It was so cold, I hugged my child from Ha Tinh to Hanoi for treatment
On the morning of January 26, when Hanoi was still bitterly cold, Mr. Thang Doan (42 years old) took his wife and children from the bus station to the Central Dermatology Hospital for examination.
The patient had dry patches of skin and a very uncomfortable itchy rash all over his body (Photo: TA).
“It can’t be delayed. I’ve been having it for the past few days. I’ve been itching and crying a lot. It’s cold and I can’t dress my baby. I can only heat it with coal but I’m still itchy and uncomfortable… so even though it’s cold, I still have to force it.” I have to take my child to the doctor.
The child kept rubbing his face on his mother’s shoulder because it was itchy (Photo: TA).
Another patient, over a year old, while waiting for examination, he continuously rubbed his cheeks and face against his mother’s shoulder because it was itchy.
The 2-year-old baby was diagnosed with acute atopic dermatitis. Treatment can be outpatient, but the treatment time is very long and requires patience.
At the scientific conference in dermatology on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the establishment of the Central Dermatology Hospital, taking place on the morning of January 26, Associate Professor Dr. Le Huu Doanh, Director of the Hospital, said that atopic dermatitis is increasing. up during the cold season.
“Although the total number of patients coming for examination decreased due to cold weather, atopic dermatitis, cold-related allergies, and autoimmune diseases increased, especially atopic dermatitis,” Associate Professor Doanh informed.
Associate Professor Doanh said that atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory disease, directly related to environmental changes and water loss through the skin.
“Normally the skin has a protective layer, which helps prevent water in the skin from evaporating and protects the skin from external pathogens.
In people with atopic dermatitis, the protective membrane is damaged, the skin becomes dry, dehydrated, outside bacteria penetrate and cause red rashes and itchy blisters to appear on the skin. During the dry season, the lower the humidity, the higher the possibility of water loss through the skin, and atopic dermatitis patients often increase,” Associate Professor Doanh said.
Moisturizing the skin is a treatment indication and should absolutely not be ignored
According to Associate Professor Doanh, atopic dermatitis in children as well as adults requires long-term treatment and very careful skin care.
The hospital has received many patients admitted for acute atopic dermatitis because after stable treatment, they immediately stopped moisturizing their skin.
Like the case of an 8-month-old baby boy who came to the hospital with his entire head area peeling and cracking. Many areas of the patient’s skin were severely damaged, with red patches, dry skin and widespread on the limbs and body with thick scales, crusts, and cracked skin on the head.
The patient’s mother said that since the age of 1 month, the baby has had red spots, papules, and blisters on both cheeks. Moist, the damage is better.
However, when the child is discharged from the hospital, he or she is not regularly moisturized, and the damage gradually gets worse. After stable treatment, the family bathed the child with many different types of leaves but did not maintain skin moisture.
In particular, Associate Professor Doanh recommends that many people with atopic dermatitis arbitrarily use topical medications containing corticosteroids, which is very dangerous because in addition to directly affecting the skin, prolonged application and ingestion of corticosteroids is incorrect. intended to cause adrenal insufficiency causing Cushing’s syndrome, completely dependent on the drug.
Up to 60% of children with atopic dermatitis develop the disease in the first year of life, 30% in the first 5 years and only 10% develop the disease after 5 years of age. Normally, 90% of the disease is stable after 2 years of age, 10% turns into atopic dermatitis in older children.
When diagnosed with atopic dermatitis or seborrheic dermatitis, topical drug treatment and skin care are very important. Absolutely do not use folk methods such as bathing in leaves or applying tobacco to children.
Associate Professor Doanh recommends that atopic dermatitis needs long-term treatment and control, absolutely do not be impatient to self-apply or self-medicate. Besides, special attention should be paid to air humidity and skin moisturization. Patients with atopic dermatitis need to keep their skin moisturized regardless of winter or summer. Even when their skin is in a stable condition, they need to keep it moisturized to reduce the risk of acute inflammation.