Eczema is one of the skin diseases, which is characterized by rashes, itching and swelling. Initially, the term was applied to any acute dermatitis, but in the first half of the 19th century, eczema was isolated as a separate form.
What is eczema
Eczema - damage to the upper layer of the skin, accompanied by rashes in the form of papules. The skin is often inflamed, it swells, rashes are accompanied by severe itching. At autopsy - scratching, papules turn into wet erosion. Ranks dry up, on their surface appear crusts with scales.
- Eczema appears on any part of the skin.
- The disease can occur in acute or chronic form, frequent relapses.
- It is caused by a wide variety of external and internal factors - from chemical or thermal effects to diseases of the nervous system or kidneys. The exact cause of the disease is not established, it is considered to be a poly-therapeutic disease.
Explicit communication with pathologies of the nervous system and allergic reactions of the body exacerbates the problem. The rashes and discomfort that they cause, worsen the patient's psychological state. And under the influence of excitement and strong emotions, eczema manifests itself much sharper. Treatment should be comprehensive and necessarily include a psychological component. Predisposing factors include lack of trace elements, lack of vitamin B6, abnormalities in GI, nephropathy, and so on.
What is eczema, the video below will tell:
Types of
The variety of symptoms and the causes of the appearance of the disease is the basis for the classification of eczema in the clinical picture of the disease. There are several types of eczema.
Photo of eczema on the hands of
True
True - idiopathic. It begins with acute inflammatory puffiness of the skin, after which there are rashes of the smallest bubbles. There are several stages of the disease:
- erythematous - actually inflammation with the appearance of papules;
- papulevezikuleznaya - bubbles are built in, not having time to properly form. On their place there are point erosions - serous wells;
- wetting - from the serous wells, a liquid is abundantly moistening the surface of the damaged area;
- cortical - gradually the fluid ceases to separate, the wounds dry up and form yellow-gray crusts.
The process is wavy in nature, as a result of which the papules, edema, and spot erosions can be observed simultaneously on the skin area.
True eczema can be acute or chronic. The first quickly passes into the second and is accompanied by densification and coarsening of the skin. The color of the skin becomes stagnant, the crust begins to peel off. At the same time, new papules appear that wet the serous wells and crusts. This alternation of inflammation and the period of infiltration - the formation of crusts, are characteristic of the disease. Accompanying inflammation with a strong itch, up to sleep disturbances and insomnia.
Foci do not have clear boundaries, but, as a rule, they are symmetrical. As inflammation decreases, skin flakes, pigmented spots, areas of very dry skin, on which cracks can be observed, often appear. Very often idiopathic eczema is accompanied by a pyogenic infection.
Microbial
This ailment appears in cases where the inflammation of the skin is caused by a microbial or fungal infection: in the place of fistulas, abrasions, around trophic ulcers, wounds and so on. The microbial form is characterized by acute-inflammatory large foci with a sharp border. In fact, these are the remains of streptococcal blooms - bubbles with transparent contents that include bacteria.
The microbial form is characterized by a layering of purulent crusts in addition to the simultaneous existence of papules that wet erosion. The foci are prone to overgrowth, the form is asymmetrical, the screening often often occurs - scaly patches, separate pustules. The disease is accompanied by severe itching.
A variant of it is coin-like eczema. In this case, the foci have an almost regular round shape, their diameter reaches 1-3 cm.
Mycotic
The nature of the ailment is complex. There is eczema in the event of an allergic reaction to a fungal infection that causes mycosis, candidiasis, ringworm. The disease combines the signs of true eczema and mycosis. The foci are usually sharply outlined, usually round.
The treatment of this form is rather complicated. The usual medicinal product in the treatment are hormonal ointments. However, under their action, the fungus actively mutates and multiplies. So the therapy is carried out in 2 stages: first get rid of the fungus, and only then - from skin disease.
Stages of the disease
Seborrheic
Appears in patients with seborrhea. The localization of such eczema is the area of the body where many sebaceous glands are located: nasolabial folds, ear conchaes, scalp. The disease looks like scaling plaques with papules of yellow-brown color. Plaques are slopes to merge and form an annular outline.
Professional
It provokes contact with chemically aggressive substances. Most often this form is found in chemical industry workers, as well as in those who are constantly in contact with household chemicals.
The hands are first affected, then the ailment spreads throughout the body. The course of the disease does not differ from the true form, although its cause is quite different.
The forms and types of eczema are described in detail in the video below:
Tylotics
The ailment extends only to the palms and soles of the feet. The swelling and inflammation here are not noticeable due to the thickness of the stratum corneum, but the papules that appear are then transformed into callosity, usually with rashes.
Dyshidrotic
Also possible only on the palms and soles. The first stage is weakly expressed, the vesicles can be opened, and can immediately turn into layered suppuricle crusts. The latter form multilayer bubbles.
Dyshidrotic eczema can go from the soles and palms to the back of the hand, feet and up. In this case, its shape changes, acquiring the typical signs of idiopathic eczema.
