Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disease. Due to disruption of biochemical processes, excessive dryness, peeling, redness occurs, inflammatory processes develop, and itching is felt. It develops under the influence of allergens, and is often combined with bronchial asthma, food allergies, and allergic rhinitis. It appears in the first years of life, most often before 12 months or at the age of 2-3 years, when the children's diet expands and many allergenic foods enter it. With proper treatment and care, the disease enters the stage of stable, long-term remission, but can manifest itself in adolescents, young and elderly people during contact with allergens, a weakened immune system, and after stress.
Symptoms
With atopic dermatitis in children, skin tightness, redness appears, the skin flakes, feels rougher to the touch, and thickening may appear. Microscopic bubbles form, around which moisture is released. The child is worried and scratches the affected areas. When an infection occurs, local inflammation develops and the wounds heal poorly. With significant spread in young children, general intoxication of the body manifests itself: the temperature rises, the peripheral lymph nodes enlarge. Due to severe itching, sleep and appetite are disrupted, and the child often cries. Dermatitis most often affects the face, neck, armpits, scalp, groin, areas under the earlobes, popliteal fossae, and elbows.
Prevention
Atopy is translated from Latin as strangeness. The causes of the disease cannot always be determined. But long-term observation of patients and members of their families has revealed that it develops more often:
- with a genetic predisposition - if the parents are healthy, the probability of developing dermatitis in the child is 20%, if one of them is sick - 50%, if both are sick - 80%;
- in case of unfavorable pregnancy, active or passive smoking of the expectant mother, consumption of food that provokes allergy attacks, use of certain medications;
- when a newborn is in a dusty room, insufficient care for his personal hygiene;
- with prolonged exposure to allergens that enter the child’s body with food through the respiratory tract.
Breastfeeding for up to 6 months and avoiding allergy-provoking foods reduces the likelihood of developing atopic dermatitis.
What to feed a child with atopic dermatitis
In order not to provoke an exacerbation of dermatitis, to relieve itching and redness of the skin, you need to follow a diet. Foods that burden the immune system are excluded from the children's diet: citrus fruits, chocolate, eggs, honey, seafood. Red (strawberries, cherries, currants, apples) and exotic (mangoes, coconuts, pineapples) fruits are dangerous.
Split meals are recommended: small portions every 3-4 hours. It is better to boil, stew, bake, but not fry. Do not use spices, black pepper. The diet should be balanced and contain enough protein, vitamins, and microelements.
Avoid giving your child sugary carbonated drinks, chips, crackers and other snacks for as long as possible. If the infant is receiving breast milk, introduce new foods carefully. Add the product once a week to make sure it doesn't cause breakouts. After meals and between meals, offer your baby clean boiled water.
Treatment of atopic dermatitis in children
Atopic dermatitis can be permanent. You may need to try multiple treatments over several months or years to control the disease. Even if treatment is successful, signs and symptoms may reappear.
Early detection of the disease allows timely treatment to begin. That is why, when primary symptoms appear, you need to contact an allergist-immunologist or dermatologist.
If regular moisturizing and other personal hygiene measures do not help, your doctor may suggest medication:
- Corticosteroid ointments. Relieve itching and help restore skin. Apply them according to the instructions after moisturizing the skin to avoid adverse reactions.
- Calcineurin inhibitors. Ointments are prescribed for ages 2 years and older. Affect the immune system. Avoid intense sunlight when using these products.
- Medicines to fight infection. Antibacterial cream is prescribed for bacterial infections, open sores or cracks. Oral antibacterial drugs may also be prescribed.
- Medicines to control inflammation. In severe cases, your doctor may prescribe oral corticosteroids.
Effective and intensive treatment for severe forms of the disease involves wrapping the affected area with topical corticosteroids and moist dressings. The procedure is performed under the supervision of medical professionals.
Phototherapy (light therapy) is prescribed to children whose condition does not improve with local treatment. The procedure involves exposure to a controlled amount of natural sunlight alone or in combination with medications.
