Understanding Eczema:
Atopic Dermatitis Eczema or atopic dermatitis is a common chronic skin disease which can occur at any age, but is more common in children. And while around 7.5 to 22.5 percent of people in the Arabian Peninsula suffer from this non-contagious skin condition, many don’t understand what it entails. Dr. Jaya Mehta explains more.
WHAT IT MEANS The term atopic, defines Dr. Mehta, means a group of conditions that are linked by their underlying cause – which is a special type of allergic hypersensitivity reaction or exaggerated IgE-mediated immune response that occurs upon exposure to certain allergens and triggers. She elaborates, “These atopic conditions include atopic dermatitis (eczema), asthma, and hay fever. There is a strong association among these as it has been observed approximately that Oct/Nov 2021
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about half of the patients with severe eczema/atopic dermatitis eventually develop asthma and about two-thirds develop allergic rhinitis.”
WHAT HAPPENS According to Dr.Mehta, in healthy individuals, the outermost layer of the skin, also known as epidermis, acts as a primary barrier between the body and the outside environment. “It not only prevents entry of harmful pathogens and toxins inside the body, but also
helps in retention of water in the skin that is essential for maintaining skin hydration.” Essentially, in eczema/atopic dermatitis, the skin barrier becomes dysfunctional, resulting in dehydrated, dry, cracked skin. In these patients’, their weaker skin barrier is easily penetrable by the triggers that induce exaggerated immune response, causing skin inflammation. The dysfunctional skin barrier also increases susceptibility to infection.
