Indiscriminate use of folk remedies for atopic dermatitis is even worse! Can it be cured by taking medicine or injections?
Atopic dermatitis broke out and he had severe flaking all over his body. He wore a thick coat in summer.
The summer temperature in Taipei is as high as 36 or 37 degrees. A male student walked into the dermatology clinic wearing a heavy coat despite the hot weather. It turned out that he suffered from “atopic dermatitis”. Due to the long-term poor control of the disease, coupled with the influence of stress and diet, the lesions on his body broke out like “erythroderma”, which even led to severe desquamation. Why does atopic dermatitis occur and how should it be controlled?
Dr. Luo Yang from the Dermatology Department of Cathay Hospital and Neihu Cathay Clinic accepted an exclusive interview with “healthorn” and said that atopic dermatitis is a disease intertwined with genetic and environmental factors. When individuals suffer from genetic damage to “filaggrin”, it is easy for the stratum corneum of the epidermis to retain moisture and the skin barrier ability is poor. Once encountering environmental factors such as humidity, allergens, etc., it is easy to cause atopic dermatitis, and a high proportion of people will face comorbidities such as asthma and allergic rhinitis.
Atopic dermatitis 80% of cases occur before the age of 5 and will heal on their own after puberty?
Dr. Luo Yang said that atopic dermatitis is a chronic immune disease. About 85% of children develop the disease before the age of 5. Although about 70% of atopic dermatitis improves significantly after puberty, it may still occur due to poor control. good and worsen the disease. Parents should pay more attention to environmental factors, such as reducing indoor dust mites, not letting children sweat excessively, and maintaining appropriate humidity.
Atopic dermatitis won’t be cured by just applying ointment? Dr. Luo Yang pointed out that the first step in controlling atopic dermatitis is to apply lotion frequently and moisturize well, which can significantly reduce the severity of the attack. As for topical ointments, they are mainly used during periods of poor local control or acute attacks. When symptoms improve, lifestyle must be improved to achieve stable control.
Atopic dermatitis is so itchy that it makes it worse if you use random folk remedies.
Because the itchy skin of atopic dermatitis is sometimes severe and unbearable, children are prone to itching repeatedly and even bleeding, and have difficulty falling asleep at night, leading to inability to concentrate during the day. Skin lesions may also cause patients to withdraw socially, and they should seek medical attention as soon as possible to receive correct treatment.
Some parents are resistant to Western medicine and may be unwilling to accept formal treatment. Instead, they seek various folk remedies such as pickle juice, pure mint, and unknown Chinese medicine such as ringworm extracting cream. Some adults with moderate to severe cases even try urine therapy. patient. There is no scientific evidence for such folk remedies, and they are more likely to worsen symptoms. Parents and patients are reminded not to try them lightly.
Is atopic dermatitis more severe in adults than in children? Soaking in bleach reduces infection?
Dr. Luo Yang said that about 1/4 of atopic dermatitis will continue into adulthood, and the proportion of moderate to severe cases is higher than that of children, and the quality of life is also more affected. If atopic dermatitis has not improved significantly by the time you approach adulthood, early and aggressive treatment should be performed to reduce the risk of worsening to moderate to severe disease.
Dr. Luo Yang reminded that seasonal changes can easily cause symptoms to worsen, especially for children aged around 8-10 years old who have a lot of schoolwork and exercise and are prone to sweating. They are more likely to suffer from itching and need to pay special attention to skin care. Since the skin barrier of atopic dermatitis is weak, if you are worried about sources of infection such as Staphylococcus aureus, you can soak the bathtub or bathtub 80% full with 1:1000 bleach to help control the lesions and reduce infection.
Can atopic dermatitis be cured? Taking biological agents equals invincible stars?
Dr. Luo Yang explained that the most important thing to do when facing atopic dermatitis is to moisturize at home. It is recommended to soak in warm water for 5-10 minutes and then gently dry it. Apply ointment or lotion moisturizing products to the skin when it is slightly damp. Helps retain moisture in the stratum corneum of the skin.
For localized lesions, topical steroids combined with oral antihistamines may be used. When the lesion area is too large, topical immunomodulators may be used. If the external control effect is limited, ultraviolet light irradiation therapy will be added to control the inflammatory substances in the skin through ultraviolet narrow-wave light. It also has a good control effect, but it needs to be continued 2-3 times a week to have a certain effect.
In recent years, there have been targeted treatments for atopic dermatitis. Dr. Luo Yang pointed out that currently, health insurance only covers injectable biologics for moderate to severe cases. Although oral small molecule drugs have indications, they have not yet been included in the scope of payment. Basically, all patients with atopic dermatitis in need can consider using it. However, firstly, there are economic considerations in self-paying for drugs, and secondly, continuous treatment is required. Most patients can achieve significant control during the treatment period and there will be a period of disease remission. However, if the environment and lifestyle do not improve, there is still a certain recurrence rate.
Moisturizing is the most important thing for atopic dermatitis! Are air purifiers and probiotics useful?
Dr. Luo Yang reminds that moisturizing is the most important foundation for caring for atopic dermatitis. In addition, family members or smokers themselves must quit smoking. Smoking is an important factor that causes atopic dermatitis to progress to moderate to severe disease. Try to choose cotton-based clothing. You can prepare more replacement clothes at school to reduce the chance of attacks.
Being in an air-conditioned or heated room for a long time and low humidity can also worsen atopic dermatitis. Most people in Taiwan are allergic to dust mites at a very high rate, so the environment should be kept clean, especially windows, carpets, etc. If you soak in a hot spring, be sure to control the time and replenish water after soaking with lotion to ensure moisturizing.
Dr. Luo Yang reminds that for children with atopic dermatitis at home, although installing an air purifier or daily supplementing with probiotics can be partially helpful, they can only be regarded as auxiliary. Correct care and appropriate medication are still fundamental to improving symptoms and reducing attacks.
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