Normally our skin has the ability to maintain moisture, however, when Atrophic Dermatitis occurs the skin’s behavior is disrupted and results in very dry, inflamed skin

Atrophic dermatitis is actually a common form of eczema. It is rather severe and is usually chronic in nature. Atrophic dermatitis usually occurs in skin folds and creases, like the insides of elbows, the backs of knees and hands and many different parts of the face and head. Due to constant scratching and contact with clothes, the sores often weep or may crust and become painful skin lesions.

Atrophic Dermatitis is more common during early childhood up to early adulthood but there are cases of older adults having this skin condition. Adults that do retain Atrophic dermatitis do not usually manifest the inflamed skin and flakes but only suffer extremely dry, sensitive skin which can be easily irritated.

What Triggers Atrophic Dermatitis

There are three trigger classifications of atrophic dermatitis that are very common. These are:

1. Allergens: Allergens are either ingested in the form of food, beverages or medications. Other types of allergens in the environment are animal dander and pollen. Medication that may cause an allergic reaction in an individual include but are not limited to antibiotics, anesthetics, sleeping pills, aspirin, laxatives, anti-depressants and many more

2. Irritants and : Irritants of atrophic dermatitis are smoke, fumes, solvents, chemicals, soaps and detergents, alcohol based products and many others. Dust can also make the rash worse and so can stress and climate changes.

3. Infections: Infections of bacterial, fungal or viral, can cause flare ups although not as common as the other triggers

Treating Atrophic Dermatitis

Owing to the nature of this condition the only way to treat atrophic dermatitis is to prevent scratching since this can lead to further skin complications and result in infections and, veryh rarely, life threatening conditions. The idea is to keep the individual’s skin moist. This can be efficiently done by applying prescribed ointments and lotions several times a day even if there are no flare ups. Naturally, vigilance is needed in monitoring the environment of the person who suffers from atrophic dermatitis.

As contact with clothing and bed linen can also cause irritation to the patient Allclothes and beddings need to be washed with special detergents that are hypo allergenic to prevent flare ups. The same applies for the soaps and shampoos that the patient uses it is important that they contain little or no allergens to avoid allergic reactions. Bath water must not be too hot as this can dry skin and provoke flare ups.

What else can be done? It is highly recommended that the patient embark on a dietary change, avoiding all processed, fatty foods and concentrate on eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables as this will provide the body with all the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and elements for good health, ridding the body of any toxic build up.

Unfortunately, we can only hope to control and manage atrophic dermatitis. Scientists continue to work on a cure or means of prevention but no conclusive results have been made yet..

Tags: atrophic dermatitis, dermatitis

The consumption of alcoholic beverages dates back to the beginning of time. Unfortunately some of us are affected by the excessive consumption of alcohol in a very negative way. Hence the problem of alcohol abuse which has disrupted lives, societies and civilizations over the generations..

In today’s society consuming alcohol has become the norm and when consumed in moderation, it can be a relaxing tonic. Many people come home from a hard day of work and unwind with a drink. How do you know, though, when that relaxing drink has taken over your life? How do you know when you become dependent on it? Alcohol abuse in today’s society is becoming a serious problem. In the past people used to believe that alcohol abuse was a characteristic of a weak person, but now it is known that it is really a serious disease that has a chance of affecting us all.

Statistics on Alcohol Abuse

A surprising statistic is that 1 in 13 adults is affected by alcohol abuse. The online health guide, WebMD reported that in the United States alone, 12 to 14 million adults suffer from alcohol abuse and each year, around 100,000 adults will die from alcohol abuse. It has also been proven that alcohol abuse is a large factor in contributing to the country’s car accidents, suicides and homicides. Alcohol also affects many other things in daily life, including increased rates of job absenteeism, and increased reports of domestic violence and child abuse.

What are the Signs of Alcohol Abuse?

Occasional drinks at home or with friends does not mean that you have a problem with alcohol. As a guideline:

– in women, a key indication that there is a degree ofalcohol abuse is if you consume more than seven drinks a week and more than three in a social gathering.

– In men, the rate of consumption would have to equal more than 14 drinks per week or anexcess of four drinks while with friends.

Other signs include:

– alcohol cravings,

– a loss of control when drinking, which leads to the person unable to stop drinking. –

-Tolerances built up to alcohol can be another sign of alcohol abuse,

– physical dependence on alcohol, such as nausea, sweating and headaches if no alcohol is consumed.

Scientists are discovering that many other factors are involved with drinking, such as family history of drinking, family genetics toward drinking, stress levels, and social and environmental factors.

Alcohol abuse is a very serious disease that is escalating all over the western world. It is a treatable disease, but is difficult to cure and it can affect anyone. Many factors make people more susceptible to it than others. Whilst many people drink and enjoy themselves in moderation, it is important that we all hear the message and keep our consumption to recognized tolerable levels.

Unfortunately modern society has raised the spectre of alcohol consumption to levels of absurdity as the fashion of Binge Drinking has become the norm amongst many of the young. This bad influence can only lead to more and more of us suffering from alcohol abuse.

Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, treatment for alcohol abuse