Eczema is the name of a group of inflammatory skin conditions that can cause itching, dryness, rashes, scaly patches, blisters, and infection. It has no cure and isn’t contagious. If you scratch, your skin can get inflamed. This increases swelling and itching. The most common type of eczema is atopic dermatitis.
Symptoms of atopic dermatitis can improve or worsen over time. In fact, symptoms can go away for a long time and come back if you touch something you’re allergic to or if a product irritates your skin.
About 30 million people in the United States have some form of eczema. An estimated 16.5 million of those people have atopic dermatitis, and 2 out of every 5 people (nearly 40%) have moderate or severe symptoms.
The Effect of Atopic Dermatitis on Hispanic People
In the United States, atopic dermatitis is more common in White children than it is in Hispanic children. Yet the condition tends to be more severe in Hispanic children than in White children. Atopic dermatitis also affects children psychologically. Children with atopic dermatitis or other forms of eczema have a higher risk of also having anxiety and depression.
Experts don’t know exactly what causes atopic dermatitis and other types of eczema but think genetic and environmental factors play a part. In fact, people who live in urban areas or are exposed to certain environmental allergens, such as dust or mold, tend to have a higher risk of developing atopic dermatitis.
In a clinical trial, researchers wanted to understand how common atopic dermatitis is in Mexican children compared with children from other countries. They found only 6% of U.S. patients with eczema symptoms were diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. According to the researchers, their findings suggest a lack of diagnosis and treatment among U.S. children who come from low-income families and possibly have limited access to health specialists.
We need more clinical trials to help explain why atopic dermatitis is so severe in Hispanic children living in the United States.
Atopic Dermatitis and Your Genes
Research studies have found that a possible cause of atopic dermatitis might be a hereditary mutation (or change) in a single gene, such as the CARD11 gene. You are more likely to get a condition if gene changes from a mutation pass from parent to child. This is called genetic susceptibility. You might inherit the condition if one of your parents has atopic dermatitis.
Atopic Dermatitis on Darker Skin
Atopic dermatitis can affect anyone regardless of race, ethnicity, or skin color. Yet much of what doctors know about this condition is based on how symptoms look on white skin. The rash on white skin looks bright red. But the rash on dark skin looks gray, reddish brown, or purple. People with darker skin can also get small bumps that are very itchy.
It’s essential for researchers to include people with dark skin in clinical trials on atopic dermatitis.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Talk to your doctor if you have irritated or itchy skin that isn’t getting better. You can ask your doctor to recommend a dermatologist. A physical exam can confirm whether you have atopic dermatitis (or another type of eczema) and rule out a different kind of skin condition with similar symptoms. You might have an allergy test (such as the patch test), a blood test, or a biopsy of the affected skin.
If you have atopic dermatitis, it’s important to moisturize your skin every day. If symptoms still don’t go away, talk to your doctor. Remember, the symptoms of atopic dermatitis vary from person to person. You might need to try several treatments or a combination of them to see what works. Even then, symptoms might return.
Your doctor might prescribe medicated creams to control itching and help repair your skin. You only get antibiotics if you have an infection. Your doctor might prescribe something stronger for more severe cases or if topical medicines don’t work at all. Abrocitinib (Cibinqo) and upadacitinib (Rinvoq) are pills, and dupilumab (Dupixent) and tralokinumab-ldrm are injections applied just under the skin. These medicines help lower inflammation and relieve the rest of the symptoms.
Your doctor might recommend light therapy if topical treatments don’t work for you or if you have a flare-up very soon after treatment. There are several ways to get light therapy. The easiest way is to expose the affected skin to controlled amounts of natural sunlight. Doctors can also use artificial ultraviolet A and narrow-band ultraviolet B light. Long-term use of light therapy might age the skin prematurely or cause changes in its color. It also increases the risk of skin cancer.
It’s best to avoid other triggers that cause flare-ups, such as eating certain foods like chili peppers or anything spicy.
Certain natural or home remedies, such as coconut or sunflower oil, may help with atopic dermatitis. However, talking to your doctor before trying any of these natural remedies is important.
Show Sources
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SOURCES:
News release, Penn Medicine.
Mayo Clinic: “Atopic dermatitis (eczema).”
MedlinePlus: “Atopic dermatitis,” “Eczema.”
National Eczema Association: “Eczema Stats,” “Eczema in Skin of Color: What You Need to Know,” “The Science of Eczema on Brown and Black Skin,” “What is Eczema?”
The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists: MotherToBaby Fact Sheets: “Atopic Dermatitis.”
World Allergy Organization Journal: “Have the prevalence of eczema symptoms increased in the Mexican pediatric population? Prevalence and associated factors according to Global Asthma Network Phase I.”
