There must be no one in life living without itching. Itchy plays a similar role to pain, and if pain is a signal for physical and chemical harmful stimuli, it can be thought that itching sends an abnormal signal to my body similar to pain due to the current skin or any other cause. Let's find out how to manage typical diseases that cause itching during the change of seasons.
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A typical disease that comes to mind when you think of itching is atopy. Atopy is a disease that occurs due to immune disorders, and causes it include heredity, allergy-inducing environment, autonomic nervous system, decreased immune function, and endocrine system abnormalities. Since about 1 million atopic patients are treated annually, it is clear that atopic dermatitis is also a disease that the medical community should solve as soon as possible. According to a survey, atopy persists in about 40% of adults, but itching affects learning, work, sleep, and interpersonal relationships. In severe cases, it can cause mental illness such as depression, so it is also recognized as a social problem.
The usual management of atopic dermatitis can be summarized as 'ABCDE'. Avoid stimulating food such as A (Avoid) allergens and flour or clothing such as fur clothes, moisturize enough immediately after B (Barrier) bath, control inflammation with C (Control) drug and non-drug treatment, D (Decrease), and finally acquire knowledge of E (Eucate) patients' education, which can be considered the most important.
Moisturizing is the most important thing in winter. Keep the room temperature not too high as 20 degrees and maintain a humidity of 40-60%. Even when taking a shower, use lukewarm water to prevent irritation to the skin, and use mild products with less irritation as cleaning agents. In the case of moisturizing, it is a principle to apply sufficient moisturizer before drying after washing your face and shower, and adjust the moisture and oil content according to the characteristics of your skin.
In addition to steroids and antihistamines, which are representative drug treatments for atopic dermatitis, immunomodulatory drugs known to have a significant effect on atopic dermatitis are being used or developed. However, it is still more like relieving symptoms through immune control than fundamental treatment. Therefore, patients with intractable atopic dermatitis repeat deterioration and improvement, and about 70% of patients use various folk remedies such as vinegar, salt water, mugwort, and pasture because there is no satisfactory treatment. However, if folk remedies are misused, the acidity and osmotic pressure of the skin are affected, which can damage the stratum corneum, which is the protective layer of the skin, which can lead to more moisture evaporation and skin drying, so be careful.
Atopy caused by malnutrition, environmental toxins, and endocrine abnormalities caused by chronic stress may be easier to access than genetic causes. Nutrients helpful for atopic dermatitis include vitamin C and D, lactobacillus, and omega 3, which help the formation of the stratum corneum and immune function of the skin. Heavy metals are known to affect the immune mechanism of type 2 auxiliary T cells, and if there is an environment in which exposure of lead, mercury, and cadmium is suspected, avoid them.
Contact dermatitis is also a typical skin disease that causes itching. In the case of sensitive skin with allergies, allergic reactions may occur due to clothing made of winter fur. Recently, contact dermatitis caused by various synthetic materials with enhanced thermal insulation functions has also increased, and mask-induced contact dermatitis is also common around COVID-19. First of all, if there are materials or ornaments suspected of contact dermatitis, you should avoid wearing them. After that, you should receive acute treatment for skin lesions and wear clothes or accessories that are not irritating. If contact dermatitis is suspected due to primary contact innerwear, it should be changed to cotton innerwear with less irritation. Cardigans and vests are also recommended to avoid synthetic materials and wear coats with the least contact when the weather is cold. In the case of masks, in addition to dermatitis caused by chemicals, moisture can increase easily due to differences in temperature in winter, and in severe cases, follicular inflammation and contact dermatitis may occur at the same time due to bacterial reproduction. If you have a skin disease, it is important to first receive medical treatment and treatment from a doctor and choose an appropriate mask that is well ventilated in the future. The mask is opened the day before use, so it is less irritating to ventilate and use chemical ingredients in the air.
Choline urticaria is a skin disease that occurs when the body temperature rises, such as exercise, sauna, and eating spicy food. The main symptoms are hives and erythema accompanied by itching and tingling. Cholinergic urticaria is also difficult to cure once it occurs, but it is known that 40% of patients in their teens and 20s develop relatively well at a relatively young age. Choline urticaria becomes more severe in winter because body temperature rises due to excessive heating, wearing winter clothes, and hot food. Acetylcholine secretion due to elevated body temperature is known to stimulate histamine. Therefore, it is important to avoid hot or stimulating food as much as possible and keep the room temperature not too high.
Writer: Yeyoung Jeon
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