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Triggers and Treatments Of Atrophic Dermatitis

By: The alternate Medic. Atrophic Dermatitis occurs when the skin's behavior is disrupted resulting in very dry, inflamed skin. Normally our skin has the ability to maintain moisture this is not the case for sufferers of atrophic dermatitis.

Atrophic dermatitis is recognized as a severe form of eczema,. It is usually chronic in nature. Atrophic dermatitis usually occurs in skin folds and creases, like the insides of elbows, the backs of knees and hands and many different parts of the face and head. Owing to the itchiness and pain associated with the disease, constant scratching and contact with clothes, causes the sores to weep or become crusty and develop into painful skin lesions.

It has been noted that Atrophic Dermatitis is more common in children from early childhood up to early adulthood, however, there are cases of older adults having this skin condition. These adult sufferers of atrophic dermatitis do not usually manifest the inflamed skin and flakes but only suffer extremely dry, sensitive skin which can be easily irritated.

What Are The Triggers Of Atrophic Dermatitis

Basically there are three common trigger classifications of atrophic dermatitis. These are: 1. Allergens: Allergens are usually ingested in the form of food, beverages or medications. There are also other types of allergens in the environment such as animal dander and pollen. The medications that may cause an allergic reaction in an individual include antibiotics, anesthetics, sleeping pills, aspirin, laxatives, anti-depressants and many more

2. Irritants and : Irritants of atrophic dermatitis are smoke, fumes, solvents, chemicals, soaps and detergents, alcohol based products and many others. Dust can also make the rash worse and so can stress and climate changes.

3. Infections: Infections of a bacterial, fungal or viral nature are also known to cause flare ups, however, this is not as common as the other triggers

Atrophic Dermatitis Treatment

The best way to treat Atrophic dermatitis is to control the scratching since this can lead to further skin complications, resulting in infections and rarely, life threatening conditions. The best way is to keep the individual's skin moist. This can be done by applying prescribed ointments and lotions several times a day even if there are no flare ups. Naturally, vigilance is also needed in monitoring the environment of the person who suffers from atrophic dermatitis.

As contact with clothing and bed linen can also cause irritation to the patient Allclothes and beddings need to be washed with special detergents that are hypo allergenic to prevent flare ups. The same applies for the soaps and shampoos that the patient uses it is important that they contain little or no allergens to avoid allergic reactions. Bath water must not be too hot as this can dry skin and provoke flare ups. What else can be done? It is highly recommended that the patient embark on a dietary change, avoiding all processed, fatty foods and concentrate on eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables as this will provide the body with all the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and elements for good health, ridding the body of any toxic build up.

As modern medicine has not yet come up with a cure for atrophic dermatitis we can only hope to control and manage the allergens, irritants and infections thus preventing flare ups.