Posts Tagged ‘Atopic Dermatitis’

WE RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT MY 7 MONTH OLD SON HAS ECZEMA. ITS ON HIS BACK, CHEEKS, AND THE BACK OF HIS HEAD. HIS DOCTOR GAVE HIM A 1% HYDRACORTISONE CREAM BUT I WAS HOPING FOR SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVES. I DON’T LIKE THE FACT OF USING A STEROID TYPE CREAM.

I have atopic dermatitis;I’ve had it for over forty years(I’ve had it since childhood) and I have lots of experience in treating the condition.The first thing you need to do is to be properly diagnosed by a dermatologist.If you already have been there are lotions and medicines that help treat the rashes.
1.Get rid of all soaps and scented products.Soaps are drying and take away the protective moisture barrier that atopic skin already has very little of and switch to Cetaphil cleansers.The cleansers come in lotion and bar forms.Aveeno Collidal Oatmeal powder is good for the bath;there is also Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal bath/shower oil and shave gel.After cleaning you then can apply any medicines,but you will always have to apply a moisturizer,every time you clean.Cetaphil Cream moisturizer and Eucerin Cream are the most popular among dermatitis patients.
2.Atopic Dermatitis means having hypersensitive skin.You cannot use most skin care products available because they are too harsh;even baby oil and baby lotions are too harsh.Stay away from all scented products and highly colored products.Do not use any thing with AHA acids,sugar acids,retinol,peeling agents,lanolin,benzocaine or any"-caine" derivative,greasy ointments, petrolatum( like Vaseline),ointments containing antihistamines,anything containing alpa-olefin sulfonates,secondary alkane sulfonates,alkybenzene sulfonates,fatty alcohol sulfonates.
3. Make sure your son wears soft fabrics;dermatologists prefer that their patients wear all natural cotton,silk,linen fabrics that allow the perspiration to evaporate away from the skin.If he wears wool,it must be lined and he’ll need to wear a layer of soft fabric between his skin and the wool(I do both at the same time,lined wool,tee shirts,camisoles,long underwear).Detergents and fabric softeners all need to be unscented and gentle.Your sheets and blankets need to be soft and unscratchy.
4..Shampoos that are good are tar-based Neutragena and Denorex,and non-prescription strength Nizoral.Conditioners just have to be moisturizing.Ask your dermatologist which is the most appropriate shampoo for your son.
5. A word about medications:over the years,some medications have become available over the counter;these are the hydrocortisone or corticosteroid creams. Use them with the Cetaphil cream moisturizer for best results.Cortaid is the best of non-prescription cream;Cortaid makes a special moisturizing formula which my dermatologist made up especially for his patients.Precription cortisone cream,Prednisone,Lidex are doctor prescribed medicines.I do not recommend Protopic or Elidel,two prescription medicines that are currently being investigated to increased risk of skin cancer.I have found that the Cortaid with moisturizers and liberal use of Cetaphil moisturizing cream does just as well as any of the prescriptions I’ve used. The hard part is accepting that some rashes will go away,while others will take years to burn out;my worst flare up was on my hands and lasted for four years.I was on prescription medicines and visiting the dermatologist during the whole awful episode.
Steroids are sometimes neccessary and the cream is the gentlest form of that medication that works.But also remember to keep the skin moist by using the Cetaphil moisturizing cream or Eucerin cream liberally;the lotion needs to be applied more frequently than the medicines because the idea is to keep the skin from being dry and itchy.
Source(s):

Eczema Free for Life by Adnan Nasir,M.D. and Priscilla Burgess
Your Skin:From Acne to Zits by Jerome Z. Litt,M.D.
Your Skin:A Dermatologist’s Guide to a Lifetime of Beauty and Health by Frederic Haberman,M.D. and Denise Fortino
The National Eczema Association has a printable booklet available online(just ignore ads for the two medicines under investigation)

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I am asking this on behalf of my Mom. She has eczema. In her earlier years she had it severly on her hands and feet, but through out her middle years she hasn’t really had any out breaks. In the past month however she has had a very bad outbreak on her ankle, which only seems to be getting worse. (it is now very red and swollen) She has used hydrocortison, which only has 1% steroid. She says the higher amount of steroids the more it helped in the past. Can any of you give me a list of medications, creams, oils, etc that we should look into? My Mom is anti doctor and pro natural meds. She will take synthetic drugs, but prefers natural. Please help.

