Image: Shutterstock/ TY lim
One of the most irritating parts of living with fibromyalgia has to be the way it seems to lead to skin conditions. That’s right, on top of all the other terrible symptoms like chronic fatigue, pain, and mental cloudiness, fibromyalgia often seems to lead to chronic skin conditions. And one of the most common skin conditions that people with fibromyalgia seem to suffer from is something called atopic dermatitis.
Atopic dermatitis is a condition you’ve probably heard of before, only under a different name: eczema. But eczema is not a single disease. Instead, it’s actually a number of different conditions that cause similar symptoms for the skin. But atopic dermatitis is one of the most common kinds. So, what is it exactly? What are the symptoms? And what can you do to treat it?
What Is Atopic Dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic condition that usually begins in childhood. This condition is actually very common and lots of people all over the world are affected. And there are a number of different reasons that someone would develop the condition.
The root of the condition is an inflammation response in the skin. The skin cells begin to multiply rapidly and swell, which leads to the scaly plaques of inflamed skin cells that are the hallmark of the condition. These skin conditions can be difficult to manage and make you insecure about the way they look.
You see, eczema is something called an autoimmune condition. Essentially, an autoimmune condition is one where the body’s immune system begins to attack the body’s own tissue. In most cases, your white blood cells produce something called antibodies. These antibodies attack and destroy foreign bacteria and viruses. But when you have an autoimmune condition, these antibodies instead begin to destroy healthy tissue, triggering the inflammation response that causes eczema.
We know that allergic reactions sometimes play a role in triggering these outbreaks. Some people are hypersensitive to allergens and their skin triggers an inflammatory immune response when exposed to them. In addition, there seems to be a genetic component to determining who is likely to suffer from the condition. People who have family members with dermatitis are more likely to develop it themselves.
What Are The Symptoms?
The most obvious symptom of eczema is the formation of patches of rough skin. These patches are often red and scaly or rough to the touch. In addition, these patches may itch and ooze clear fluid, especially when scratched.
These patches usually appear on the face, neck, arms, or legs, but can really occur anywhere on the body.
The symptoms of eczema aren’t as severe as other autoimmune skin conditions like psoriasis, but they can hard to live with. And the patches of skin irritation can even leave lasting scars. So, if you’re suffering from eczema, you probably want to know how to treat it.
How Can You Treat It?
The most important part of treating eczema is treating the symptoms. The chronic itching often leads to intense scratching, which can break the skin and lead to dangerous infections. The best thing to do is to keep your skin moist and healthy.
Eczema dries out the skin, which makes the itching worse, so using a good moisturizer is a good way to reduce the itching and protect the skin.
In addition, doctors often prescribe a number of antihistamines to help relieve itching. Basic, over-the-counter products like Benadryl are often effective in relieving the itching caused by mild eczema. And basic first aid practices, like using a cold compress on the itchy skin can help.
Finally, there are a number of different medications you can use to help fight the inflammation that causes skin irritation. The first is topical corticosteroids like hydrocortisone. These are creams you can rub on your skin that will help your body fight inflammation. Corticosteroids are a hormone that your body naturally produces to stop inflammation. And these synthetic corticosteroid creams can help your body fight off inflammation more effectively.
There’s also immunomodulator creams. These are a class of drugs that help to change the way your immune system behaves. Because eczema is caused by the body’s immune response attacking the skin and leading to inflammation, these creams can help reduce the immune response and thus help to treat eczema symptoms.
So, do you have eczema? Do you think it could be related to fibromyalgia? What do you do to treat it? Do you have any tips you want to share? Let us know in the comments.
Comments