A school of atopy. The idea of Carlo Gelmetti, director of pediatric dermatology at the Hospital Foundation in Milan, is now in its fourth edition. School for specialists, but also for those who must live with a disease on the increase. Food in the foreground. Cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, some fruits and vegetables. They are the "enablers" most common in children and adults can cause allergic reactions. The most common manifestation of atopy is the atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema, a very annoying problem in Italy affects over 1 million children from 1 to 18 years and 1-2% of adults. "And 'a genetically determined - remember Gelmetti - often associated with allergies such as asthma and allergic colds. In 60% of cases the onset occurs during the first 2 years, rising to 90% of cases in the first 5 years of life. Then atopic dermatitis tends to regress spontaneously, although in 50% of cases persists after puberty and 10% in adulthood."DIAGNOSIS - The diagnosis is based on a thorough clinical examination to exclude other diseases such as scabies, fungal infections or lymphoma of the skin, while for the treatment today focuses on immunomodulatory drugs for local use (more tolerated than the old cortisone), and rules on phototherapy hygiene, environmental and food. "Atopy is the disease of an organ but rather a defect of the membranes that surround our" border ", as the skin is the boundary between" external "and" internal "and easily comes into contact with a number of allergens, so it is also for the lining of our intestines. The fact that these membranes are called the skin, intestine, conjunctiva, bronchi or whatever, in the past, complicated and artificially fragmented understanding and treatment of a single phenomenon. Today, more clear the basic concepts of atopy, which for too long have fluctuated between a purely primitive view of a subsequent clinical and immunological alone, "continues Gelmetti.
DURING NEONATAL - neonatal phase is particularly critical in the improvement of mechanisms of mucosal defense. The period following birth is characterized by an immature state of the barrier system is exercised by both the mucosal immune system in general. This explains why there are a number of simple rules in the introduction of various foods, based on the child's age, the amount and temporal patterning of food and introduced to the structure and composition of the proteins contained in foods. Food allergens are proteins that can react with IgE antibodies specific class. However, in both children and adults are relatively few foods that cause allergic reactions by using these antibodies. The most common are: cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, soybeans and wheat, in childhood and peanuts, tree nuts, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, fruits and vegetables in adults.
SAVE THE SKIN TIPS - To prevent relapses, here is the skin-saving tips to follow: wash with detergent at pH 5.5; always apply creams and emollients lipidizzanti (specific products, it is necessary for antibacterial action); avoid contact with chemicals sensitizers (detergents, cleaning products, solvents), wear cotton, linen and silk smooth (avoid contact with wool, synthetic fibers and rough); choose sofas and beds without pillows, avoid carpets, overheated rooms, exhibition the cold, sudden temperature changes and too much moisture, does not undergo excessive physical labor, avoid irritating foods such as tomato, Parmesan cheese and citrus. Go ahead then to the holidays at high altitude (dust mites do not survive beyond the 1,500 meters), biofeedback (stress can exacerbate the disease) and sports like swimming, without creating excessive sweating.