My niece has bad eczema and had it since birth all over the body and she is now 3. My sister has tried everything under the sun to help with it. Nothing worked it just kinda made it less itchy. My sister finally took her to a dermatologist and it wasn’t just eczema but dermatitis along with eczema. she got proscribed this kinda body wash and also a cream especially for dermatitis. but if she wants to go the all natural way
Dietary Supplements, Foods, Herbs, and Teas

Claims that “all natural” products can safely treat — or even cure — eczema are widespread. The truth is that if a food, herb, or tea could cure eczema, it would be making headlines worldwide. Your dermatologist would tell you about it. The products marketed as “a miracle cure” or as a “breakthrough discovery” do not cure eczema. Some can even be harmful. Here is what the science shows:

Dietary Supplements
Researchers have looked at the effects of borage oil, evening primrose oil, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin E, and zinc. As all of these supplements are said to relieve eczema, researchers were surprised by the findings. Most supplements had no effect. The most noticeable effect was seen in one study in which adults with moderately severe atopic dermatitis took borage oil. The patients who were given 500 milligrams of borage oil every day for 24 weeks noticed a slight improvement. Those given the placebo did not experience this slight improvement.

Even evening primrose oil, which earlier studies suggested could relieve eczema, did not prove beneficial. Researchers are, however, cautiously optimistic about one dietary supplement.

Preliminary studies indicate that probiotics may benefit children with atopic dermatitis. A few studies indicate that taking a supplement containing probiotics — when used along with medication — may help reduce the severity and extent of atopic dermatitis in children. While these findings are promising, more research is needed. Each study tested a different blend of probiotics. The appropriate blend and dose for treating atopic dermatitis have not been determined.

Foods
When it comes to diet, dermatologists recommend that patients with eczema:

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Eat a healthy balanced diet
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Know their food triggers

To learn if food can trigger a reaction, dermatologists recommend that the patient (or parent) keep a food diary. If a certain food seems to trigger a flare-up, conduct your own research. Remove the food from the diet and see what happens. Does the eczema subside? Does the eczema flare when the patient again eats the food?

Foods that can potentially trigger atopic dermatitis, especially in children, include nuts, milk, eggs, soy, and wheat. It is important to realize that these foods do not trigger eczema for everyone.

If a food triggers eczema and needs to be removed from the patient’s diet, dermatologists recommend that a healthcare provider carefully monitor the diet. Children can suffer from severe protein and calorie deficiencies when placed on an elimination diet, such as one that substitutes rice milk for milk.

Herbs and Teas
While herbal products are often marketed as “natural” alternatives, this does not mean they are safe.

Blends of Chinese herbal medicines that have proven effective in controlling atopic dermatitis also have proven toxic. One poison unit in London reported 21 cases of liver toxicity in patients taking Chinese herbal medicine to relieve skin conditions. Two patients who used Chinese herbal medicine to treat their eczema developed end-stage kidney failure and needed kidney transplants.

Herbal creams also can cause unwanted side effects. Some herbal creams that claim to control eczema and psoriasis are effective because they secretly contain potent corticosteroids. Long-term use of potent topical corticosteroids can cause thinning skin, dilated blood vessels, stretch marks, infection, and excess body hair.

Reports of serious side effects after using chamomile, a common herb, also have occurred. Said to calm the skin and alleviate itch, many people try to get these benefits by either applying chamomile to their skin or drinking chamomile tea. Some who do this develop an allergic reaction. A few cases of anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, have occurred. Anaphylaxis makes blood pressure drop suddenly. Breathing becomes difficult. Some people lose consciousness, and some die.

Drinking regular tea appears to be most beneficial — and without life-threatening side effects. A study conducted in Japan found that several patients who continued their treatment plan and began consuming one liter of oolong tea every day saw significant improvement. Of the 118 patients with recalcitrant (not responding to treatment) atopic dermatitis who completed the study, 63% showed marked to moderate improvement after one month. This effect was noticed after 1 or 2 weeks.

Speak with Your Dermatologist First
If supplementing your diet or trying an herbal product seems appealing, be sure to speak with a dermatologist before trying one of these therapies. A food supplement or herbal remedy can interact negatively with prescription and over-the-counter medications. Some products can be harmful. Stopping your current treatment to try an alternative treatment can cause serious side effects.

