Frequently asked questions – Atopic dermatitis in children.
1. What is atopic Eczema or atopic dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis is a sort of skin allergy or Eczema which usually develops in childhood before the age of 5 years in most patients. This is an extremely itchy condition which is characterized by development of skin rashes in various parts of the body.
2. What are the signs and symptoms of a topic dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis is most commonly seen in infants. It usually starts before the age of 6 months. These children usually have very dry skin over the entire body. The skin is very itchy and the child may have problem in sleeping. The skin over the face maybe red and may be oozy with watery discharge.
3. What areas of the body are affected by atopic Eczema?
In young children below the age of 2 years the Rash is usually seen over the face, the elbows and the knees.
In older children the area that is usually affected is the inside of the knees and the inside of the elbows over the joint area.
4. Is atopic Eczema associated with other allergies also?
Yes atopic Eczema maybe associated with other allergies like asthma and Pollen allergy. Some children have got associated allergic rhinitis which causes repeated episodes of sneezing. Some may have allergic conjunctivitis which causes redness of Eyes on exposure to dust and Pollen.
5. What precautions are to be taken in the diet of children with atopic Eczema?
There is no one specific allergen that can aggravate or cause atopic Eczema. Different children maybe allergic to different substances. Some children maybe allergic to dairy products like milk and cheese whereas few children may have allergy to nuts like peanuts . The parents are usually advised to keep a track of any possible food allergy that the child may have. A blanket avoidance of any food item is not advised. Most patience suffering from atopic dermatitis will not experience any correlation with diet.
6. Is there any cure for atopic dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis can be managed very well by standard treatment. How about there is no specific cure for the disease. The disease decreases in severity with age and most children tend to be completely disease free by the age of 15 to 18 years.
7. Is atopic dermatitis contagious?
Atopic dermatitis is not contagious at all and the child is free to mix with other children and perform all shots of physical activities.
8. Can my child with atopic Eczema use coconut oil for dry skin?
Most children with atopic Eczema tend to have very dry skin. To improve the dryness, coconut oil is a very good substitute for any body moisturizer. This can be applied immediately after bath on a wet skin.
9. What are the treatment options for patients with atopic dermatitis?
The standard treatment options for children with the topic dermatitis include liberal use of moisturizing creams and lotions together with anti inflammatory medications like topical steroids and topical Calcineurin inhibitors like TACROLIMUS and PIMECROLIMUS. The Other category of drugs that are used is DUPILUMAB.
10. What are the oral drugs that are used for the treatment of atopic Eczema?
There are different type of oral medications available for the management of atopic dermatitis. Most commonly used category is immuno suppressive drugs which include oral steroids and cyclosporine. Other Drugs which are used include azathioprine and Tofacitinib.