This is a chronic itchy skin condition that usually affects the children. It is also known as eczema and is the common form of dermatitis. This is not a contagious condition and mostly occurs in individuals who are predisposed with ‘atopic tendency’ which means they can develop any or all of the three conditions; atopic eczema, asthma and hay fever. This chronic condition can flare up during some periods and may subside. This develops as the result of complex genetic and environmental factors which makes the individual prone to developing skin irritation particularly in contact with irritants such as soap and temperature.
Causes
The exact cause of this condition is not known. This can develop as the result of several contributing factors such as dry or irritable skin, the presence of bacteria that blocks the sweat glands, certain environmental conditions and immune system dysfunction. Individuals with family history of hay fever, asthma or dermatitis atopic can develop this condition as genetic factor appears to play a role. It is estimated that a child is prone to develop dermatitis atopic, particularly if evident in either one or both the parents. Around half of the severely affected people are likely to have asthma and one-third of them will develop hay fever.
Symptoms
The symptoms vary among the affected individuals. The signs can include itchiness that may be severe particularly in the night, cracked skin, small raised bumps that may ooze fluid when scratched, red to brownish patches commonly affecting the areas such as the hands, feet, neck, ankles, wrist, eyelids, the elbows and the knees. In addition, the presence of an infection, the age of a person and other additional skin problems can affect the severity of this condition and the way it appears. Some of the contributing factors to deteriorate the problem include dry skin, sweating, stress, bacteria or virus, scratching, dust, pollen and changes in the weather conditions. The onset usually is before the age of 5. This condition is usually worst between the age of 2 and 4 which may improve as they age. However, certain occupational exposure to the skin can aggravate this condition.
Diagnosis
There isn’t a single diagnostic test available to detect this condition. The diagnosis is based on the symptoms that are evident in the individual. They may be evaluated based on the signs, family history of allergies, presence of other conditions such as hay fever or asthma, certain food intake and medications used to treat other skin conditions. A patch test may be necessary and additional tests can rule out other possible causes.
Treatment
This condition can appear to be persistent and hence treatments may be necessary for years sometimes. Medications used to treat atopic dermatitis include corticosteroids, antibiotics to treat the infection, medications to suppress the immune system and skin creams or ointment to control the inflammation. The symptoms can improve with certain lifestyle changes and with the appropriate skin care. Additional treatments can include protection from allergens, light therapy, wet dressings by covering the affected area with topical corticosteroids and wet bandage and the treatment of stress.
References
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eczema/basics/treatment/con-20032073
http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/atopic_dermatitis/atopic_dermatitis_ff.asp
https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/eczema/atopic-dermatitis#treatment
