Information about eczema, how to prevent it and how to treat it

Eczema is a dermatitis that is not caused by a microbial infection, that is, it is not caused by a fungus, bacteria or virus, so it is a non-infectious disease, and eczema is acute or chronic, and it is one of the most common skin diseases, and constitutes about 20% of all skin diseases.

Reasons for the occurrence of eczema disease:

- The main cause of this disease is unknown and medically unspecified, but studies have shown that 80% of cases may be caused by heredity, as we find that most children with eczema have a genetic history of one of the parents with the disease, and this does not prevent the parents from being healthy and Have a baby with eczema.

There are other causes that may be irritating factors for eczema, such as some types of plastic from which toys are made, or some types of clothing fabrics, blankets, or carpets ... and others.

- And these people have very sensitive skin and it is affected by these irritating factors than other people, and although there are also some foods that are irritating factors for eczema, they are not a direct cause of it.

- And it differs from person to person, so you should not refrain from eating a certain type of food in itself, unless it is noticed that this food increases the irritation of the eczema of the affected person.

Most of these foods are limited to (strawberry - banana - mango - eggs - fish - shrimp - pepper - nuts).

The incidence of eczema disease in different age stages:

1- Before the age of 6 months: it occurs in 49 to 75% of infants.

2- At the age of five years: it occurs in 80 to 90% of children.

3 - The proportion of children affected by eczema in the world about 12 to 25%.

4- The disease often disappears as the child gets older, but about 10 to 15% of children continue to have eczema when they get older.

What are the types of eczema?

1- Contact dermatitis:

And it results from human skin contact with any substance from which the body is sensitive, such as clothes that contain synthetic fibers, or they may be chemicals or dust in the air, or the use of topical paint or cosmetics that cause local sensitivity.

2- Irritant dermatitis:

Dermatitis is caused by the presence of an external stimulus that provokes sensitivity of the skin repeatedly and constantly, such as dishwashers who expose their hands to water, soap and hygiene powders constantly throughout the day without leaving their hands a chance to dry out.

3- Seborrheic Dermatitis:

A special allergy that may be caused by genetics and is common in newborns with Parkinson Disease, and it often appears in areas of the body with fatty secretions such as (around the nose, chin, eyebrows, and behind the ears).

4- Drug Induced Dermatitis:

It is a general allergy that often includes all parts of the body, and results from the use of a specific drug that the body receives with a violent reaction represented in this type of allergy.

5- Eczema accompanied by Allergic Microbial Dermatitis:

And it is like the rest of the previous types of allergies, except that it is characterized by its association with a microbial infection such as bacteria or fungi (such as (sensitivity between the thighs and under the armpits, and diaper infections in infants).

Eczema symptoms and how to diagnose them:

Symptoms associated with this disease include:

1- Redness of the skin often accompanied by itching (a desire to scratch) due to the release of histamine in the body, often in the form of dry patches.

2- This may be accompanied by swelling of the affected part.

3- The affected part may be prominent and has blisters, grains and scales, and this depends on the reaction of the body from one person to another, and it often affects the areas of the scalp, cheeks, neck and skin folds on the hands and feet.

4- These symptoms may be localized in a specific part of the body and may be a general allergy to include all parts of the body (such as drug allergy), so they affect the respiratory system and cause what is known as breathing crises or asthma.

How to prevent eczema:

1- The final treatment for dermatitis is the elimination of the external factor that causes it, and this is not easy since in most cases the cause of this dermatitis cannot be discovered or even the cause can be removed because it is not controllable, such as (the presence of pollen in the air during the harvest season) .

2- There are measures that reduce the severity of the injury for children, which we recommend to parents as follows: -

Trim your child's nails often.

Minimize baby showers as much as possible to avoid drying out the skin.

Use a medicinal soap for dry skin (available in pharmacies).

- The use of cotton (100%) clothes that do not contain any percentage of synthetic polyester.

Use ointments, not creams.

We recommend keeping the child away from hot climates and pollutants or dust.

Eczema treatment methods:

1- Take an antihistamine:

For adults, take one tablet of Telfast 180 mg per day.

For children, take Claritin syrup at a dose of 5 ml once daily.

2- Antihistamine and allergy cream such as:

Allergex Cream : Apply topically to the affected area three times daily.

3- We take one of the cortisone derivatives, which has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, such as:

Kenacomb Cream : Apply topically to the affected area twice daily.

Notes:

It is forbidden to use allergy preparations during pregnancy and lactation, and this must be done under full medical supervision.

- The psychological state may have an effect on the eczema disease, the more the patient’s mental state is bad, the worse the disease condition with it. However, bad psychological state is not considered one of the direct causes of eczema.