Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic Dermatitis:

Atopic eczema also known as atopic dermatitis is a skin rash that is made worse by allergies. The rash is dry and itchy and most commonly occurs in infants and young children but can occur at any age. Food allergies and certain environmental allergies can trigger outbreaks of Atopic Dermatitis. Allergy Skin Testing and sometimes ImmunoCAP IgE blood testing are used to identify allergens that are triggering the dry itchy rash outbreaks. Treatment includes environmental control, dietary intervention and topical anti-inflammatory creams to help treat the rash.

Allergy will cause flare-ups of atopic dermatitis. Therefore, measures to reduce allergen exposure help to minimize the need for anti-inflammatory creams. This preserves skin integrity by minimizing medication use.

Staphylocccus Aureus is a bacteria that lives in the skin. When itchy skin inflamed by atopic dermatitis is scratched, overgrowth of the "Staph" bacteria occurs. This particular bacteria further inflames the dry itchy skin making the rash worse. In addition to anti-inflammatory creams, it is important to treat inflamed skin with topical antibiotic therapy to help further control the inflammatory cycle. When atopic dermatitis with "Staph" overgrowth is severe, oral antibiotics to treat the "Staph" bacteria may be required to calm the inflammatory reaction

Effective treatment of atopic dermatitis is a must to prevent progression. A comprehensive treatment plan which begins with identifying the allergens underlying flare-ups, allergen avoidance, medication use and environmental control is imperative in order to control atopic dermatitis.