Doctors from Peking Union Medical College say | To deal with eczema, dermatologists from Peking Union Medical College offer four tips

The summer heat rash and mosquito bites still have their "residual power", plus the "reluctant loneliness" of eczema, it is not enough to just "itch". Dermatologists at Peking Union Medical College Hospital remind that the transition between summer and autumn is also the peak season for eczema, and you must do these four things well.

About the author: Shu Chang

Chief physician of the Department of Dermatology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, he has extensive clinical experience in treating pediatric and adult skin problems such as eczema, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, drug eruption, psoriasis, vitiligo, acne, hair loss, etc. He also specializes in dermatological cosmetic medicine (skin laser treatment and botulinum toxin injection).

Audit expert: Zeng Yueping

Assistant Director and Associate Chief Physician of the Department of Dermatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital. His main research directions are clinical and basic research on allergic skin diseases (especially atopic dermatitis and urticaria), and skin tissue pathology diagnosis.

Why does eczema tend to recur?

At present, the exact cause of eczema (atopic dermatitis) is not completely clear, but it can be attributed to two major factors: internal and external factors.

From the perspective of internal factors, the main factors are atopic constitution (allergic constitution) and sensitive skin (skin barrier is easily damaged). These genetic factors are difficult to change and can only be gradually adapted through careful care and adjustment of lifestyle. From the perspective of external factors, exposure to irritants, allergens and certain microorganisms may induce the onset or aggravation of eczema (atopic dermatitis). For example, heat, sun exposure, moisture immersion, friction, excessive washing, acid-base stimulation, etc. may damage the patient's originally fragile skin barrier, making it easier for allergens and microorganisms to enter the skin and induce inflammation. Friction stimulation such as mosquito bites in summer and autumn, excessive ultraviolet exposure, long-term immersion of the skin in water or sweat, and repeated wiping of sweat can also aggravate skin inflammation and itching.

To deal with eczema, do these four things

Eczema is a chronic disease that is divided into an attack phase and a remission phase. When a patient is in the attack phase, it may manifest as different types of skin inflammatory lesions such as acute, subacute and chronic, and requires regular medication under the guidance of a dermatologist. In addition to glucocorticoids and non-hormonal topical anti-inflammatory drugs, biological agents, small molecule oral anti-inflammatory drugs, etc. can also play a good role in relieving and controlling eczema of different degrees of severity.

Three parts depend on treatment, and seven parts depend on care. Daily meticulous care is not only the cornerstone of atopic dermatitis treatment, but also an important guarantee to prevent recurrence during the remission period.

Clothing: Try to choose light-colored, loose-fitting cotton or modal fabrics for underwear, rather than plush, silk, or chemical fiber fabrics, to avoid skin irritation or contact allergies. Rinse thoroughly when washing clothes, and avoid soaking in disinfectant to prevent residual disinfectant from irritating the skin. In summer and autumn, change clothes in time after they are soaked with sweat, and avoid wearing wet clothes to avoid friction irritation and increase the chance of microbial infection.

Food: During the outbreak, reduce the intake of irritating foods and avoid drinking. If there is a clear diagnosis of severe food allergy, it is also necessary to try to avoid intake during the eczema outbreak. Blindly abstaining from food is not recommended to avoid malnutrition.

Living: Keep the environment clean, cool and ventilated. Avoid overheating of the indoor environment, and try to keep it below 26°C to avoid damage to the skin barrier due to heat and sweating; avoid excessive humidity to avoid affecting the evaporation of sweat and increasing the perceived temperature, and increase the chance of allergens such as mold growing. Plush toys should be cleaned frequently, and animals and plants should be kept away from the bedroom as much as possible.

Washing: Gentle washing can reduce the number of microorganisms on the skin and prevent secondary infections, which is also very important for patients with eczema. You can use a mild shower gel on a daily basis, but do not scrub excessively, and avoid taking baths with too hot water, soaking in the bath for a long time, and scrubbing the bath. After taking a bath, gently pat the skin dry with a soft towel to avoid repeated friction. After washing and drying the skin, use a fragrance-free cream moisturizer (cream) all over the body within 3 minutes to improve skin moisturization and help restore the skin barrier. Moisturizers such as lotions or emulsions (lotions) often have insufficient moisturizing and protective effects on patients with eczema, and are likely to increase the chance of skin moisture irritation, so they are not recommended as the first choice.

Content from: Shu Chang, a doctor at Union Medical College Hospital