Although effective, long-term phototherapy has detrimental effects, such as premature aging and an increased risk of cancer. For these reasons, phototherapy is not often used in young children and is not performed in infants.
Skin care
To relieve itching and prevent infection of the affected skin, you need to properly care for your skin:
- It’s better not to take a shower, but to take a cool bath for about 10 minutes; use medicated bathing products with a soft base that cleanse but do not dry the skin;
- moisturizing and softening – the skin should not be dry to prevent flaking and cracking; regularly apply a moisturizer recommended by a dermatologist;
- Do not let your child scratch the affected areas to avoid infection - apply anti-itching products to the atopic areas.
Cream or gel relieves discomfort during an exacerbation and allows you to sleep, eat, and play peacefully. Apply the drug to cleansed skin, treat atopic lesions and the areas around them. Do not exceed the recommended dosage and frequency of use.
Disease prevention
The following recommendations are aimed at preventing episodes of illness and minimizing the effects of dryness after bathing:
- Moisturize your skin at least twice a day. Use creams, ointments, or lotions that lock in moisture. Select one or more products suitable for your child.
- Try to identify and avoid triggers that make the condition worse. Prevent stress, negative effects of pollen dust. Dress your child according to the season to prevent him from sweating.
- Infants and children may experience flare-ups when consuming certain foods, such as eggs, milk, soy, and wheat. Talk to your doctor about how to identify possible food allergens.
- Use only mild soap. Choose products with a neutral pH level. Antibacterial soap removes natural oils and dries out the skin.
Water procedures should not exceed 10-15 minutes. After your bath, dry your skin gently with a soft towel and apply a moisturizer.
Rating of the best remedies for atopic dermatitis
To treat atopic dermatitis, use special children's products recommended by a dermatologist. During exacerbations, medications are prescribed for oral administration, application to atopic areas and general body care:
- preparations for removing allergens from the body - Enterosgel, Lactrofiltrum, Enterodes;
- skin softening products – Atopic cream for daily care;
- drugs that relieve itching - Panthenol spray;
- bathing products - soft shower gels for atopic dermatitis should be purchased at the pharmacy: dermatologists recommend using Atopic bathing gel from head to toe.
Atopic dermatitis: what is it and how to help your child?
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by itching and exacerbations accompanied by persistent dry skin. Mostly seen in infants, but can also occur in older children.
AD usually begins at the age of three months, and sometimes in the first weeks of life, with the appearance of symmetrical lesions that predominantly appear on the face and extremities, while 50-70% of patients with AD (1) have a first-degree relative with symptoms atopy (BP, bronchial asthma or allergic rhinitis).
With AD, the connection between epidermal cells is disrupted, so the skin loses moisture and becomes dry and dehydrated. In addition, as skin cells lose their cohesion and the skin loses its impenetrable properties, allergens from the environment penetrate the epidermis, causing itching and flaking. Often the itching intensifies at night, which prevents the child from sleeping, causing a lot of trouble for parents.
Treatment of blood pressure is a long process that includes both the use of medications and various additional preventive measures. Such as: hygiene measures, restrictions, avoiding direct contact of skin with fur, preferential use of cotton clothing, reducing exposure to dry and too warm indoor air, cool baths, as well as the use of care products for very dry skin.
IMPORTANT:
Regular care for atopy-prone skin will help not only improve the condition of the skin and restore its barrier function, but also prevent the occurrence of exacerbations.
In the Mustela Stelatopia line, created specifically for the care of atopic-prone skin, the main active ingredient is Sunflower Oil Distillate. This natural ingredient, on the one hand, stimulates the neosynthesis of its own lipids in the skin, and on the other hand, inhibits the activity of anti-inflammatory enzymes, which in turn leads to a decrease in the severity of itching and flaking.
Products from the Stelatopia line can be used at all stages of atopic dermatitis (with the exception of weeping areas of the skin). They demonstrate optimal clinical effectiveness
, along with
the possibility of significantly reducing doses of topical corticosteroids,
thus guaranteeing
an improved quality of life (2,3,4)
. To improve tolerance, all Stelatopia products are free of fragrances, dyes, alcohol, parabens and phenoxyethanol.
