Atopic dermatitis: is stress the cause? Dermatologist answers

Atopic dermatitis, dermatologist answers your questions

“Eczema, but make it eye shadow!”actress Elle Fanning once wrote, teaching us that atopic dermatitis should no longer be taboo.

From Atopic dermatitis fortunately, we are talking about it more and more, also because it is a fairly common dermatological pathology that tends to become chronic.

Several celebrities shared on social media their life experience with this disorder which often causes discomfort and shame in those affected. Catherine Zeta-Jones he talked about it several times, as did the actress Elle Fanning.

In Italy, an actress and an influential person Ludovica Bizzagliatired of covering herself with layers of foundation, showed signs of atopic dermatitis on her face, emphasizing that “perfection does not exist.”

But what are the symptoms and, especially today, what are the most advanced solutions to treat it? We spoke with doctor John Maurice Akiladermatologist and aesthetic doctor in Due Effe Medical Center Milan to identify the features of the pathology.

What is atopic dermatitis?

Atopic dermatitis, also often referred to by its name ANDchema atopic AND inflammatory skin disease non-infectious, resulting in abnormal skin reactivity, often exacerbated by various everyday irritants, resulting in a pathological change in the skin barrier.

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The term “atopic” in medicine means hypersensitivity which causes an exaggerated reaction to allergens present in our environment.

What symptoms does it manifest and in what parts of the body?

Pathology, especially at the debut in the first year of the patient’s life, is manifested by skin lesions – a classic dry, flaky eczema – what can be added allergic manifestations respiratory tract such as rhinitis, conjunctivitis and asthma.

Typical dermatological manifestations, combined with the various allergic symptoms listed above, constitute the so-called “atopic march”that is, multi-regional allergic symptomatic progression, i.e., spreading to several areas of the body.

The most common symptom is eczema. It’s about erythema-desquamation spots, even though the desquamative component may be more or less obvious depending on the area of ​​the body in which it originated. They also often appear bubblesespecially in spring and summer.

Existence pathology that causes severe itchingOf course it’s not uncommon to see erosion and scabs from constant scratching, even at night.

Areas of the body where it occurs most often:

• face
• Hands
• lip
• scalp

Atopic dermatitis in children and adults

Categories mainly affected due to the early onset of pathology: children and, to a lesser extent, patients already in adulthood. It is a pathology with a complex pathogenesis, determined by chronic relapsing, but in some phases of life it may regress and then recur or, conversely, never return. In childhood, this is a fairly common condition, approximately 20% of children they appear in a more or less severe form and this may last for several months or years, but it usually regresses around the fourth or fifth year of life and very rarely continues after puberty with severe pictures.

Causes and diagnosis

The reasons are related to pronounced genetic predisposition With dating component don’t underestimate. The diagnosis is made clinically when classic symptoms such as pruritus and atopic eczema are found. Patients also often have a history of various allergies and dry skin.

Variables

The variables mainly relate to the clinical-dermoscopic point of view. Lesions more or less scaly depending on the area of ​​origin of the body and personal characteristics of the patient. Let’s just say that atopic dermatitis of the eyelids looks different than atopic dermatitis of the elbow.

The variable that has the most impact is seasonality. In winter, the active phase of the pathology is usually observed, determined by the temperature characteristics of the environment, such as a decrease in UV rays, low and aggressive temperatures and low humidity, which lead to dry skin.

In different ways, but not always in summer the pathology is less pronouncedthanks to the sun, high humidity and, as a result, increase in surface hydration of the skin.

A variable that sometimes occurs in summer, skin fold involvement due to increased sweating, which can lead to inflammation of the skin.

Most Effective Therapeutic Solutions: Is There a Definitive Cure?

Once the pathology has been diagnosed, it is necessary to behave in such a way as to prevent acute phases, or at least reduce them from the very beginning, because the pathology is prone to relapse. The fundamental behavior is to avoid severe skin stress – cold environment without protection, very hot or cold water, irritating or dehydrating substances, contact with allergens known to the patient – and above all, encourage the use of emollients suitable designed to keep the building as stable as possible skin hydration.

more effective treatment I:

• There local therapy of choice and with glucocorticoids AND calcineurin inhibitors. Corticosteroids are mainly used in the acute phase and must be prescribed by a doctor. It is very important to evaluate the dosage and duration of therapy, because even if they are creams, they are still very strong medicines. The calcineurin inhibitors tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are also very good topical drugs for both adults and children. In fact, they work similarly to cortisone, but often with more manageable side effects.
• Phototherapy it is a very effective therapy for some patients. Lamps are used that emit UV-B or A-type rays, capable of penetrating the dermis, simulating the same effects. Sun Ray – has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect – but in a more controlled way and with less associated risk. The total number of exposures is about forty, but this depends on the clinical case in question. Itching tends to decrease already starting from the 7th-9th exposure, and at the end of the cycles, the pathology tends to manifest itself less and more aggressively.
• Biologicals are very strong drugs and are based onuse of monoclonal antibodies. These are new molecules aimed at patients with moderate to severe symptoms. Their action is to suppress the main inflammatory factors and transfer the disease to the stage of remission. With serious side effects, they are only suitable for certain groups of patients and are prescribed only in ultra-specialized hospital centers.

Myths and hoaxes about atopic dermatitis

“Stress Causes Atopic Dermatitis”

“Proper diet cures atopic dermatitis”

This is not true, because to date there are no reliable studies confirming these theses.

Certainly Avoid using homemade moisturizers – various oils, tubers and herbal wraps. It is much better to rely on new moisturizing formulations that are extremely effective and tolerant, i.e. healing and non-irritating.

It is also important to remember that prolonged exposure to the sun without adequate protection, they can not only worsen the clinical picture, but also leave the patient vulnerable to other much more serious pathologies, such as tumors associated with UV rays.

Finally, always remember that atopic dermatitis it is absolutely not contagiousdespite the fact that sometimes there are hoaxes about contagiousness on the Internet.

Creams for atopic dermatitis

After contacting your trusted dermatologist, who will prescribe appropriate topical medications if needed, talk to them about the possibility of using the right cosmetics. It’s about creams for atopic dermatitis, especially gentle and nourishing, suitable for the most sensitive and problematic skin. Applied morning and evening, and throughout the day as needed, they can go a long way in helping to relieve discomfort and firm the skin. Here are some of the most popular.

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