One of the most common skin diseases in the world is eczema, which is also known as dermatitis. It is a rash-like skin condition characterized by an inflammation of the skin highlighted by itchy, erythematous, vesicular, weeping, and crusting patches.
Eczema is broadly referred to as a range of persistent skin conditions including dryness and recurring skin rashes that are characterized by several symptoms. These symptoms include redness, skin swelling, itching, dryness, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding.
There will also be areas of skin discoloration and are sometimes due to healed injuries. Scratching open a healing lesion may result in scarring and may enlarge the rash.
In the US for example, the skin disease affects from 9% to 30% of Americans and in other parts of the world, the affliction of the disease is approximately the same, with instances where it can go as high as more than one-third of the population.
Eczema occurs equally in both males and females, but people who are living in dry climates and the cities appear to be more likely to develop the skin disease, details Medical News Today.
Just like acne, eczema is related to conditions that adversely affect the skin’s barrier function and it is often caused by genetic factors, nutrient deficiencies, bacterial infection, and dry and irritated skin.
While the specific cause of eczema remains unknown, it is believed to develop due to a combination of hereditary and environmental factors. Children are more likely to develop eczema if a parent has had it or another atopic disease if both parents have an atopic disease.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) said that approximately half of children who develop atopic dermatitis go on to develop another of the existing atopic diseases.
Preventing eczema on babies
In order to arrest eczema right from its onset among infants, especially those whose parents or at least one parent is suffering or has suffered from the skin disease, a recent review and meta-analysis showed that intake of probiotic supplements during pregnancy or early infancy can actually prevent babies from getting eczema, states the National Eczema Association website.
The review and meta-analysis were published online on July 21 in Allergy. The review and meta-analysis were conducted by Gianvincenzo Zuccoti, M.D. from the University of Milan, to examine the effect of probiotic supplementation during pregnancy and early infancy in preventing atopic diseases.
The study showed that the risk ratio was lower for eczema for infants who were treated with probiotics compared to those whose skin disease are just being controlled.
According to researchers, the results of the meta-analysis show that probiotic supplementation prevents infantile eczema, thus suggesting a new potential indication for probiotic use in pregnancy and infancy.
The onset of eczema
Eczema or atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition that begins during infancy and continues through into childhood. While some people outgrow the condition, some others will continue to have it into adulthood.
The word atopic refers to a collection of immune-mediated diseases, including atopic dermatitis, asthma and hay fever, to which a person can inherit a predisposition.
In some countries, dermatitis and eczema are synonyms while, in others, dermatitis implies an acute condition while eczema is a chronic one.
The causes of dermatitis have yet to be clearly identified, but one possibility is the dysfunctional interplay between the immune system and the skin.
Stress and other emotional factors do not cause eczema or atopic dermatitis, but it can make the condition worse. There are also certain foods such as nuts and dairy which can trigger the symptoms.
It’s very interesting probiotics can potentially help not only eczema but a number of other skin ailments. Probiotics are important for one’s intenstinal flora.