Eczema is not just a skin rash
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This is a sponsored post
The skin is the largest organ in the body. I think the first time I heard this statement was in biology class in high school, despite that, I never really paid attention to it, nor did I give it the importance it needed.
As a teenager who grew up in the '90s, you can imagine that the concept of applying sunscreen at that time wasn’t that common and the “cool” thing was to sunbathe with tanning oil until you got that perfect tan. Of course, thirty years later, I am paying the price with blemishes, wrinkles, and other skin problems.
When I became a mother and held my baby in my arms for the first time, I realized how important it was to take care of his skin, however, there was not as much information about this and a red rash would break out in different parts of his body from time to time.
The good news is that today there is much more information available and now everybody uses sunscreen as part of their daily routine. However, as a society, I believe that despite being much more aware of our diet and the products we consume, we still have a long way to go in implementing that same concept regarding skincare.
Although there is a lot of information online about skin-related conditions, it’s crucial to know that many articles are not endorsed by doctors and give incorrect advice or treatment plans.
That is why when Med-IQ invited me to participate in a campaign to raise Eczema awareness, which is one of the most common skin problems, I immediately said yes.
As you may have read before, I love partnering with Med-IQ as they are an accredited medical education company that provides an exceptional educational experience for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals.
October is Eczema Awareness Month, and that is why the campaign will split into two articles where we will talk about Eczema's signs and symptoms in the first one, and about medical treatments in the second.
Eczema is much more common than we think, more than 31 million Americans have some form of this skin condition, however, did you know that there are many types of eczema?
Eczema is the generic name for a group of dermatological conditions that includes dermatitis and atopic dermatitis, among others. In this article, we will focus on atopic dermatitis, which is the most common.
But let's start at the beginning, what is atopic dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis is a red, sometimes brown, purple, or ashen grey itchy skin rash that can occur at any time of the year. Some severe cases can be quite painful and cover large areas of the body.
What Causes Atopic Dermatitis?
Although it is not necessarily a genetic condition, certain people may be predisposed to genes or gene mutations that can cause a loss of a protein called Filaggrin.
Filaggrin is a protein that helps keep the skin barrier tight. If we don't produce enough Filaggrin, our skin looks cracked, inflamed, and is much more sensitive to irritants and allergens, hence atopic dermatitis.
Atopic Dermatitis is a chronic condition, and it can be caused by several things, such as a reaction to some foods or something that your skin has had contact with, such as pets or fabrics.
Most patients are infants and children; however, it can also occur in adolescents and adults.
The most frustrating thing about this condition is that some doctors recommend waiting for the rash to heal over time, but it's important to understand that atopic dermatitis can affect your quality of life. It is very common for it to affect sleep patterns, the ability to concentrate at school or work, it can also affect mental health and stress levels; situations which are more vulnerable during these pandemic times.
It is very important to understand that atopic dermatitis is chronic and will not magically disappear. That is why I recommend that you consult your primary care provider or dermatologist as soon as possible if you or someone in your family has this skin condition.
In the second article I will share new and traditional medical treatments to combat atopic dermatitis, however, today I share some practices that we do at home that have helped us a lot, recommended by Dr. Peter Lio, who is the Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at Feinberg School of Medicine, in addition to being the Founding Director of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Center.
Recommendations:
Verify that your everyday products are hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. Like, for example, laundry detergents and body soap.
It is very important to hydrate the skin, check that the product is hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. Dr. Lio recommends using gentle oil-based cleansers and selecting moisturizers with no preservatives.
Certain fabrics can cause allergic reactions, such as wool sweaters.
It is also important to check your bedding fabric such as sheets and down comforters. I highly recommend using a hypoallergenic pillow and mattress cover to prevent contact with these highly allergic materials.
Check what you ate the day before the rash, there are certain allergic reactions to foods that can also be triggers.
There are several natural alternatives such as plant-based medicines, probiotics, supplements, and Chinese medicine.
Remember you must consult your doctor before starting any treatment.
All these little changes I did at home in the products we use every day made a huge difference to the condition of my entire family's skin. In the next article I’ll dig deeper into the medical treatments that exist.
For more information consult the National Eczema Association or the American Academy of Dermatology.
For Med-IQ it is very important to gather as much information as possible, so they are conducting anonymous surveys that will take less than 10 minutes to complete and will be very important for research on the subject.
If you suffer from any type of Eczema, fill out the survey here:
Survey responses are shared only in aggregate. Your responses to these survey questions will provide Med-IQ with important information about your experiences with atopic dermatitis, which will help us develop future educational initiatives. Once you've completed the survey, you will have the option of providing your email address to be entered into a drawing administered by SOMA Strategies to win 1 of 10 $100 VISA gift cards. If you choose to enter, your email address will be used only to randomly draw the winners and notify them of their prize.
