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Saturday, February 2, 2019

Dermatitis: Diagnosis and Treatment


Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin that develops under the influence of external irritating factors or internal causes of organism. This term is common to many skin diseases, and therefore necessarily accompanied by definition, which reflects its nature. Skin is the largest human organ. Performing many functions, including protective and immune, it's daily exposed to aggressive factors of external environment. The skin collides with allergens and pathogenic microorganisms, and also interacts with internal organs. If this organ doesn't cope with load, then inflammation develops - dermatitis.

Contents:


  1. Dermatitis diagnosis.
  2. Treatment of dermatitis:
    1. Ointments and creams.
    2. Tablets and Droppers.
  3. Treatment features of atopic dermatitis.
  4. Treatment features of seborrheic dermatitis.
  5. Dermatitis prevention.


Dermatitis diagnosis.

When there are rashes and itching - the main symptoms of dermatitis, then you need to contact a dermatologist and allergist. As a rule, specialists conduct a survey together. In some cases, a doctor can establish the correct diagnosis during the medical examination. However, it's often necessary to perform a list of tests. A clinical blood test with definition of ESR will assess activity of inflammation. Biochemical analysis will indicate changes in the work of internal organs, which may well be the cause of dermatitis. If there is a suspicion of allergic nature of the disease, then a doctor will prescribe a blood test for the common immunoglobulin E and carry out the necessary allergic tests. To exclude allergic dermatitis caused by food, there are special studies. They determines increased sensitivity of organism to certain foods on the skin by the method of scarification and by blood. If suspected of allergic contact dermatitis, then a doctor performes skin test with a set of allergens.

Treatment of dermatitis.

Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, treatment of which consists of several main points:
  • determination of cause and its elimination (treatment of concomitant diseases, exclusion of contact with irritants and allergens);
  • removal of inflammation (therapeutic creams and ointments, using of systemic hormonal medications, such as Prednisolone, Dexamethasone depending on  severity of disorder);
  • skin care (moisturizing creams, hypoallergenic cosmetics);

Ointments and creams.

Creams and ointments based on glucocorticosteroids are used in the treatment of dermatitis. They effectively relieve inflammation and don't allow the disease to progress. However, the time of their use is limited (no more than 14 days) to avoid the development of side effects: dryness and thinning of the skin, the appearance of stretch marks, etc. Depending on the type of inflammation, a doctor can write out various forms of local glucocorticosteroids:
  • acute inflammation with rash - emulsion;
  • subacute inflammation with crusts - cream or lipocream;
  • chronic inflammation with cracks and peeling - ointment;
Among the variety of glucocorticosteroids, experts identify the three most safe: Lokoid, Elokom and Advantan.
In case of attachment of fungal and bacterial flora, it's necessary to use combined creams and ointments from dermatitis, which, in addition to hormonal anti-inflammatory component, contain antibacterial and antifungal components, for example, Pimafucort.
After treatment, dermatitis leaves dryness and peeling. During this period, a dermatologist can write out medications, which promote regeneration of cells and restore metabolism. A striking representative is Bepanthen, ointment for dermatitis that use to heal cracks, eliminate dryness and flaking of the skin.

Tablets and Droppers.

Besides creams and ointments, doctors use various tablets and injections. Antihistamines (Loratadine, Cetirizine, Fexofenadine and others) are prescribed to reduce itching and symptoms of inflammation: swelling and redness. Especially they are relevant in case of allergic dermatitis.
Enterosorbents (Enterosgel, Lactofiltrum), due to their ability to absorb toxins in the gastrointestinal tract, play important role in the treatment of dermatitis. Especially if the cause of disease is a drug substance or food.
With severe form of dermatitis, doctors write out hormonal (glucocorticosteroids) medications in the form of tablets, injections and droppers. Dosage and mode of introduction are chosen taking into account severity of the disease. As a rule, the course is short, effectively copes with exacerbation, and side effects are minimal.
With using glucocorticosteroids (Prednisolone, Dexamethasone, Methylprednisolone) it's important to protect the gastric mucosa by taking capsules of Omeprazole.
Acute dermatitis, which treatment was started in time and meets medicine standards, quickly subsides, and with less probability becomes chronic.

