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Skin allergies are the most common in humans. However, they are also the ones that appear in greater numbers, often with great differences between them. For this reason, it is important to know a little more about the main causes, symptoms and treatments of each one of them. That way, it is easier to understand also when it is time to take action on your own is no longer enough and when we need to see a doctor. And it is exactly for these reasons that we are going to talk about atopic dermatitis in today’s text. Do you want to know how it manifests and how you can treat it? Check it out now!
What is Atopic Dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis can be defined as a chronic inflammatory skin disease, much more common in children, especially in their first year of life . Although the cases are more rare, it can also affect young people and adults.
In most cases, this type of allergy is manifested by reddish lesions that may present flaking on the face, chin, forehead and even on the scalp. When it manifests in older people, it can also reach other parts of the body , such as the elbows, neck, torso, hands and even the feet.
Atopic dermatitis usually manifests itself in stages . First, in the mild phase, the symptoms are less noticeable and tend to be uncomfortable. In the acute phases, this type of allergy can present several symptoms that are more severe and that can worsen as they appear again.
Symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis
Like many other types of allergies, it usually has specific signs that help you identify more easily than it is. Some of the main symptoms of atopic dermatitis are:
- Dry skin
- Itchy red spots
- Scaling in certain regions of the skin
- Swelling in the skin
- Crusts on the skin
As we have already said, atopic dermatitis usually appears in phases and in certain periods, which means that these symptoms may manifest themselves in a milder or more acute way depending on the stage in which the manifestation is. In any case, it is always important to treat the disease so that there are no complications.
Causes of Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis can be related to several causes, as well as other skin allergies and, therefore, it is practically impossible to pinpoint just one. Among the main ones are:
- Food intake
- Very hot and long baths
- Genetic predisposition
- Contact with chemicals
- Sweat
- Contact with animals
- Very hot or very cold environments
- Certain types of soaps
The fact that this type of allergy is so comprehensive makes it difficult to identify its causative agent. Therefore, to make this task easier, it is also important to know what are the risk factors that cause a person to develop this type of allergy.
Risk factors
Some of the risk factors that can contribute to the development of atopic dermatitis are:
- Cases of this type of allergy in the family
- Allergic rhinitis
- Asthma
- Allergy to pollen or animal hair
- Other manifestations of skin allergy
Of course, being part of this risk group does not necessarily mean that a person will develop atopic dermatitis, only that the chances for this to occur are greater. Even when a person has a crisis of allergic rhinitis, for example, it is when atopic dermatitis also manifests itself, accusing a common causative agent.
How is the Diagnosis done?
The diagnosis of atopic dermatitis is made by checking the lesions, asking a series of questions about family history , for example and even with some tests, when necessary. From this, a doctor can prescribe the appropriate treatment knowing that it is exactly this type of allergy.
Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis
The treatment of atopic dermatitis is done, first, to relieve the symptoms that appear in its acute phase. For this, a doctor usually prescribes corticosteroids that relieve symptoms in a short time.
A second step is to find out what is the causative agent or agents that cause the allergy. Once this investigation is done, the doctor may recommend that you take various actions such as changing the type of soap you use during your bath, the type of pillow you sleep on and even the food in some cases.
As it is a disease that does not exactly have a cure , the main goal of the doctor is to prevent its acute phases from manifesting.
When to see a doctor?
As we said earlier, atopic dermatitis is not exactly a serious problem, but it can be quite uncomfortable. Therefore, the recommendation is that, when it starts to disrupt common activities in your daily life, you should seek medical help so that your symptoms can be controlled. In addition to being able to relieve symptoms immediately, a doctor can also help you prevent more acute stages of atopic dermatitis from occurring .
Many people believe that skin allergies are not a serious problem, so there is no need to be so careful. However, as you can see during today’s text, problems like atopic dermatitis can disrupt our lives in several ways . That is why it is important not only to know how to identify them, but also to understand how to prevent this type of problem from reaching us or treating it from the beginning. That way, the effects are sure to be less and we can live without major complications.
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
