Definition of "Atopic dermatitis"
Last modified: 10 hours
Ex-xem-ma. So yeah, you could think of it sort of sounding like asthma. So another name for it is atopic dermatitis, and it's just a skin disorder, where there's inflammation. It comes back, you can't spread it. And it's very itchy!!
So skin becomes really itchy. There's patches that are red, irregularly shaped, raised. You get it on the bends of arms and legs, and also on the face and neck.
So there can be a genetic predisposition. There's also the hygiene hypothesis, which are diseases you get because in early childhood, you don't have enough exposure to infectious agents. This makes you more likely to have allergic diseases, by reducing the natural development of the immune system.
So moisturizers help make skin softer and more pliable, because you have problems with itchy and cracking skin. Steroid creams can also help, by downregulating the immune system.
Atopic dermatitis (aka eczema) is inflammatory, relapsing, non-contagious, itchy skin disorder.
Patient information
What is eczema? And how do you exactly say it? Like asthma, right?Ex-xem-ma. So yeah, you could think of it sort of sounding like asthma. So another name for it is atopic dermatitis, and it's just a skin disorder, where there's inflammation. It comes back, you can't spread it. And it's very itchy!!
Dermatitis, what's that? How about atopic?
Dermatitis is just inflammation of the skin. Atopic refers to atopy, which means you're more likely to have certain allergic type reactions, which includes the triad of eczema, hay fever, and asthma. That's all 
.
Sx
- Pt's have dry and scaly skin that spans the entire body
- Lesions are:
- Intensely itchy
- Red
- Splotchy (i.e. irregularly shaped spot)
- Raised
- Form in the bends of the arms or legs, face, and neck
- They weep, crack, swell, and crust over
Source: 2013/06/atopic_dermatitis.jpg">SalineTherapy
Patient information
So what happens when you have an allergic type inflammation of the skin?So skin becomes really itchy. There's patches that are red, irregularly shaped, raised. You get it on the bends of arms and legs, and also on the face and neck.
Cause
- Genetics
- Hygiene hypothesis
Patient information
Why do you get allergic type inflammation of the skin?So there can be a genetic predisposition. There's also the hygiene hypothesis, which are diseases you get because in early childhood, you don't have enough exposure to infectious agents. This makes you more likely to have allergic diseases, by reducing the natural development of the immune system.
Dx
- Can try the patch test, to see if can determine if specific allergen is causing Sx
Tx
- Moisturizers
- Steroid creams
Patient information
What can you do about allergic type inflammation of the skin?So moisturizers help make skin softer and more pliable, because you have problems with itchy and cracking skin. Steroid creams can also help, by downregulating the immune system.
See also
Find a practitioner
Practitioner count: 0
Sponsor a disease. And see how your proceeds help.
$1
Express interest
$10
Write text
$40
Write FAQ
$100
Snap photos
$400
Record audio
$1k
Produce video
$4k
Interview experts