Treatment features of atopic dermatitis.

Treatment of atopic dermatitis is a ladder, where each step is a specific list of medications selected according to the severity of disease manifestations.
Means for skin care occupy the lowest level, which corresponds to the minimum symptoms of dermatitis - dry skin. Properly selected hypoallergenic cosmetics can protect the skin sensitive to irritants.
If there are itching and rashes, it's necessary pass to the next stage of treatment. It corresponds to antihistamines and local glucocorticosteroids in the form of creams and ointments. In recent years, doctors pay increasing attention to a preparat called Protopic (tacrolimus), ointment for dermatitis, which is part of the modern standards of therapy. The pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and minimal side effects make it possible to apply it to the face and neck area without fear of skin's thinning.
Atopic dermatitis, whose treatment requires compliance with the highest standards, is characterized by severe disorders: common rashes and itching, which disturbing the sleep. Active anti-inflammatory therapy consists in the use of systemic glucocorticosteroids - Prednisolone or Dexamethasone.
Sometimes the treatment of atopic dermatitis involves the carrying out of allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT). Confirmed sensitivity of the organism to certain allergens or the presence of respiratory allergies appear conditions for ASIT application.

Treatment features of seborrheic dermatitis.

Treatment of seborrheic dermatitis necessarily includes antifungal medications. However, depending on the localization of foci of inflammation, various forms of drugs are used.
Shampoos are used in the therapy of seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp. Such representatives as Nizoral, Skin-cap, Ketoconazole and many others have a number of important properties:
  • decrease the number of fungi on surface of the skin;
  • reduce sebum production;
  • remove dead skin flakes and inhibit the formation of new ones;
Typically, therapeutic shampoos are used for 2-4 weeks, and frequency varies depending on severity of symptoms.
Seborrheic dermatitis, which treatment is aimed at suppressing inflammatory process on the face, has its own peculiarities.
Skin care should be as gentle as possible - without using an aggressive soap for washing. For cleansing, it’s better to use special gels, the components of which have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties (tea tree oil, zinc, selenium and others).
Medication therapy includes therapeutic antifungal ointments and creams (Nizoral, Lamisil and others) and glucocorticosteroids for topical application (Lokoid, Advantan, Elokom and others). Also a doctor can write out vitamin preparations.
Physiotherapy - important a method of treating seborrheic dermatitis. Together with main treatment, physiotherapy procedures accelerate the healing process.

Dermatitis prevention.

Preventive measures for dermatitis are aimed at prolongation of the remission period. There are 4 types of this disease: contact, atopic, seborrheic and allergic dermatitis. Each of them requires following specific rules.
Contact dermatitis. The patient should eliminate the interaction with the source of inflammation. A person must refuse from allergen-metal jewelry, latex products, use protective gloves when cleaning, etc. If the allergen does get on the skin, it's necessary to immediately wash it in running cool water.
Cases of atopic dermatitis are often associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine and neurological systems, etc. The prevention of atopic dermatitis is associated with the prevention of the underlying disease in this case. If the rash and itching associated with food allergies, a person should follow a special diet.
Allergic dermatitis. The disease is accompanied by seasonal allergies or reactions to fluff, feathers, dust, animal hair, etc. Doctors recommend drinking a course of antihistamines during the flowering season in patients with allergic dermatitis. In addition, it's necessary to carry out wet cleaning in order to prevent the accumulation of dust. Blankets, pillows and mattresses must be made of synthetic material.
The cause of seborrheic dermatitis is Malassezia furfur. This microorganism lives in the sebaceous glands of many people, but it causes skin disease only in some people. The main preventive measures are the strengthening of immunity and correction of the sebaceous glands with creams and shampoos.
There are general guidelines suitable for people with any type of dermatitis:

  • Wear light-colored clothing made from natural, non-irritating cloth.
  • Use warm water for water treatments.
  • Use special hygiene products designed for irritated problem skin.
  • Watch your condition in stressful situations.
  • The diet should include foods with vitamins A and E.


We update published articles, so that blog contains the most relevant and useful information for readers:
  • 02.02.2019. The author wrote a material about preventive measures of the dermatitis.

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