The use of ointment for atopic dermatitis plays an important role in the treatment of the disease. Currently, a huge variety of different medicines are used in children's practice. The requirements for such drugs are quite high. These funds should have a pronounced clinical effect, as well as practically not cause adverse side effects in babies.
Mechanism of action
The active substances that make up modern ointments have pronounced anti-inflammatory properties. They are able to stop inflammation resulting from exposure to a provoking factor that causes atopic dermatitis.
The oily texture of the ointment allows its active components to easily penetrate into all layers of the skin and provide a pronounced therapeutic effect. Most often, such dosage forms are recommended to be applied to dry damaged areas.
Keep the ointment on the skin until maximum absorption. For dry and inflamed skin, the exposure time is usually 30 minutes to an hour.
Ointments, which contain hormones, are used to treat more severe forms of atopic dermatitis or with a long course of the disease. Included in the drug, glucocorticosteroids are able to suppress the synthesis of inflammatory reactions in the body and promote rapid healing. With local administration of drugs, there are practically no adverse systemic effects.
Kinds
All ointments can be divided into several groups, depending on the composition and the effect.
According to the composition of the ointment there are:
Hormonal. They include predominantly horticosteroid hormones. They are used in babies with a severe course of the disease. With long-term administration, they can cause some side effects, mainly local action. In young patients who often use hormonal ointments, there are areas with thinning of the skin. In such cases, to eliminate these manifestations, the use of ointments is stopped for a while to completely disappear the adverse effects.
Non-hormonal... They include zinc, panthenol, as well as selective immunomodulators that can improve local immunity. Such drugs are most effective for use in the initial stages of the disease and with an exacerbation that proceeds in a rather mild form.
By the mechanism of action:
Drugs that reduce itching. They mainly contain antihistamines. They are used in the treatment of diffuse forms of atopic dermatitis, which occurs with severe debilitating itching. According to many mothers, the use of such drugs helps to cope with the elimination of itchy skin rashes in babies.
Anti-inflammatory drugs. Most often, babies are prescribed such ointments as "Eplan", "Protopic" and many others. The use of such products can reduce inflammation and quickly repair damaged skin. The appointment of anti-inflammatory ointments is usually prescribed for the entire acute period of the disease. More often, a course of 10-14 days is used. The ointment is applied, as a rule, 2-3 times a day until completely absorbed.
Antibacterial. They contain various antibiotics. These funds are designed to fight the secondary bacterial infection that has joined. Clotrimazole-based medicines also eliminate pathogenic fungi. The use of combination drugs such as Advantan helps to simultaneously treat a bacterial infection on the skin and eliminate the adverse symptoms of an allergic reaction.
What to use
The choice of a therapeutic ointment to eliminate the manifestations of atopic dermatitis is not an easy task. For babies of different ages, it is better to use age-appropriate medicines. To agree on treatment tactics, you should definitely show your baby to an allergist. Indeed, for each drug there are certain clinical contraindications for use.
Most often in children's practice, such ointments are used to treat atopic dermatitis.
Zinc
One of the most effective remedies in the treatment of atopic skin diseases. The use of the ointment allows you to eliminate the adverse symptoms of inflammation in a fairly short time. Zinc has a drying effect. This medicine should be used on all wet wounds. Also, the active active ingredient of the ointment has good antiseptic properties and helps protect open wound surfaces from the penetration of bacterial infection.
Hydrocortisone
It is actively used in the treatment of various forms of the disease. Hydrocortisone can be used for atopic dermatitis of the ear. In this case, itchy red spots appear around the ear area. Increased itching occurs after washing or getting an infection. The ointment is perfectly distributed on the skin.
The acting hormonal components affect the tissue forms of leukocytes, suppressing inflammation in all layers of the skin. This leads to the normalization of the condition and the elimination of the adverse symptoms of the disease. With prolonged use, like any other hormonal ointment, the agent can cause adverse systemic effects.
Radevit
This ointment has a combined effect. It not only copes with inflammation, but also has a pronounced moisturizing effect. The active components of the drug contribute to rapid epithelialization and skin healing. Retinol palmitate, which is part of the composition, allows you to restore damaged skin layers in a natural way and in a fairly short time.
Apply the ointment twice a day. After applying the drug, you need to wait until it is completely absorbed. It is not recommended to rub the medicine into the skin. Usually the drug is well tolerated and does not cause side effects. Children who are hypersensitive to vitamins A and D may experience an itchy rash or increased redness. In this case, the use of the ointment should be discontinued.
Flucinar
Copes with the elimination of itching on the affected skin areas. It also relieves inflammation well and helps to cleanse the skin from allergic rashes. Thanks to the acetonide, which is part of the fluocinolone preparation, the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are formed during the development of an allergic reaction, decreases. Reducing the concentration of these substances reduces itching and eliminates swelling of the affected skin.
It is prescribed 1-2 times a day. Usually, the duration of therapy is 10-14 days. Long-term administration of the drug is not recommended. With long-term use of the drug, side effects may appear that occur after the use of hormonal drugs. It can only be used in babies over two years old. The appointment of the drug is carried out by the attending physician.
Eplan
This medicine has a pronounced antiseptic properties, and also effectively cope with the healing of damaged skin areas. The use of this tool allows you to fight various microbes and prevents the development of a secondary bacterial infection.
The ointment can be used for babies from the first months after birth. The drug is well tolerated and practically does not cause adverse side effects. The tool can be used for a sufficiently long period of time, since it is practically not capable of causing addiction.
The use of ointments in the treatment of atopic dermatitis allows you to cope with the adverse symptoms of the disease in a fairly short time. The choice of the drug remains with the attending physician.
It should be remembered that all drugs can cause side effects and have contraindications for use.
When prescribing a medicinal ointment, it is imperative to take into account the age and individual characteristics of the baby. This will allow you to select a good and effective drug for the local treatment of atopic dermatitis.
One of the useful and interesting issues on children's atopic dermatitis can be viewed in the next issue.
In more detail, the topic of atopic dermatitis in children will be revealed by Dr. Komarovsky in the next video.
