In children's practice, there are a large variety of skin diseases. Neurodermatitis is one of the most severe pathologies requiring compulsory treatment.
What is it?
Pathological reactions from the skin to a variety of provoking factors are called neurodermatitis. The development of the disease is directly related to disorders in the immune system. Quite often, neurodermatitis is combined with other pathologies: bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis and allergic eczema.
In childhood, diffuse or widespread forms of the disease are most characteristic. Usually, the disease in babies is chronic. Periods of relative well-being can be replaced by exacerbations, during which the child's well-being is severely disturbed and uncomfortable symptoms of the disease appear. The first manifestations of the disease can occur even in infants. Doctors note that the clinical signs of neurodermatitis appear in babies from two months after birth.
According to statistics, neurodermatitis accounts for about 45% of all dermatological diseases occurring in children. Scientists note that the incidence of such inflammatory skin diseases is growing every year.
Babies living in large and especially industrial cities suffer from neurodermatitis more often than their rural peers. During neurodermatitis, not only the skin is affected. The child also has a malfunction of the immune system and many internal organs.
Causes
Various factors can lead to the development of the disease. Some scientists believe that the disease begins to form already in the period of intrauterine development. It is at this time that the laying of all vital organs, including the immune system, occurs.
Any impact on the future fetus during the mother's pregnancy leads to the fact that in the future, the baby may develop neurodermatitis.
The main reasons for the appearance of a disease in a child include:
- Psychosomatics. The disturbed work of the nervous system contributes to the appearance on the baby's skin of various rashes characteristic of this disease. This leaves a significant imprint on the child's behavior. He becomes more nervous, withdrawn. Often, children with neurodermatitis do not make contact even with close people.
- Genetic predisposition... In families with cases of neurodermatitis, the incidence is several times higher. Also, if one of the parents has allergic pathologies, then the risk of neurodermatitis in the baby increases several times.
- Exposure to allergenic factors... These include: pollen of various plants and grasses, animal fluff and hair, household mites, some foodstuffs, synthetic materials, chemical aerosols, medicines and others. Individual hypersensitivity to a particular allergen is also important for the development of the disease. Getting into the child's body, the allergenic component causes a strong allergic reaction, which provokes the appearance of specific skin rashes on the skin.
- Prolonged or excessive psycho-emotional stress. In childhood, the child's psyche is still quite labile. The baby's nervous system is completely different from that of adults and does not function in full mode. A strong psycho-emotional shock contributes to the appearance of adverse manifestations of neurodermatitis in a child.
- Chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Especially often various pathologies lead to the development of neurodermatitis, accompanied by impaired absorption and assimilation of nutrients and vitamins. Insufficient intake of vital components leads to the fact that the functioning of the immune and nervous systems decreases. Such exhaustion contributes to the further development of signs of neurodermatitis in the baby.
- Various infestations of parasites. In pediatric practice, this is facilitated by various helminthic diseases. In the course of their life, helminths release a large amount of toxic substances. They have a negative effect on the entire child's body, gradually poisoning it. Prolonged helminthic invasion contributes to a decrease in the child's immunity and can lead to the appearance of signs of neurodermatitis in him.
- Consequences of frequent infectious diseases. Babies who often suffer from bacterial and viral infections, according to statistics, have a greater risk of developing neurodermatitis. This is due to the fact that during any infectious pathology, immunity is significantly reduced. A long and severe course of infection can lead to the fact that a child, especially one with a tendency to various allergic reactions, develops neurodermatitis.
Clinical options
Taking into account the predominant localization, scientists distinguish several types of neurodermatitis in children. Each of these forms requires appropriate treatment. The severity of symptoms depends on various conditions, including the age of the child and the characteristics of his physical development.
Doctors identify several clinical variants of the disease:
- Limited or local... In this case, pathological rashes are mainly localized in one, less often two adjacent anatomical zones. They can occur almost everywhere: on the arms, face, neck, back, arms and legs.
- Diffuse... This option is characterized by the appearance of skin rashes on different parts of the child's body.
- Linear... It is characterized by the presence of specific skin changes mainly on the arms or legs of a small patient.
- Follicular. Skin rashes occur more in the scalp area, in areas of hair growth.
