ECZEMA
The word eczema is derived from the
Greek to boil over and is characterized by dry, itching and inflamed skin.
The term eczema is now used interchangeably with the term dermatitis. The most common type is atopic eczema which generally begins
in infancy or childhood and is thought to affect up to one fifth of all
children. The prevalence of atopic
eczema has increased 2-3 fold in the last 30 years.
Types, Symptoms and Causes
Atopic eczema Pruritus (itching);
erythema (redness); inflammation; dry scaling skin (often presenting in
flexures, face, forehead, ankles, and wrists) and weeping and crusting skin
(particularly if infection is present).
Atopic eczema is an inherited condition,
associated with asthma and hay fever. It
is partly an allergic response to a range of different protein based allergens.
These allergens are found in the environment and, as dust, danders or
pollens, may contact the skin, or be inhaled or ingested.
Discoid eczema As atopic, but
presenting in coin shaped patches usually on the limbs and torso.
There is no known cause for discoid eczema.
Seborrhoeic eczema As atopic,
usually presenting as persistent dandruff, but can spread to the face and skin
folds. Seborrhoeic eczema is a
reaction caused by a microbe pityrosporum ovale living on the skin.
This causes inflammation in the areas of the skin which generally produce
high levels of sebum (oil).
Varicose eczema As atopic,
presenting on the lower legs. Varicose
eczema generally occurs in elderly people, being due to poor venous blood
circulation.
Contact dermatitis There are two
forms of contact dermatitis, which exhibit symptoms as for other forms of
eczema, though the hands are particularly affected:
Allergic contact dermatitis Allergic
contact dermatitis tends to arise at the point of contact with the contact
substance, for example, the earlobes in nickel allergy (if wearing earrings).
It can be a painful and disabling condition particularly on the hands. If the condition is related to occupation, a change of career
is often necessary. High risk
sectors include: hairdressing; catering; cleaning; construction; engineering;
printing; chemical; health; care; agriculture and horticulture.
Allergic contact dermatitis is caused by
an immunological response to an immunological response to an allergen in contact
with the skin. Common allergens
include nickel, chromate and certain plants (eg. Chrysanthemums)
Irritant contact dermatitis Irritant
contact dermatitis is caused by cumulative and repeated exposure to an irritant
substance. Common irritants include
soaps and detergents.
In general the severity of eczema can
vary widely. The majority of cases
are mild and easily treated. Sixty
to seventy per cent of children with atopic eczema are significantly clear of
the disease by their mid-teens. However,
some patients experience severe forms of the disease, which necessitate hospital
treatment. The condition can have a
disruptive and distressing effect on families, affecting relationships and
self-esteem.
Treatments
First line treatments for eczema
include: explanation and education; emollients; avoidance of provoking factors
eg. Soaps and irritant clothing; topical steroids; oral antihistamines; topical
antibacterial agents and oral antibiotics.
Second line treatments include: allergen
avoidance eg. House-dust mite prevention measures; dietary manipulation (for
atopic eczema) and applying wet wrap bandaging. Third line treatments for atopic eczema are: oral steroids; photo chemotherapy
and immunosuppressant drugs.
WET WRAPS
Of these the common and usually
effective treatment is wet wraps
It is done as follows
Required:-
moisturizing cream (or mild steroid
cream prescribed by your Doctor)
1. First bathe the child
2. Take some cream in hand and apply to
child as a
film giving a good coat if you are using moisturizers and apply steroid creams to the red raw areas
on this
3. wet the tubular bandaging material in
warm water and cover the child
4.connect the limb bandages to the body
at the neck and thighs by small threads or shoe laces.
5. apply another layer of DRY tubular
bandaging to the first one
6. This can be changed twice daily
7. If the bandages dry out you can
sponge them or spray with water.
8. Once the eczema is under control it
may be used at night alone.
need more links Eczema.net
is a reasonable place
any questions email us at doctor@skinpatient.com
In contact dermatitis, detection and
avoidance of the irritant substance or allergen is important, as well as using
emollient and topical steroid treatments.
any questions email us at doctor@skinpatient.com
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