Atopic dermatitis
You suffer from high skin dryness and itching, often without any apparent cause. Swelling and redness are also common, as are the formation of pimples.
Atopic dermatitis may be the cause of your problems. How atopic dermatitis manifests itself and how to try to prevent or relieve its symptoms...
What is atopic dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis is an inaccurate name for atopic eczema. Atopic dermatitis is an itchy, chronic, relapsing, inflammatory skin disease. It belongs to the group of genetically determined (hereditary) atopic diseases, together with allergic asthma, hay fever, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and celiac disease.
What causes atopic dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis is caused by a disrupted skin barrier and dysregulation (disruption of lipid intercellular junctions) of the interconnected immune mechanisms in the skin, resulting in an inflammatory reaction. Water leaks outwards, causing dehydration and dryness of the skin, while inwards, allergens from the environment penetrate the skin, creating an inflammatory deposit. Bacterial colonisation of eczema deposits is common. The manifestation of atopic dermatitis is most often triggered by food allergens, chemicals, metals and animal hair.
Do you suspect atopic dermatitis?
Your suspicions can be reliably confirmed or refuted by skin tests carried out by a dermatologist or allergist. You can find out whether itchy skin, recurring rashes or swelling are caused by a hitherto hidden allergy.
Why know if you really have an allergy?
Although the symptoms of atopic dermatitis and skin hypersensitivity look the same, the difference is significant. Behind the manifestation of atopic dermatitis is a reaction of the whole body. While in hypersensitivity only the skin reacts to irritation, in atopic dermatitis the body can go into shock. Allergy sufferers should carry medication that can save their lives in the event of a violent reaction.
Is atopic dermatitis life-threatening?
In any case, it is not good to underestimate allergy. On the other hand, only one per cent of allergy sufferers suffer from atopic dermatitis. The usual manifestations of atopic dermatitis are limited to recurrent inflammation, which can be soothed and treated with conventional treatments.
Can atopic dermatitis be prevented?
The innate predisposition to this disease (heredity of eczema) cannot be removed or changed by treatment. However, we can try to control the manifestations and keep them in a resting phase without active inflammatory foci.
In a proportion of people with allergies, their disposition may never manifest. In others, they appear only a few times in a lifetime. But at least 20% of persons suffer from regular recurrence of the problem. Sometimes it is difficult or impossible to eliminate "their" allergen from life. For eczematous manifestations, Dermaguard barrier cream can play a role, limiting the penetration of the allergen to the skin, like an invisible shield. Diet can also be a definite chance to limit the manifestations of atopic dermatitis. Many foods contain the substance histamine. This is also produced by our body. It is histamine that causes the reactions that accompany allergies - itching, cramps, swelling, etc. Avoiding foods that contain this substance in large quantities, or those foods that promote the leaching of histamine from the body, can reduce the adverse reactions.
