Atopic dermatitis , often found in children, is a chronic skin disease characterized by frequent relapses and always accompanied by itching. It occurs mainly in childhood and at the same time has age-specific features of the location on the body. With the development of this disease, the kid is hypersensitive to allergens and even nonspecific irritants. The frequency of occurrence of this pathology is 5-10% of the total population.
Causes
The main causes that lead to the development of atopic dermatitis in children are:
- The inherited hypersensitivity of the skin from the parents (genetic predisposition to allergic manifestations).
- If one of the parents has a disease, the likelihood of the same occurrence in the child is 60-81%, and if the mother is sick, the disease manifests itself more often.
- Violation of hygiene rules.
- Food allergens.
- Aeroallergens and climate.
It should be noted that in most cases (up to 75% of the total number), this dermatitis is only the beginning of the atopic "march", that is, there is a high probability of developing a bronchial asthma in the child, and rarer allergic rhinitis .
Manifestations
There are 3 age-specific forms of this pathology:
- Infant (up to 3 years);
- children's (3-7 years);
- adult.
In half of all cases, it occurs in infants up to 6 months of age.
Atopic dermatitis in infants is usually characterized by the following symptoms: rashes (papules, vesicles) on the cheeks, neck, face, outer surface of the extremities.
Children's phase can be observed already with 2 years of life of the baby and before adolescence. Usually it is characterized by the fact that numerous papules are localized in the popliteal and ulnar folds of the limbs, as well as on the back, wrists and back of the neck.
The adult form of this disease is characterized by eruptions on the surface of the neck, face, hands. Papules usually appear on the background
reddened and dry skin, all accompanied by scaling and severe itching.
Often, atopic dermatitis can be accompanied by the addition of secondary, purulent (pyococcal) infection (streptoderma), or viral - simple herpes.Treatment
The first actions that the mother should take when a child is diagnosed with rashes and severe itching is to consult a doctor. As a rule, when establishing atopic dermatitis in children, treatment is performed according to the available symptoms. So, for the removal of numerous rashes with atopic dermatitis, various creams and ointments are used, which are prescribed by the doctor.
Atopic dermatitis refers to those diseases that do not cure quickly, and have periods of both remission and exacerbation. Therefore, in order to alleviate the condition of the child in such a pathology, the mother must adhere to such rules as:
- frequent moistening of the skin with fatty creams;
- avoid contact of the skin of the child with chemical irritants (detergents);
- to limit the time of taking hygienic baths.
If the established cause of atopic dermatitis in children are foods, then in this case a hypoallergenic diet is prescribed. This excludes all possible allergens. If the child is breastfeeding, then such a diet should be followed by a nursing mother.
Thus, atopic dermatitis is a disease that requires long-term therapy, adherence to a diet and comprehensive treatment, aimed primarily at suppressing symptoms.