Atopic dermatitis in children

Atopic dermatitis in children today, unfortunately, is very common. Physicians define this disease as a chronic, hereditary, non-infectious inflammation of the skin of an allergic nature. Atopic dermatitis is characterized by a prolonged course with periods of remission and exacerbations, when a rash appears on various parts of the body, which is preceded by a strong pruritus.

For the first time in adulthood, this disease is rare, mostly it starts to hurt in infancy and early childhood: 65% of patients are diagnosed in the first year of life, almost all (90%) - up to five years. Now about one in five children suffer from atopic dermatitis, and every tenth resident of developed countries at least once faced with manifestations of this insidious disease. In half the cases, the symptoms of atopic dermatitis remain for life, and even aggravated by other more complex, mostly allergic, diseases. But, mainly, this happens in cases when a sick child was not provided with timely qualified care and the course of the disease is too aggravated. If you learn to control atopic dermatitis, constantly to prevent the exacerbation, stimulate the immunity of the child, then the chances are high that the children's organism will be able to completely defeat the disease by 4-5 years, and in some cases even earlier.

Causes and symptoms of the disease.

The causes of atopic dermatitis are very diverse and have not been thoroughly studied so far, so no doctor with complete certainty can answer the question of what could cause this disease in a particular case. Among the main and obvious reasons are the following:

• Hereditary conditionality: if someone from close relatives suffered or suffers from any allergic disease (BP, bronchial asthma, urticaria, allergic rhinitis, etc.), in 50% of cases the child will inherit susceptibility to atopic dermatitis (AD);
• Poor environmental conditions and poor quality, unnatural food;
• Mother's stresses during pregnancy, the very child at an early age, an unhealthy atmosphere in the family;
• High content of allergenic foods in the diet of a pregnant woman (especially in the last trimester) and during breastfeeding, and in the baby's diet. Even excessive consumption several months before the birth of margarine, citrus and vegetable oils can trigger the appearance of atopic dermatitis in infants.

As a rule, atopic manifestations arise after the interaction of the organism with the allergen (food, respiratory or contact) or after a dramatic change in the conditions of life (for example, swimming in too hot water, hypothermia, etc.).

The localization and character of the eruptions vary with the age of the person:

- Atopic dermatitis in infants manifests a rash in the form of scaly patches of red on the face (mostly on the cheeks), on the trunk and extensor surfaces of the legs and hands;

- In children from one and a half to two years and until adolescence, AD is predominantly manifested in thickened skin with an underlined pattern on the flex surfaces of the legs, hands and neck;

- in adults these changes are widespread, sometimes isolated dense nodules (often on the hands) with a characteristic itch.

Almost always with atopic dermatitis, children have dry skin, especially affected areas. Itching affects negatively the quality of sleep, manifesting itself in various disorders. Hence the nervous disorders of varying degrees, which in turn provoke the same itch - a vicious circle is formed.

Atopic dermatitis in children: treatment and prevention.

There are several basic principles of treatment of blood pressure:

1. Hypoallergenic diet, elimination of various allergens;
2. Reception of antihistamines, which effectively relieve itching (often advised first of all to try "Suprastin", "Zodak", etc.);
3. Detoxification of the body, that is, the use of drugs that remove harmful substances from the body, including allergens;
4. Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents in case of infection, which is not uncommon due to the failure of the skin to perform its functions and permanent scratching and wounds.

Parents should remember that atopic dermatitis in children requires long-term treatment even outside the symptoms of exacerbation and severe prevention of relapses that can be provoked by climatic influences (for example, it is contraindicated for sunbathing children, extreme temperature changes and their too high or low values are dangerous), pollution and Skin lesions, infections and domestic irritants (allergenic food and food additives, cigarette smoke, cosmetics and other household chemicals, wool).

Among preventive measures are also effective and such as: maintaining the room where the child is, air temperature about 21º and humidity of at least 60%; Use only synthetic blankets and pillows, and cotton clothing; Systematic ventilation, regular wet cleaning and removal of sources of dust and mold; Prevention of conditions that provoke sweating and itching; Prevention of drying of the skin by regular short water procedures and the subsequent application of high-quality moisturizing cosmetics; Leveling of stressful situations. Often recovery or at least relieving exacerbation is facilitated by rest on the sea, but it is better for him to choose a place with a warm dry marine climate (for example, the coast of the Azov Sea).

Atopic dermatitis in children can and should be controlled so that it does not affect the quality of life of the child at all and remains only in the memories of the parents.