Over the past 20 years, countries with a high standard of living have seen a significant increase in the incidence of AD. In large cities and in areas with unfavorable environmental conditions, the incidence rate is higher. Therefore, it is better to take care of prevention by making it a rule to moisturize your skin daily to strengthen its protective function.
Link to source of information:
(1)Société Française de dermatologie. Prize en charge de la dermatite atopique de l'enfant. Conference de consensus. Conférence plénière le Mercredi 20 Octobre 2004, Institut Pasteur, Paris. Texte des recommandations (version texte court).
(2) Eichenfield LF., Mc Collum A., Msika P. The benefits of Sunfl ower Oleodistillate (SOD) in pediatric dermatology. Pediatr Dermatol 2009; 26(6): 669-75.
(3) Center de R&D – Laboratoire Expanscience, Le Maître M. Propriétés de l'oléodistillat de tournesol in Dermatite atopique. Nouv. Dermatol. 2007; 26: Suppl 1: 1-16.
(4) Claudel JP., Direction Innovation, Recherche et Développement – Laboratoires Expanscience. Intérêt d'un émollient agoniste PPAR-α dans le traitement de la dermatite atopique. Nouv Dermatol December 2008, number special: 2-5.
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Bathing
After a light shower to thoroughly cleanse your entire body, apply Atopic Bathing Gel to damp skin from head to toe, massage lightly and rinse thoroughly. Dry your baby with a soft towel using blotting, but not rubbing, movements. After water treatments, apply Atopic skin softening cream for daily care. Apply it several times throughout the day: after washing your hands and washing your face.
When taking a bath, the water temperature should not exceed 36 degrees. Place your child in the water and offer him toys or other entertainment. After 5-7 minutes, apply Atopic Bathing Gel from head to toe and rinse well. After bathing, use Atopic cream for daily care, and if itching bothers you, let the cream absorb, and then treat the affected skin with an anti-itching drug.
Symptoms of atopic dermatitis in children
Clinical manifestations form the basis of diagnosis, as there are no specific microscopic or laboratory changes.
Main manifestations depending on age:
- Babies. Signs of the disease appear from the second month, with erythematous exanthema, with a large exudative component that forms scabs and is localized on the cheeks, forehead, and also affects the nasolabial triangle. Distributes symmetrically to the scalp, front part of the body and limbs. The diaper area is usually left untouched.
- Children from 2 to 12 years old. Skin manifestations may begin at this stage or recur after a free interval of up to 2-3 years. Localization is typical on the elbow bends and popliteal folds. There is a characteristic itching in the affected area. Other typical sites include the thighs, wrists, eyelids, hands and fingers.
- Teenagers. Papular and lichen-like lesions predominate in this phase based on intense xerosis. It is predominantly localized in large folds, on the upper third of the arms and back, the back of the arms and legs, and on the fingers.
Symptoms that should alert parents: dry skin, small cracks in the crease of the earlobe, fingers and toes, redness and peeling on the back of the toes or mouth. Hyperkeratosis, which gives the appearance of goosebumps, is localized on the buttocks, deltoid region, outer thighs and torso. Erythematous plaques on the cheeks, dark circles under the eyes and pallor may occur.
How to choose products that are right for your child
A dermatologist may recommend not one, but several drugs to choose from. They have a similar mechanism of action, but their prices may differ significantly. It depends on the active and auxiliary substances, manufacturer, and release form. When choosing a cream for a child’s atopic skin, you need to take into account possible individual intolerance to individual components.
You need to purchase drugs from well-known manufacturers with a good reputation: Russian, European, American. It is equally important to contact large pharmacy chains that work directly with manufacturers and control the quality of drugs on sale - this will protect you from purchasing counterfeit drugs. Consider the age of the child: choose creams and gels with a pleasant smell so that the child enjoys going to the shower.v
When choosing drugs for oral administration, it is preferable to buy syrups, powders, drops, rather than tablets and capsules that are difficult for a child to swallow.