Pediatric
Rashes affect children of any age, beginning with the newborn. The cause of the disease is considered exudative and allergic diathesis. That is, babies are ill if they have a genetic predisposition to allergies. According to statistics, if one of the parents of the child - usually a mother, has a history of allergic clogging - neurodermatitis, bronchial asthma, the risk of eczema will increase to 40%, and if both parents - up to 60%.
Eczema in children is considered the most common form of dermatosis. It provokes her complicated pregnancy, severe maternal illnesses - diabetes mellitus, nephropathy, and also artificial feeding.
Varicose
Appears on the lower limbs in areas with dilated veins, varicose ulcers, sclerotic skin. Symptoms are more like a microbial form.
Provoking factors are excessive sensitivity to drugs used during treatment, trauma. The disease is accompanied by a mild itching.
Herpetiform( Kaposi Eczema)
The form of a herpes infection that complicates chronic dermatosis. In addition to a specific skin rash and bleeding erosions, the disease is accompanied by an increase in temperature and an increase in lymph nodes.
The cause of the disease is the usual herpes virus. There is a disease in children from 6 months to 2 years. Up to 6 months of the baby is protected by antibodies received from the mother. For more than 2 years, his body independently produces antibodies. The child gets the herpes virus from the infected person.
Steven-Johnson Syndrome
SSD is a form of exudative erythema in the severe stage. It affects the mucous membranes of the mouth, the eye of the genitourinary organs, and rarely the skin. Causes the syndrome of viral hepatitis, measles, influenza, chicken pox. The appearance of blisters on the oral mucosa, accompanied by a rapid rise in temperature - up to 40 C, headache, cough, rapid development of tachycardia.
The rash on the skin most often appears on the trunk or in the perineum. The defeat is represented by a large number of blisters of crimson color with a diameter of up to 5 cm. Serious or bloody blisters appear in the center of the damaged area. When they are opened, bright red defects are formed, which are later covered with crusts.
Localization of
A rash may appear anywhere on the skin. Strict localization is observed only in some types of disease.
- Professional - as a rule, the first damage is detected on the hands, as here contact with chemically aggressive substances is most likely. Further foci of the disease can spread throughout the body.
- Dyshidrotic appears on the palms and soles. However, it can spread to other areas of the body, while acquiring an idiopathic form.
- Typical only observed on the soles and palms.
- Seborrheic is formed in areas with a large number of sebaceous glands. It is not only the scalp, but also nasolabial folds, forehead, and back.
General symptoms of
Both in children and adults, the common symptoms of the disease are the same:
- edema and inflammation in the first stage;
- appearance of papules with serous contents;
- papule opening and copious fluid secretion - wetting stage;
- molding of crusts in place of dried up erosion.
The specific pediatric form caused by the hepatitis virus is characterized by an abundance of rashes, prone to fusion and the appearance of complications. In addition, children are more likely to join a secondary infection, which makes the course of the disease more severe, and the cure is a long one.
Diagnostic methods
Initial diagnosis is performed by examining the patient. For a thorough study of the type of rash, it is recommended to use a magnifying glass. Palpation helps to establish a difference in the elasticity of the skin in healthy and damaged areas.
An accurate diagnosis is established on the basis of a number of tests:
- a general blood test - allows to determine the severity of an allergic reaction. Define the level of leukocytes - increased with inflammation, and the level of erythrocytes and hemoglobin;
- a general urine test is required to confirm the inflammatory process and a certain effect on kidney function;
- biochemical blood test - fluctuations in the blood make it possible to determine endocrine disorders, which are one of the causes of the appearance of the rash;
- immunogram - elevated levels of immunoglobulin indicate progression of the disease;
- microscopy of scrapings is the most reliable method of analysis. With its help, you can accurately determine the nature of the disease and identify its causative agent, which is especially important in seborrhoeic and microbiological form.
Drugs for the treatment of
Treatment is determined by the form of the disease and the true cause of the disease. It is impossible to independently determine the effectiveness of a given medicine, especially since in many cases only skin damage does not make sense.
- The basis of therapy is the appearance of external forms of corticosteroid hormones - Celestoderm, an antifungal cream with ketoconazole.
- In microbial form, first apply antibiotic ointments in order to suppress the causative agent, and then hormonal.
- To remove the itching prescribed antihistamines, suppress allergic reaction.
- In addition, the course of therapy may include sedatives - tincture of valerian, tranquilizers.
- At home, also use salicylic ointment, Wilkinson ointment, boric. These drugs relieve inflammation, swelling and have an antiseptic effect.
In the treatment of eczema, diet is an indispensable element of therapy. From daily ration it is necessary to exclude:
- spirits,
- canned food,
- smoked meat,
- sharp and salty dishes,
- and, most importantly, easily assimilated carbohydrates: sugar, pastries, honey, sweets of any kind, chocolate and any products that includesugar.
Eczema is a fairly common skin disease, which can be caused either by external factors - household chemicals, or disorders in the functioning of the body - disruptions in the endocrine system, gastrointestinal disorders. Treatment of the disease is complex and long.
Preparations for the treatment of eczema - topic of the next video: