Content
- About atopic dermatitis (eczema)
- Varieties of skin disease
- Causes of the skin disease
- What influences atopic dermatitis (eczema)?
- How to recognize atopic dermatitis (eczema)?
- Conventional treatment of atopic dermatitis
- Methods of treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema)
- Tips
- Treatment of atopic dermatitis in European hospitals
- Cost of treatment abroad
- How to go for treatment abroad?
Your skin is an indicator of your general health and well-being. Even the slightest manifestations, such as dry skin, itching, rashes, and abscesses are symptoms of metabolic disorders, allergy, overwork, or stress.
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is an inflammatory skin disease accompanied by severe itching, skin dryness, irritation of the skin, and periods of exacerbation and remission.
About atopic dermatitis (eczema)
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a chronic skin disease characterized by inflammation of the outermost layer of the skin, severe itching, and the presence of specific rashes. This disease may be detected even in infancy, after which it accompanies a person throughout his life.
In people with atopic dermatitis (eczema), periods of improvement are intermittent with exacerbations. Skin disease not only affects the general health of a person but also leads to aesthetic and psychological problems. Regular skin rashes, itching, and extremely dry skin create discomfort that interferes with normal life. Very often, skin problems affect the psychological state of the patient. Usually, people with eczema find it difficult to make contact with other people; they are suffering from depression, insomnia, and other nervous disorders. It is impossible to completely cure it, but with the help of complex therapy, you can improve the condition of your skin.
Varieties of skin disease
In medicine, more than a dozen varieties of this skin disease are distinguished. These include contact, dry, and atopic dermatitis (or allergic, toxic, eczema, urticaria).
Symptoms of dry dermatitis appear only in the cold season, due to prolonged exposure to cold or, conversely, too dry air in a closed room. There is an immunity suppression and deterioration in the general health condition. A distinctive feature of this type of dermatitis is the duration of the course and the seasonal exacerbations.
Contact atopic dermatitis appears at the site of exposure to the primary irritant. It is distinguished by the absence of manifestations of an acute reaction and the further spread of the inflammation process after the exclusion of the irritating substance.
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a chronic, often hereditary allergy skin disease with recurreces and complications. At the first stages (in children from 3 months to 2 years old, and at 4-7 years old), the development of the disease manifests itself with skin redness with abundant discharge. And at the advanced stages, pronounced dryness and pallor of the skin predominates.
Toxic dermatitis is accompanied by significant damage to the skin by toxic substances. This is a very serious and dangerous skin disease, and at the first manifestations (e.g. shortness of breath, swelling of the throat, pain in the stomach), you need ASAP to contact a specialist who will provide first aid.
Causes of the skin disease
There is no clear evidence on what causes eczema (atopic dermatitis). The onset of the disease is promoted by a range of conditions, namely genetics and environmental factors. These include a violation of the protective function of the skin, peculiarities of the immune system, and climatic factors.
What influences atopic dermatitis (eczema)?
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) rashes can look different depending on age. Infant, child, and adult forms of skin disease are distinguished. In addition, there's non-atopic dermatitis.
With atopic dermatitis (eczema), there is a connection between exacerbations and food, chemicals, and environmental allergens. Other atopic diseases are also often present, i.e. bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis both in the patient himself and in his close relatives.
The existence of other forms of atopic dermatitis (eczema) is assumed since the skin disease can have different symptoms and manifest itself in different ways. However, no clear markers have been identified yet that will allow predicting the course of the disease in a particular case.
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) can be complicated by the concomitant infection, i.e. bacterial, fungal, or viral. If the clinical course of the pathology has changed, or the general condition of your skin worsens, you should see a doctor.
How to recognize atopic dermatitis (eczema)?
The main manifestations of atopic dermatitis (eczema) are itching of the skin, as well as its redness, dryness, peeling, and thickening (the result of inflammation). Manifestations are most often located on the face, neck, scalp, or elbow folds.
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is often combined with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. A distinctive feature of atopic dermatitis (eczema) is remission (relative well-being, alleviation of the manifestations on your skin) in the summer.
Conventional treatment of atopic dermatitis
Treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema) has the basis therapy that includes usage of mitigating and moisturizing drugs and excluding provoking factors. Also, it includes training and educational programs for patients with eczema, conducted in most countries of the world.
External therapy includes the use of drugs that are recommended to apply to moisturized skin. The effectiveness is directly related to the three main factors: the effect of the drug, sufficient dosage, and proper application on the skin.
