Atopic dermatitis: A winter disease?
Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory skin disease. It usually starts in infancy or early childhood and reaches adolescence or young adulthood. In most people it recurs periodically and then "cleanses" for a while, even for years. The prevailing theory is that atopic dermatitis is the result of the influence of environmental factors in people with a disturbed defense system and disturbed "defensive" function of the skin, due to hereditary predisposition. Atopic dermatitis appears to be an inherited disease and genes play an important role. Often there is someone else in the family with an atopic disease such as atopic dermatitis, asthma or allergic rhinitis or these diseases may coexist in the same person.
What can we do to help the atopic skin?
• Avoid factors that can be irritating such as: woolen clothes, soap, chemicals as well as allergens such as: dust mites, pet hair, eggs.
• We should not "scratch" the skin. It can worsen the symptoms and favor the appearance of a skin infection.
• Always keep nails short and clean.
• Use moisturizers daily. The hydration of the skin is crucial to reduce recurrences.
• Our daily bath should be done with lukewarm and not hot water.
• Prefer only cotton clothes, not woolen or synthetic
• Make sure we are cool. Sweat worsens the symptoms of atopic dermatitis.
• Trying to find ways to relieve stress.