as contact, irritant and allergic eczema which may be similar to atopic dermatitis or not. AD is part of a syndrome called atopy along with asthma and inhalant allergies which need to be present in an individual but not necessarily all three at the same time for the syndrome to be an atopy. (Gardiner-Caldwell, 2001) Causes of Atopic dermatitis There are several reasons identified for the cause of AD. One of the reasons is epidermal barrier dysfunction. This is a genetic encoding dysfunction when there are at least three groups of proteins that have changed. It could also be due to allergy, even though AD is primarily an inherited disease. Eczema is increased by allergens, either contact with or taking in of them. Other aspects that are related to the immune system can also cause AD such as fatigue or stress. People with a past of allergies or asthma usually develop AD. It is difficult to define the causes of AD in humans especially but another reason could be the radiation from microwaves. It activates the cells and massive cell activation can again aggravate allergies. Food allergies are also a kind of allergy that can enhance this disease. This is usually prevalent in children from beforehand and sometimes it is skin dermatitis. Therefore it may cause eczema or atopic dermatitis but usually the two are concurrent. An exogenous cause of AD is histamine which may be available in food such as cheese and other fermented products even fish and some vegetables that naturally have histamine and which should be avoided for those patients who potentially have AD. The body of these patients cannot break down this histamine due to the absence of the enzyme that breaks down the histamine or other reasons related to the mechanism of the body. Strong connections have been perceived in genetics and the development of AD, however research still continues and there isn’t any surefire evidence for it. Some evidence dictates that a genetic variant on chromosome 11 could cause atopic eczema but there is other evidence relating to other genes and twin studies with conclusive as well as inconclusive evidence. (Decker, 2004) Signs and Symptoms The signs of a patient with atopic dermatitis are red itchy skin which gets easily irritated and acts abnormally to certain foods, allergens and bacteria as well. The skin of the joints and their surfaces are the places to see because they are the most vulnerable to skin changes. It also usually comes along with asthma, allergic conjunctivitis and hay fever. It symptoms may vary over time, but that doesn’t mean that it has receded completely. It may also appear in domestic dogs apart from infants and young children. Children before age five may develop the disease and have it till adulthood, where it may flare and subside over that period of time. As aforementioned the surfaces of joints are susceptible to the skin rash however AD can also affect any other part of the body similarly and even more the feet, hands, face, neck, upper chest, wrinkles and ankles. Eyes and eyelids are also not spared of the disease. Stress, lack of humidity, sweat, sand, dust and cigarettes can make the symptoms worse as well as long baths with hot water, cleaners, fabrics or cleaners. Itching however will be a persistent factor, with or without the aggravation. The rash can emerge into bumps which are painful and their onset is quick. The initial signs are patches of red to brownish color which itch and this itching may increase in intensity during the night time. If they are scratched they may become crusty or ooze out and this worsens the itch altogether. The itchy skin around the eyes can become red and swell especially if scratched and the rubbing can even cause the loss of hair around the eye region i.e. the eyelashes and the eyebrows. The symptoms however will vary in patients depending upon their age. Since it is an ‘infantile disease’ for the most part it is usually sever in infants where it results in all the symptoms aforementioned as well as scaly or red and itchy cheeks as well as rashes on the arms, neck and legs which itch a great deal and may clear up when they are two to three years old. In older patients the situation seems worse with an aggravated itch and leads to dull skin in the areas of the rashes. ((U.S.), 2009) Treatment for atopic dermatitis The treatment for atopic dermatitis involves the patient and his/her family as well as the doctor relationships. The doctor suggests the treatment procedure depending on the situation of the patient at hand, their age, signs and general bodily functions etc. The family and the patient need to follow the instructions given by the doctor. The disease can be cured with the proper treatment and lifestyle changes. The doctor wants to do three things while treating AD; making sure the skin is healthy and is healing, making sure that skin flares don’t happen, and when symptoms arise, managing them. For this reason the doctor has developed skin care routines that patients must follow, and outline the activities that patients shouldn’t indulge in and which could aggravate the disease. The changes in the skin are equally important to be noted so that the effectiveness of the treatment plan can be seen. One of the factors of treatment is skin care which is a simple step and one that is essential. The patient needs to use the proper soap and skin products to keep the skin healthy and free from issues. Hot and long showers and oils etc are usually not advised for the patient and the purpose of a bath is simply to be clean and disinfect the body from any germs and the purpose of other skin products is not to moisturize the skin but to prevent it from drying out. Tar can be used in extremely dry areas. The skin routine should advisably be free from chemicals and fragrances alike. Infections should be treated as quickly as possible by consulting with a doctor and dealing with them as they arise, especially tiny bumps filled with pus oozing out from them. For children, they need closer care and help in choosing fabrics and they need to be constantly reminded that they should not scratch because that only makes the disease worse. Medication is usually for a stronger AD as well as one that recurs in patients. A treatment program with prescribed medicines can bring the situation under control in a matter of weeks unless the patient isn’t following the regime set out by the doctor. Ointments and creams with corticosteroid are often used in AD patients and sometimes in milder cases over the counter drugs are prescribed. However they aren’t free from side effects and can lead to infections, thinning and even suppression of growth and even stretch marks. In this case, more powerful and expensive drugs are used that are applied onto the skin. They are usually used on children and on their faces especially and are usually called “immune modulators.” They are taken orally and there is little chance of them being rejected by a person who has received a new organ. They suppress the immune system and do not change it overtime and they are also free from the side effects that appear with other drugs. Antibiotics may also be used that are applied to the skin. Lastly, phototherapy is used which is the use of ultraviolet light to treat the disease but not in its severe stages, and in patients of all ages. (Authority. & Agency., 1999) References (U.S.), N. I. (2009). Atopic dermatitis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (U.S.). Authority., N. M., & Agency., M. P. (1999). Treatment of atopic dermatitis. Norwegian Medicines Control Authority.; Medical Products Agency. Bieber, T., & Leung, D. Y. (2002). Atopic dermatitis. Marcel Dekker. Decker, B. (2004). Dermatitis : contact, atopic, occupational, drug. American Contact Dermatitis Society. Gardiner-Caldwell. (2001). Atopy reports : atopic dermatitis and related disorders. Read More