What is it?
Atopic dermatitis is due to a reaction in the skin. The reaction leads to ongoing itching, swelling and redness. Specifically it consists of a nonspecific response of the skin to external factors such as chemical allergens, or internal factors such as the release of endogenous inflammatory mediators. It can be momentary or permanent, or it can lead to more severe symptoms such as blisters, redness, swelling, and often oozing, scabbing, and scaling..
Classification
We have several types of dermatitis:
- Contact dermatitis is caused by exposure to a substance that irritates your skin or triggers an allergic reaction, such as with stinging nettles, or irritants such as detergents, or by infectious agents such as insect venom. It can itchy rush and swelling in the affected area;
- Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common skin disorders in children. It can cause. It usually involves itchy, dry skin or a rash. Or it might cause the skin to blister, ooze, crust or flake off;
- Seborrheic dermatitis can cause severe skin inflammation, associated with skin peeling. It mainly develops in the face and in the scalp.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of dermatitis are:
- Redness;
- Desquamation in skin;
- Scaling skin;
- Blisters;
- Rush;
- Vesicles.
Skin inflammation can be so bad, that patients scratch until they cause lacerations and skin wounds.
Prevention
The onset of dermatitis can be prevented by following some important recommendations:
- Wear cotton clothes that have anti-inflammatory properties;
- Avoid skin dryness, by using specific ointments;
- Over time, too much washing can cause to the loss of the good bacterial flora present in the skin;
- Avoid washing with harsh soaps or bubble baths.
Diagnosis
No lab test is needed to identify atopic dermatitis (eczema). Your doctor will likely make a diagnosis by examining your skin and reviewing your medical history. Only if there is an allergic cause, the doctor will use an allergy test, such as Patch Test.
Treatment
The treatment for dermatitis varies, depending on the cause and symptoms. In the less serious cases, creams or ointments based on zinc oxide and magnesium silicate are given.
Allergic dermatitis is treated with cortisone for a certain period of time. In some cases, phototherapy or UV rays is also prescribed,.
Natural remedies
There are natural remedies that can be used to prevent or alleviate the symptoms associated with dermatitis:
- To massage the inflamed area with extra virgin olive oil, hemp, sunflower seeds, borage;
- To wash the inflamed area with Aloe vera, lavender, chamomile, that possess soothing properties;
- To use ointments based on shea butter, rice starch, lavender oil and chamomile on the inflamed area;
- To use Chinese basil oil is, rich in flavonoids on the skin lesions or abrasions;
- To use black currant oil with anti-inflammatory properies.
Diet
Some dietary recommendations may help lessen or reduce dermatitis symptoms:
- Limit in mild cases, or eliminate in most severe cases the consumption of lactose-containing foods, and cereals with gluten, two molecules with a pro-inflammatory action;
- An allergy or intolerance test can help to understand if the triggering cause is due to adverse allergic reactions or intolerances to specific foods;
- Prefer the consumption of fruit and vegetables, rich in vitamins and mineral salts, with trophic action for the skin;
- Prefer the consumption of foods rich in vitamin C, with a restorative action for the skin, such as citrus fruits, kiwi, currants, grapes, peppers, turnip greens, broccoli, spinach, rocket, beets, cabbage, strawberries;
- Eat blue fish at least 3-4 times a week, as it is rich in omega-3, essential fatty acids with anti-inflammatory action for the skin;
- Limit or eliminate red meat and cured meats that are rich in saturated fats with a highly inflammatory action;
- Prefer foods rich in biotin or vitamin B7 with a soothing and regenerating action for skin cells. Foods rich in biotin are eggs (2 eggs once a week), salmon, dried fruit without skin, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach and avocado.