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Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic form of dermatitis, itchy skin condition that is very common in children but may occur at any age or people having atopic tendencies. This means they may develop any or all of three closely linked conditions; atopic dermatitis, asthma and hay fever (allergic rhinitis).  It is also known as eczema and atopic eczema. Often these conditions run within families with a parent, child or sibling also affected. Atopic dermatitis is not contagious! It arises because of a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. These include skin irritants, the weather, temperature. Most people have acute flares with inflamed, red, sometimes blistered and weepy patches. In between flares, the skin may appear normal or suffer from chronic eczema with dry, thickened and itchy areas. However, ongoing researches have proved that eczema can be cured anytime in the foreseeable future with very effective treatments. Several treatments are available that will control the eczema so the skin looks and feels normal.

In general topical treatments are used first as they are effective for most patients if used correctly and have the fewest side effects. Most people with eczema use topical treatments (lotions, creams and ointments). When the surface of skin is inflamed, cracked or raw, many of these sting or burn when first applied. This irritation will lessen as the eczema gets cured. Oral medications may be offered to those with severe or treatment-resistant eczema. Although these are usually effective, they have side effects and risks that make them unsuitable as first line of treatment. Lotions and creams provide moisture to the skin and help prevent further water loss. Creams are most commonly used. Lotions are easy to apply but evaporate quickly and may not be oily enough.

Topical steroids are the mainstay of treatment for mild to moderate eczema. They are very effective and safe if used correctly, that is, use correct strength of steroid accordingly as the severity of the eczema changes. Yet, many people are concerned about potential side effects from topical steroids. Mild eczema is likely to respond to low potency topical steroids within a few days, often with complete clearance of eczema within one or two weeks. Moderate eczema may require more potent topical steroids for at least two weeks before improving and may require several weeks of treatment before clearing. Severe eczema may show only partial improvement with potent topical steroids alone even after several months of use.

As eczema tends to be persistent, most people will have to use topical steroids for many years. If used continuously topical steroids may lose their effectiveness after a few weeks (this is known as tachyphylaxis). If tachyphylaxis occurs, treatment needs to be tailored to the individual patient. Changing to a different topical steroid of the same strength can be helpful. Moderate and severe eczema are more difficult to manage. The eczema may not have completely cleared with a potent topical steroid after three to four weeks and then it seems to lose its efficacy. Treatment of infection, if present, may again make the topical steroid effective. A stronger topical steroid or an additional treatment such as phototherapy may be required. Phototherapy or ultraviolet (UV) treatment is reserved for severe eczema has potential side effects. It involves controlled exposure to UV-B and/or UV-A for a few minutes two to three times each week. A treatment course may continue for several months.

Antibiotics are sometimes very important in the management of atopic dermatitis, most often when there are signs of bacterial infection. The antibiotics are mostly given orally, penicillin derivatives are usually prescribed, or erythromycin, those allergic to penicillin. On discontinuing the oral antibiotic, the patient may suffer another flare so antibiotics may be required for several months. There is a low risk of side effects from such treatment. Antihistamines are sometimes helpful in stabilizing atopic dermatitis and may reduce the itch. They tend to be used more commonly in children.

Despite the potential long-term side effects of these agents, most patients who take them for severe eczema are satisfied with the result as it frees them from otherwise disabling eczema.

Bryan Morris
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/atopic-dermatitis-treatment-conditions-and-cures-695783.html

Technorati Tags: Allergic Rhinitis, Atopic Dermatitis, Atopic Eczema, Chronic Eczema, Dermatitis, Dermatitis Treatment, Eczema, Environmental Factors, Flares, Further Water, Hay Fever, Itchy Skin Condition, Lotions And Creams, Ointments, Oral Medications, Skin Irritants, Topical Steroids, Topical Treatments, Water Loss, Weather Temperature

A compound known as Pimecrolimus is used in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. It is made available in the form of a tropical cream by Novartis, under the trade name Elidel. This is believed to be effective against atopic eczema. Immunomodulators are pharmaceutical drugs which work by benefiting the immune system. In essence these drugs actually suppress the immune system in the specific affected area. This means the body’s immune system is not able to develop its typical signals on the affected site. The normal symptoms include rashes, itching, scaling or inflammation. This way Elidel helps in counteracting a potential eczema attack.

