HEALTH
Crawling In My Skin
The Lowdown on Atopic Dermatitis
One out of every five
children suffer from THE BRICK AND MORTAR MODELthe
Normal Skin The bricks form the epidermis of
atopic dermatitis and the skin and the cement comprises the lipids, water and
numbers are increasing oils which help to hold the bricks together.
every year. Dr Audrey
Alleviate The
Tan from Thomson Skin Skin with Atopic Dermatitis For children
with atopic dermatitis, the cement
Symptoms!
Specialist Centre shares isn’t very good, so the bricks (i.e., the
•
more about this common cells of the skin) can’t stay together
Moisturise the skin with
skin disease. and the cells of the skin break
dermatologically-approved products
down. When the barrier breaks
down, your skin is more prone to
allergens, which causes your skin
to break down further. It becomes a
vicious cycle.
Lipids
Epidermis
Atopic Dermatitis
•
Use soap- and fragrance-free toiletries,
widely available in your pharmacies
•
Avoid physical activities that
cause excessive sweating
Getting Under the Skin
with Dr Audrey Tan
Why are more children suffering from
atopic dermatitis now as compared to
previous years?
Many doctors postulate that we might
have become too clean. In this hygiene
hypothesis, a lack of early childhood
exposure to infectious agents and
microorganisms suppresses the natural
development of the immune system.
On top of that, the radical changes in today’s
environment that we experience, such as
global warming, might also play a part. The
food that we eat now also contains a lot
more preservatives and chemicals, which
might contribute to the illness.
However, to be honest, there are no
conclusive theories.
What are the most challenging aspects
of treating atopic dermatitis?
Treating infants with atopic dermatitis
can be quite tricky, as there are certain
medicinal restrictions in place that you
have to adhere to. Also, educating the
family about what needs to be done
in the house to prevent the condition
from worsening can be a challenge as
they need to understand the need for a
rather troublesome daily cleaning and
moisturising regime.
What would you tell parents whose kids
are suffering from atopic dermatitis?
Don’t beat yourself up over it! I’ve met
many parents who feel guilty because
they think it’s due to something they’ve
done that has caused their kids to get
this condition.
A Mother Speaks
Atopic Dermatitis 101
“Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common forms of
eczema and 1 in 5 school-going children in Singapore suffer
from it.”
“The condition is endogenous, which means it is caused by
the person’s own immune system.”
“There is a hereditary element to atopic dermatitis. If one
parent has it, the chances of the kid inheriting the disease
is about 50%, and the odds rise to 75% if both Mum and Dad
suffered from atopic dermatitis.”
“The classic physical symptoms of atopic dermatitis are
creases on the skin around the neck, knees and cheeks. A
young infant with the condition might have rashes around the
cheeks that are usually mistaken for milk rashes, when in
actual fact, it might be the start of the ailment.”
“Two of the most common factors that trigger an atopic
dermatitis attack are house dust mites and sudden
temperature changes. It’s important for a parent, whose
child is suffering from this condition, to keep the house as
clean as possible and to advise the kid to avoid extremely
physical activities.”
“Just like asthma, kids can outgrow atopic dermatitis.”
30
Family & Life • Oct 2013
4-year-old Terrence has been suffering from atopic dermatitis
since birth and has grown accustomed to the condition. Family &
Life speaks to his Mum, Sim Sieu Yen, to discover how it was like
for her to take care of him when he was growing up.
It started after three weeks when he started having rashes on his
face, his scalp and his body. My husband and I brought him to a
doctor who shaved off his head and we saw the swathes of angry
red covering his skin. It badly affected Terence’s sleep because
he kept scratching his skin until it bled.
To stop him from injuring himself, we bought Tubifast garments
for him to put on. That’s a full-sleeved body vest that helps in the
treatment of atopic dermatitis.
My husband and I really learned how to handle Terence’s
condition through trial and error, as we tried everything to
help him cope with and overcome the condition. Terence
was like a guinea pig! But, as a result, he’s actually very good
with medication now and is able to swallow pills without any
hesitation. He’s also quite adept at applying the cream on the skin
by himself.
Terence’s motor skills are slightly affected since his hands and
legs were always wrapped up in the Tubifast wrap, but he’s fast
recovering and catching up with his peers. In fact, he’s stopped
wearing Tubifast since the middle of this year and the patches of
rawness are more localised at his feet and kneecaps. We hope
this means he’s slowly outgrowing atopic dermatitis. Building up
his immunity also certainly helped!