Atopic Dermatitis:Cause and Treatment

Author: Margaret Bell
Atopic dermatitis can be treated by handling the problem carefully.  It can affect other parts of the body besides the eye area.  Let\'s consider that and how eye serum may help.
If you have the condition, you are familiar with the symptoms of redness, bumps, rashes, sensitive skin and severe itching.  When the area around the eyes is affected, swelling of the eyelids and patchy loss of eyebrow hair and eyelashes may occur.

You may not know that the condition can lead to dull or leathery looking lesions on the face, neck and other body parts, if it is not well controlled.  My recommendations for controlling the condition follow the next section, which covers the causes.

• · What are the Causes?

The causes are not well understood.  We do know that allergies and a person\'s diet can aggravate the symptoms.
At least three scientific studies have shown that the use of microwaves and/or cell phones worsens allergic reactions in people with atopic dermatitis (AD), because of the microwave radiation emitted by them.  UV radiation from sunlight does not worsen the symptoms.  Short bursts of exposure may actually be beneficial.
Genetics may be involved.  It is sometimes referred to as an inherited disease.  If a person has AD, their children are more likely to have it.

Some studies suggest that the cause is a ceramide deficiency.  Ceramides are one of the fatty substances that make up the skin\'s barrier.  A deficiency in ceramide production would reduce the effectiveness of the barrier and make the skin more sensitive to all types of irritants.
The lack of ceramide production could be caused by genetics or a lack of essential nutrients in the diet.  The body can only produce ceramides if the necessary nutrients are present in the diet.
Many people who suffer from the condition also suffer from asthma and rhinitis.  It is sometimes said that the connection between the three conditions has not been established, but excessive inflammation is something they all have in common.

• · How to Control Atopic Dermatitis

8 steps are necessary to control the condition.
You should:

• · Avoid allergens, irritants and toxins
• · Evaluate your diet
• · Avoid using cell phones and microwaves in the home
• · Take a good multi-nutritional supplement and a good omega-3 fish oil supplement
• · Spend 5 minutes a day in the sun
• · Use soaps and cleansers only when absolutely necessary
• · Always use a good moisturizer after bathing
• · Use a nourishing eye serum around the eyes

What are the Benefits of These Suggestions and Why Do They Work?
The main benefit of all of those suggestions is that they will reduce the symptoms of atopic dermatitis.  You may understand why some of the things are recommended, because many of them are things that cause or aggravate the symptoms.  Avoiding them simply make sense.

• · Some require a bit more explanation.

It takes a bit of detective work to avoid common allergens, irritants and toxins.  The simplest thing to do is to choose the most natural products to eat, to use around your house and for personal hygiene.  If that fails, you may need allergy testing to control your atopic dermatitis.

• · Foods that contain large amounts of histamines are known to worsen the symptoms.  Histamines cause itching.  Foods that contain histamines include cheeses, yogurt, alcohol, tomatoes and fermented foods like sauerkraut.  MSG, a food additive and artificial flavoring, is another trigger, as are artificial colorings.  Processed meats like salami and sausage could also cause The benefit of a histamine-free diet would be less itching.

A good multi-nutritional supplement would help support your body\'s natural ability to produce ceramides.  Omega-3 fish oil supplements have natural anti-inflammatory activity.  I recommend a certain brand of supplements, because they are free of artificial additives and toxins. (See Resource Box for more information)

• · The benefit of supplementation would be reduced redness, less dryness and improvement in the skin\'s barrier.

UV light therapy has proven to be beneficial in several studies, but sunburn must be avoided.  Five minutes a day is a good amount of time for most people to spend in the sun.  Why sunlight therapy works is unknown, but it may be due to increased vitamin D production.  The skin produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight and vitamin D is known to stimulate ceramide production.

• · The benefit of UV light therapy would be an overall reduction of symptoms, as long as burning is avoided.

Soaps and cleansers strip away the skin\'s barrier.  Even tap water can strip the skin of oils, especially if it contains chlorine.  Commercially prepared soaps and cleansers contain numerous allergens and irritants, as well.  Cleansing the face is necessary to prevent clogged pores and other problems.  I recommend the use of the Xtendlife Deep Cleansing mask every two weeks.  It will not cause irritation, because of the oils it contains and the natural anti-inflammatory activity of the ingredients.

• · The benefits of this step include less dryness and itching.

Moisturizers provide the only solution for maintaining the skin\'s barrier and overcoming the lack of ceramides.  Some sources still recommend petroleum jelly for this purpose, but research has shown that it eventually strips away the skin\'s oils.  It only works temporarily to hold in moisture.  It does not improve the skin\'s moisture content.
The moisturizers I recommend  for atopic dermatitis have some very unique but very effective ingredients.  They contain an ingredient called Functional Keratin, which has proven to be beneficial for improving the skin\'s moisture content and its ability to retain moisture.  It also has natural anti-inflammatory activity.

• · The benefits of using  moisturizers that contain these ingredients include reduced itching, reduced pain, reduced redness, less dryness issues and softer, healthier looking skin.

The  eye serum contains numerous ingredients that will help heal the skin around the eyes.  For example, active manuka honey supports immune system function.  It is non-irritating and soothing.

• · The benefits of the  eye serum include less itching, less redness and less swelling around the eyes.

Follow these recommendations and you will get relief of all of the symptoms of atopic dermatitis.  That\'s probably your goal.  Here\'s another suggestion.  Sign up for our FREE SKIN CARE GUIDE and NEWSLETTER.  See the Resource Box below.  Just click on the link that says FREE SKIN CARE GUIDE.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

About the Author
And now I would like to invite you to visit http://www.XtendSkinCare.com for FREE Instant Access to  more information on Skin Care and your personal copy of a  FREE SKIN CARE GUIDE and SKIN CARE-NEWSLETTER.  This SKIN CARE GUIDE could be the MAP that leads to a younger looking you with a healthier looking complexion.