The ‘Therapy Guidelines Committee’ of The British Association of Dermatologists had issued a guideline way back in the end of 2002, requesting doctors to not use such drugs as main line treatments but to rather reserve them as second line treatment. This association suggested that such drugs should be reserved for patients that conventional treatments do not work for.

Recently, at the start of 2006, the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made it mandatory for Elidel packaging to carry a black box warning stating the possible risk of cancer of lymph node or skin. The link between cancer and Elidel has not yet been proved, so it is just a possibility. And so the long term use of Elidel should be avoided.

Nevertheless when other treatments fail, then some relief can be found by using Elidel, but it must be taken with care and precaution. There are certain guidelines for usage of Elidel. It is important to always go and consult your doctor before starting on a course of Elidel. Also the doctor must be made aware of the patient’s complete past history of infections and medications taken. FDA categorizes drugs and compounds according their known, unknown, favorable and unfavorable effects. Elidel is in the pregnancy category C, which indicates that effect of Elidel is not known on an unborn baby. Elidel should not be used by pregnant women or any woman who is still breastfeeding her baby. For more info see http://www.eczemacuretreatment.com/causes-prevention/eczema_perspiration.html

For patients who are using Elidel there are again some precautions that need to be exercised. It is strictly for external application on skin. Swallowing Elidel can cause serious side effects. It must always be stored out of the reach of children and pets. Clothing and hands must be washed after contact.

After applying Elidel sunlight or ultraviolet radiation must be avoided. This can be ensured by remaining indoors or going out with loose, protective clothing covering all parts of your body. Sun lamps, tanning beds should be avoided at all costs.

With some precautions, it is possible for many people to benefit from the use of Elidel. There are some risks associated, so it’s important to consider whether or not it’s right for you.

Amanda Fain
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/elidel-topical-medication-may-help-eczema-131806.html

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Skin is exposed to many pathogens and harmful climatic changes; therefore this vital part of the body often suffers from diseases. Eczema is a common skin disease which affects people irrespective of race, caste, creed and nationality. The skin affected by Eczema becomes red; there is persistent itching and dryness over it. In severity of the disease flaking, bleeding, blistering, crusting and cracking of skin can be there. Generally, after healing eczema does not leave any scar on skin.

eczema is a kind of dermatitis whose classification till yet is not done accurately. Nevertheless, there are various types of Eczema namely atopic eczema, contact dermatitis, Xerotic eczema, Sebohrrheic dermatitis, dyhidrosis, discoid eczema, venous eczema, dermatis herptiformis, and neurodermatis. There are various reasons for which a particular type of eczema appears on the skin. Generally, pathogens, parasites, allergy, and many physio-psycho factors like hypertension, depression can also cause eczema.

Usually no biopsy is required for the diagnosis of eczema; doctor starts his treatment on the basis of appearance of the skin, intensity of itching and delicacy of eczema affected part of the body. Before starting eczema treatment, a good dermatologist always wants to get knowledge about dietary habits and sensitiveness to allergies of the patient. Any history of eczema in the family is also given proper consideration. This provides him a good insight to reach at a particular diagnosis. However, whenever it becomes difficult to diagnose root cause of the disease, biopsy is done by cutting a small part of affected skin and observing it in laboratory.

Treatment of eczema follows a general pattern. The eczema affected skin becomes dry, so maximum efforts are diverted towards providing it moisture. The regular use of non-scented creams or lotions provides moisture to the skin and reduces itching effect of eczema. This also provides necessary moisture to cells and tissues of the skin to recover from the disease. These creams could also constitute non prescription creams. The basic thing which should be followed in eczema treatment is don’t let the skin to dry up. Substances which dry up the skin should be strictly avoided. Soaps, shampoos, and detergent come under this category. Putting eczema affected skin under shower of fresh and clean water also helps. While taking bath adding emollient bath oils also provide moisture to the skin. After taking shower, apply moisturizer on the affected area, this can help in retention of moisture for a long duration. Thick coat of moisturizer should be applied so that skin may not dry up again.

To reduce itching dermatologist generally prescribes antihistamine medication. For treatment of eczema in severe state, skin specialist recommends corticosteroid based ointments. Some topical and oral antibiotic can also be prescribed. Prevention is always better than cure so avoid synthetic detergent based bathing bars or liquids. Use fragrance free moisturizer. Avoid taking bath in hot water, however warm water can be used.

Adam Frazer
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/eczema-treatment-not-difficult-to-be-done-56668.html

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