ATOPIC
DERMATITIS IS KNOWN BY SEVERAL NAMES. ATOPIC ECZEMA, INFANT ECZEMA,
AND ATOPIC DERMATITIS ARE ALL THE SAME CONDITION. IT IS A DISEASE,
WHICH IS CLOSELY RELATED TO HAY FEVER AND ASTHMA, AND ACTUALLY
MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A FORM OF HAY FEVER, WHICH MANIFESTS ITSELF
ON THE SKIN. THERE IS A STRONG INHERITED FACTOR PRESENT AND WE
ALMOST ALWAYS FIND SOMEONE IN THE FAMILY WITH A HISTORY OF HAY
FEVER OR ASTHMA, OR A SIMILAR SKIN CONDITION. IT IS IMPORTANT
TO UNDERSTAND THAT LIKE HAY FEVER AND ASTHMA, YOUR CONDITION
IS CONTROLLABLE RATHER THAN CURABLE. IN OTHER WORDS, THE
SKIN CAN BE CLEARED AND CONTROLLED, BUT RECURRENCES GENERALLY
OCCUR IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE FREQUENCIES OF RECURRENCES, AN UNDERSTANDING
OF THE AGGRAVATING FACTOR IS IMPORTANT. EMOTION IS GENERALLY
THE MOST IMPORTANT AGGRAVATING FACTOR. EMOTIONAL FACTORS SHOULD
BE CONTROLLED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. TENSENESS, TOO MUCH COMPETITION
AND EXPECTING TOO MUCH FROM A CHILD ARE FREQUENT CAUSES. WOOL
AND SYNTHETIC FIBERS NEXT TO THE SKIN IN THIS CONDITION WILL OFTEN
CAUSE PATIENTS TO FLARE UP.
SOAP
IS HARMFUL TO THE SKIN IN THIS CONDITION-USE AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
Use of milder soaps, i.e. Dove, Purpose, and Neutrogena is preferable,
but AVOID their use as much as possible. RESTRICT THE USE OF SOAP
AND WATER. USE ONLY IN INTERTRIGINOUS AREAS "SPOT CLEANSING",
FINGERS, TOES, AXILLAE (ARMPITS), GROINS AND PERIANAL AREA (ONLY
IF FREE FROM INFLAMMATION). DO NOT USE HOT WATER FOR CLEANSING,
IF WATER HAS TO BE USED, MAKE SURE IT IS TEPID.
THE
QUESTION OF DIET IS OFTEN OVEREMPHASIZED. ONLY RARELY ONE FINDS
THAT A SPECIFIC ITEM OF FOOD WILL CAUSE THE SKIN TO BREAK OUT.
ELIMINATION DIETS ARE OF VERY LITTLE VALUE, AND ARE RESORTED TO
ONLY IF THE SKIN IS RESISTANT TO TREATMENT. IN GENERAL, ALL FOODS
MAY BE EATEN. SCRATCH TESTS TO FOOD ARE GENERALLY OF LITTLE VALUE,
AND WILL NOT BE DONE. OFTEN, DESENTILIZATION TO DUST IS OF VALUE.
Common
food allergens: Eggs, Cow's Milk, chocolate, cereals, fish, citrus
fruits & nuts.
ATOPIC
PATIENT RESPONDS DIRECTLY TO THE CONTROL OF EXTERNAL IRRITANTS
AND ALLERGENS, THEREFORE, EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO AVOID
OR AT LEAST, CONTROL THIS HARMFUL ENVIRONMENT.
CONTROL
THE TEMPERATURE. THE ROOM TEMPERATURE SHOULD BE KEPT ON THE COOL
SIDE. OVERHEATING INDUCES SWEATING, WHICH CAN FURTHER CAUSE AN
ADVERSE REACTION. DO NOT OVERDRESS AN INFANT OR A CHILD FOR THE
SAME REASON.
KEEP
THE HUMIDITY, WHERE POSSIBLE, ABOVE 40%. THE PATIENT'S SKIN IS
ALREADY DRY, AND YOU DON'T WANT TO DEHYDRATE THE PATIENT. FURTHER,
IT IS GOOD TO USE A HUMIDIFIER IN HOMES WITH HOT AIR HEATING.
WHEN
IT COMES TO DUST, IT IS STRESSED THAT ROOMS WITH BARE FLOORS AND
THE PATEINTS LIVING QUARTERS ARE VACUUMED OFTEN AND WHEN
THE PATIENT IS OUT OF THE HOUSE. IF CARPETS ARE USED, MAKE
SURE THAT NOT ONLY CARPETS, BUT ALSO BLANKETS, AND DRAPES ARE
NON-WOOL.
AVOID
PERFUMES, DEODORANT SPRAYS AND INSECTICIDES.
THERE
ARE OTHER SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED WHENEVER
POSSIBLE.
AVOID
CHRYSANTHEMIM PLANTS, LIVE FIR TREES (i.e. x-mas trees), PAINTS
or varnishes in the house.
CATS,
DOGS AND BIRDS ARE HAZARDOUS TO THE ATOPIC PATIENT. DESIRE FOR
PETS CAN BE DIRECTED TOWARD AQUATIC ANIMALS, FISH, TURTLES, ETC.
OTHER
CONTACTANTS THAT SHOULD BE WATCHED FOR ARE TOMATOES AND CITRUS
FRUITS. IF THE PATIENT EATS THESE, FREQUENT WASHING WITH LOTS
OF WATER, WITHOUT WASH CLOTH IS ESSENTIAL.
AVOID
NEW ROUGH CLOTHING. ALL COTTON WELL WASHED IS BEST. NO
WOOL. MAKE SURE CHILD DOES NOT PLAY ON ROUGH RUGS OR UPHOLSTERY.
