General Info About Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory, non-contagious,chronic skin disorder that involves scaly and itchy rashes.
It is also called eczema, dermatitis oratopy.
The word ‘dermatitis’ means inflammation of the skin and ‘atopic’ refers to diseases that are hereditary and often occur together. People with atopic dermatitis often have a family history of asthma, hay fever or eczema.
Atopic dermatitis is very common in all parts of the world. The disease can occur at any age but most often affects infants and small children. It may start as early as age 2-6 months,but many people outgrow it by early adulthood. It is also known as infantile eczema, when it occurs in infants.
People living in urban areas and in climates with low humidity are at an increased risk for developing atopic dermatitis.
The cause of atopic dermatitis is not well understood. Hypersensitivity reaction in the skin may cause atopic dermatitis.
It is characterized by inflammation,itching and scaling of the skin. Atopic dermatitis is often referred to as the ‘itch that rashes’ because the itching starts first, and the skin rash appears follows due to the scratching.
Atopic dermatitis responds well to home treatment. Proper skin care reduces the need for medicines. Topical creams and oral antihistaminescan be used to suppress the symptoms.