Phototherapy and systemic therapy are also used in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. This includes the use of cyclosporine, antihistamines, and systemic glucocorticosteroids.
Methods of treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema)
Emollient and moisturizing creams and ointments are the mainstays of treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema). These products help keep your skin hydrated and soft.
Steroid creams and ointments for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema) are applied to the skin and help relieve redness and itching. In severe cases, steroids in pill form or injections may be required, but your doctor will keep the course of treatment of your skin as short as possible since the high effectiveness of the injections is combined with a high risk of side effects.
Medicines that affect the immune system are highly effective, but have side effects and can be prescribed if safer treatments have not led to the desired result.
Antihistamines can be used in patients with eczema who experience severe itching.
To increase the effectiveness of therapy, it is possible to carry out wet wrap therapy.
Carrying out wet wraps allows you to make external therapy more effective by increasing the penetration of hormonal ointments or creams into the deep layers of the skin, better coverage of the skin surface with emollient components, reducing water loss, and creating a mechanical obstacle to scratching. This allows you to reduce the duration of medications use, quickly reduce dry skin and itching. In some cases, it avoids the administration of systemic therapy with corticosteroid hormones or immunosuppressive drugs.
Immunosuppressive agents used in the treatment of atopic dermatitis can be external (in the form of ointments and creams) and systemic (in the form of injections or pills). It is better to avoid using the external hormonal ointments or creams on the face and large folds of skin.
In a serious condition (large skin lesions, lack of effect from a previous treatment), drugs in this group can be prescribed orally under the strict supervision of a physician. Immunosuppressive treatment allows quickly achieving an improvement in the condition, reducing the duration of application of drugs to the skin. It has fewer side effects than corticosteroids and can therefore be used effectively for a longer period.
Tips
Dermatologists recommend patients with atopic dermatitis (eczema) to use dense moisturizing creams without artificial flavoring. You should also exclude factors contributing to the deterioration of the condition of your skin with atopic dermatitis (eczema) that include:
- Increased heat and abundant sweating
- Very dry air
- Sharp change of air temperature
- Toxic cleansing agents
- Perfume
- Woolen and synthetic fabrics
- Stress
Treatment of atopic dermatitis in European hospitals
The treatment of eczema in European hospitals is carried out as a complex therapy that is selected in full compliance with the individual diagnostic data and wishes of the patient.
Based on the symptoms of the disease, its spreading, the age of the patient, and the general state of health, experts from the European hospitals determine the complex of medical measures included in the treatment program.
We recommend the following European hospitals for treatment of eczema:
- University Hospital of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
- University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- University Hospital Ulm, Germany
- University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany
- University Hospital Wurzburg, Germany
- Charite University Hospital Berlin, Germany
The approach used in the recommended European hospitals allows restoring damaged skin, maintaining its healthy condition and preventing repeated inflammatory processes, as well as eliminating the development of new symptoms.
Mentioned European hospitals conduct the diagnostics of atopic dermatitis (eczema) by carrying out the comprehensive examination, including blood tests, allergy testing, etc.
Cost of treatment abroad
As for the cost of treatment abroad, it all depends on the clinic itself, as well as on the patient's health state. In general, the prices for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema) fully justify themselves. Thanks to the services of foreign doctors, the patient is getting better since specialists have gained extensive experience in the treatment of eczema.
The cost of treatment depends on the stage of the disease and the treatment plan, which is appointed by a doctor for each patient. To determine the estimated cost of treatment, doctors need to receive a description of the complaints and the diagnostic data regarding your skin condition. Based on this information, the clinic experts will be able to make a preliminary therapeutic plan and provide you with an estimated price for treatment.
The cost of treatment of atopic dermatitis with conservative measures starts at 2,682 EUR. The minimal price of diagnostics is 1,701 EUR.
To receive a consultation about the cost of treatment abroad in your case, contact Booking Health.
How to go for treatment abroad?
If you’re thinking about high-quality diagnostics and treatment abroad, in particular, about the treatment abroad of atopic dermatitis, then the patient management of Booking Health is ready to provide all the information you need.
Booking Health cooperates with leading European hospitals and will help you with the choice of a specific clinic or the physician, as well as planning and organizing treatment abroad.
Cooperation with Booking Health will allow you to focus on restoring your health without being distracted by organizational issues. Leave a request on the Booking Health website to proceed.
Authors: Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Farrukh Ahmed
