Is it still extreme dryness of the skin or already neurodermatitis? We explain the symptoms of atopic dermatitis and tell you what can help.
Around 15 percent of children and two to four percent of adults in Germany suffer from neurodermatitis. This is a chronic or chronically recurring skin disease (also known medically as atopic eczema or atopic dermatitis),
Neurodermatitis symptoms: How to recognize the skin disease
Neurodermatitis symptoms are manifold. They differ depending on the age of the person affected and also vary from person to person. Sometimes they only appear on certain areas of the skin, sometimes large areas of skin are affected. In addition, the symptoms of neurodermatitis occur in phases, i.e. phases with extreme skin changes such as redness or itching are followed by periods without signs of the disease.
The following symptoms are recurring:
Dry skin: the skin on the face and body is rough, scaly, and taut. Here we have care tips for flaky skin.
Inflammation: A leading symptom of atopic dermatitis is inflammatory eczema.
Itchy skin: Eczema is accompanied by excruciating itching that makes sufferers sleep poorly at night and reduces their ability to concentrate during the day.
Redness: Especially the face shows reddened skin areas in neurodermatitis.
Other symptoms of atopic dermatitis are skin thickening and coarsening (so-called lichenification), which occur in the area of the wrists, the crooks of the arms, and the backs of the knees, as well as nodules, pustules, or weeping blisters.
Other atopy characteristics
In addition to the typical atopic dermatitis symptoms, there are other features to the clinical picture that are common in sufferers. These include:
dry skin
- increased line markings on the inner surfaces of the hands
- double eyelid wrinkle under the eyes (the so-called "Dennie-Morgan wrinkle")
- dark skin around the eyes, eye rims (periorbital shadowing)
- thinning of the lateral eyebrows (Hertoghe's sign)
- torn corners of the ears and mouth
- discoloration of the skin on the lateral neck or nape of the neck ("dirty neck")
Treating neurodermatitis symptoms
Atopic dermatitis cannot be cured, but with the right treatment, atopic dermatitis symptoms can be relieved. However, there is no single therapeutic solution because atopic dermatitis is a complex disease with many individual manifestations.
The therapy consists of a variety of components:
- Basic therapy using lipid-replenishing and moisturizing care products, for example, ointments containing fat or special lotions with urea, glycerin, ceramides, and D-panthenol (reduces redness and relieves itching in neurodermatitis).
- It is important to choose a cream that is free of preservatives, fragrances, dyes, emulsifiers, and kerosene oil.
- Avoid triggers such as stress, woolen clothing, and dry air.
- Medication against inflammation and itching
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