- Hypertrophic... Pathological skin rashes mainly cover the entire groin area.
- Psoriasiform... Skin rashes affect the skin of the face and scalp.
Symptoms
You can suspect a disease at home on your own. Against the background of the previous complete well-being, the child develops numerous adverse skin symptoms. These clinical signs can be expressed in different ways. Usually in young children, they are even less pronounced than in adolescents. According to statistics, a severe course of the disease occurs at the age of 12-14 years.
The following symptoms are characteristic of neurodermatitis:
- The appearance of red spots. They can be of different diameters and shapes. Often the contour of such skin rashes is uneven. They differ markedly in color from healthy skin. In some cases, instead of spots on the skin, numerous bubbles appear with a serous fluid inside.
- Severe itching. Perhaps this is the main and most pronounced symptom of the disease. Itching with neurodermatitis is simply unbearable. This brings pronounced discomfort to the baby and significantly disrupts his health. A sick child constantly scratches the itchy skin, which contributes to the fact that a secondary infection gets into the wounds and suppuration begins.
- Deterioration of health. Severe itching significantly disrupts the child's behavior. Kids eat less, their sleep is disturbed. The usual favorite activities do not cause the child's former delight and do not bring him satisfaction. In some cases, the baby's well-being worsens the appearance of a headache and an increase in body temperature.
- Severe dryness and flaking of the skin. This symptom is more pronounced on the inflamed areas of the skin. When viewed on the skin, various longitudinal and transverse grooves and lines can be found. Severe flaking on the scalp leads to severe dandruff.
Diagnostics
When detecting the first signs of the disease, be sure to show the child to the doctor. In some cases, neurodermatitis occurs under the guise of other dermatological diseases. To establish the correct diagnosis, additional diagnostics should be carried out.
Neurodermatitis is a pathology of exclusion. To establish such a diagnosis, the doctor must exclude all other skin inflammatory diseases in the baby, with the development of which similar clinical symptoms arise.
Treatment
Neurodermatitis should be treated as soon as adverse symptoms appear. Therapy for this pathology includes the appointment of various groups of drugs. The choice of treatment tactics remains with the attending physician. In some cases, when neurodermatitis has developed as a result of chronic diseases of the internal organs, the main cause must first be eliminated. In this case, timely therapy of exacerbations of the child's pathologies will lead to the fact that all unfavorable manifestations on the skin will disappear on their own.
For the treatment of neurodermatitis are used:
- Hypoallergenic diet. Such medical nutrition completely excludes any products with high allergenic properties. The children's menu is completely excluded: chocolate, seafood, citrus fruits, bee products, tropical fruits and berries.
The diet should be followed throughout life. This will help prevent possible relapses in the future.
- Medication therapy. Various antihistamines are used to eliminate severe itching. The dosage, frequency and duration of use are selected by the attending physician. Suprastin, Claritin, Loratadin and other remedies can help relieve itching on the skin and make your baby feel better. Usually, these drugs are prescribed in the acute period of the disease to eliminate symptoms, and can also be taken to prevent future seasonal exacerbations.
- Adjunctive therapy and products containing biologically active components. Helps to eliminate adverse symptoms and improve the condition of the child. Various biologically active substances, which are a part of "Tyansha" preparations, have a pronounced effect.
- Daily regime. For babies with neurodermatitis, regular rest and quality sleep are very important. For the nervous system to function properly, a night's sleep of at least 8-9 hours is required. Younger babies should sleep a little more. Daytime sleep must also be present in the daily routine of a child suffering from neurodermatitis.
Prevention
You can reduce the risk of neurodermatitis by properly organizing the daily regimen. A balanced diet, containing all the nutrients and vitamins necessary for the growth and development of the baby, is necessary for the normal functioning of the child's body. Strengthening the immune system plays an important role in the prevention of neurodermatitis. Active physical activity, daily walks in the fresh air, limiting stress will help the immune system to work effectively and harmoniously.
Strong immunity and excellent functioning of the nervous system significantly reduce the possibility of adverse symptoms of neurodermatitis at any age
For more information on the treatment and prevention of neurodermatitis in children, see the following video.
