Eczema Skin Care
Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, is a long-lasting disease that afflicts the skin. This condition is not contagious; an affected person won't pass it to another. The word dermatitis means skin's inflammation. The term atopic refers to a group of diseases where there is often an inherited tendency to develop other allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever. In eczema, the skin turns unusually itchy. Scratching produces cracking, redness, weeping clear fluid, swelling, and finally, scaling and crusting. As some children with eczema grow older, their skin condition improves or disappears altogether, although their skin often remains dry and easily irritated. In others, eczema continues to be a significant problem in adulthood.
The cause of eczema is not known, but the disease seems to appear from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Children are more prone to develop this disorder if one or both parents have had it or have had allergic conditions like asthma or hay fever. While some individuals outgrow skin symptoms, nearly three out of four children with eczema go on to develop asthma or hay fever. Environmental elements can bring on symptoms of eczema at any time in people who have genetically acquired the atopic disease trait.
Eczema is also associated with malfunction of the body's defensive system: the system that identifies and helps fight bacteria and viruses that attack the body. Scientists have found that patients with eczema have a deficient level of a cytokine protein that is essential to the healthy function of the body's defensive mechanism and an elevated level of other cytokines that produce allergic responses. The defensive mechanism can become confused and produce dermatitis even in the absence of a major infection.
In the past, specialists believed that the cause of eczema was an emotional disorder. We now know that emotional issues, such as stress, can make the condition worse, but they do not cause the disease.
Also, a wide range of skin care products include preservatives. Patients who are sensible to one of such preservatives can have either localized or widespread dermatitis. Antigen-avoidance lists that optimize patient instruction about what chemicals to avoid can be acquired from the manufacturers of patch test allergens. With these printed guidelines alone, patients must read skin care solution labels carefully, searching for the names of their allergens as identified by patch tests as well as for any cross-reactors and synonyms of these substances. After the identification of an allergen, a nurse can play a key role in helping patients understand their dermatitis and its treatment. Nurses are in a unique position to spend time educating patients about how to uncover the sources of specific allergens and, subsequently, how to avoid them.
A new skin care product is our latest answer to erase blemishes and cure all kind of skin conditions. Made with natural ingredients, it guarantees no allergic reactions and no negative side effects.
Published July 16th, 2008
Filed in Health
