When you think about atopic dermatitis, what probably comes to mind is the itchy, burning rash you can see. But there’s a bigger story going on beneath the skin.
Atopic dermatitis, a chronic form of eczema, is more than a skin condition. It’s a disease caused in part by an overreaction of your body’s natural defense system.
Understanding what happens on the inside may help you better manage the symptoms of atopic dermatitis. Watch the video to learn more.
The causes of AD are not fully understood. It is believed that a combination of your genetic predisposition and your environment contributes to the development of AD.
Flare-ups can be caused by triggers found in the environment. Everyone’s triggers are different, so it is important to notice what is happening around you when you are experiencing symptoms. Avoiding your triggers is a big part of managing your disease.
Emotional stress is a trigger for itching, and itching is in turn a cause of stress.
7 out of 10 people with AD have other family members who have AD or have other allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma. This means that some people have a genetic predisposition for the condition. There are certain gene mutations that are known to be major risk factors for developing AD.
The role of food allergies in particular is controversial. However, it is well known that AD and food allergies are co-associated. The most common food allergies are eggs, milk, peanuts, wheat, soy, tree nuts, shellfish and fish.
Your indoor and outdoor environments may be triggers for your symptoms. You may have one or more allergies to dust mites, pollens, molds, cigarette smoke, and pet dander. Extremely hot weather can cause you to sweat and extremely cold weather can lead to dry skin — both are triggers for itching.
Mutations in some genes related to the immune system are risk factors for developing AD, and the disease itself is partly caused by an immune system that is not functioning properly.
The number of people with AD has markedly increased in recent years, especially in urban areas. Living in an urban environment is a reported risk factor for developing AD, since air pollution caused by combustion of engines, industrial factories, and heating systems in buildings has been shown to cause allergic diseases like AD.
There is a link between asthma and AD. Some people with asthma will develop AD, and some people with AD will develop asthma.
The dander from animals is a known trigger for AD exacerbation.
Eczema that occurs chronically may be more than just a skin condition. It could be a disease called atopic dermatitis.
The most common type of eczema is atopic dermatitis, a chronic disease. If you struggle with frequent flare-ups that just keep coming back, there may be a bigger story happening inside your body.
With atopic dermatitis, even when your skin looks clear, the inflammation may still be active under the surface and your next flare-up is just waiting to return. Some people always show signs of the disease.
The most obvious sign of atopic dermatitis is dry, itchy skin. Flare-ups are different for every person and can appear all over the body. Some other common external symptoms include:
Atopic dermatitis is an immunological disease, which means it involves the immune system.
With atopic dermatitis, your immune system is highly sensitive and can react to even the smallest allergens or irritants. This reaction can cause excess inflammation underneath your skin, which may lead to your frequent flare-ups. So those rashes you see on the surface are just the visible signs of a deeper inflammatory disease.
In people with atopic dermatitis, internal and external stimuli irritate the skin, causing nerve endings and immune cells to overreact. The resulting inflammation and intense urge to scratch has given atopic dermatitis the name “the itch that rashes”.
When you scratch, you can break down the outer layer of skin which allows bacteria, viruses and allergens to get in, leaving it prone to infection.
In response to these invaders, your immune system continues to send signals to the surface, causing even more redness and itching.
The more you scratch, the more your skin barrier breaks down and the itch-scratch cycle continues.