Allergy is considered the most common disease on the planet. Today, according to statistics, every fifth inhabitant of the Earth suffers from it: 40% of Americans, 60% of Germans. In Russia, according to unspecified data, from 5 to 30% of people encountered allergies. This variation in percentages is due to the fact that the diagnosis is often misdiagnosed, and the symptoms are mistaken for signs of a completely different disease.
One of the varieties of allergic reactions is atopy. It can manifest itself in people regardless of age and gender. It also affects animals.
What is skin atopy?
The name of the disease is of Greek origin and means "different from others, dissimilarity". It is not contagious and is not transmitted by airborne, household or contact routes.
Atopy is a chronic skin disease that is allergic in nature and most often inherited. For the first time this term was introduced into use in 1922 by the doctor Koka. He established a relationship between skin rashes and hypersensitivity of the body caused by the predominance ofhumoral antibodies. Atopy mainly affects humans, but can also occur in animals. Many of its characteristic signs were observed in dogs, walruses, cattle and other animals.
Atopy is the reaction of the body to a variety of substances, such as pollen, food, medicinal, insecticidal. There can be a lot of options. The pathogens themselves are called atopenes. They can cause various degrees of bronchial asthma, urticaria, hay fever, allergic rhinitis and dermatitis, Quincke's edema. Less common are gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, stomatitis, hemolytic anemia.
Statistics
According to research results, from 6 to 10% of the world's inhabitants suffer from atopy. It has a different character. In a third of all cases, atopy occurs in children under one year old. The more common this disease is in hereditary history, the more likely it is that the child will encounter it. The most characteristic signs of the disease are duration, a certain frequency and relapses.
Atopy symptoms
The disease begins with reddening of some areas of the skin, the appearance of small rashes and peeling. Then the symptoms get worse. Skin prone to atopy begins to itch strongly, itching gradually becomes very pronounced. Usually rashes can slightly protrude above the surface of the body. Most often, atopic dermatitis begins in the abdomen, chest, upper and lower extremities, gradually spreading to the rest of the skin.
When these signs appear, you need tofollow one simple rule. When there is severe itching, you really want to scratch the affected areas of the skin, in no case should you do this! Under our nails there is a large number of pathogenic bacteria that can get into micro-wounds and cause inflammation. It is unacceptable to comb the skin with dermatitis. This can lead to the appearance of purulent sores and constantly weeping erosions. They will make the recovery process much longer.
In the vast majority of cases, skin atopy does not cause a general deterioration in a person's well-being. A severe course of the disease can cause depression, characterized by depression, bad mood, tearfulness, and even unwillingness to live. That is why sedative and tonic drugs are used in anti-atopic therapy. They help to smooth out nervous excitability and dissatisfaction with oneself and others.
Causes of atopy
Each disease is provoked by a number of factors, both external and internal. Atopy is the body's response to an allergic agent. Many doctors firmly believe that the likelihood of the disease is highest in those people whose parents were also susceptible to it. This opinion is refuted by opponents who believe that such an assumption is very convenient for those allergists who are not able to choose the right treatment in each case. Even when both parents are susceptible to atopy, there is no absolute certainty that their child will suffer from it. Significantly reduces the likelihoodtransmission of the disease by inheritance, if it was observed only in the mother or father. Usually, the first signs of atopy appear within six months after the birth of a child. They become aggravated and turn into a chronic form if the nursing mother does not follow the rules of nutrition or violates the basic requirements for complementary foods.
Mechanism of development of atopic reactions
The very first stage of the disease is the impact on the body and directly on the skin of provoking allergens. The epidermis contains antigenic cells that contain IgE. After they interact with atopene, they are activated and migrate to nearby lymph nodes. The second stage of the disease begins. It is associated with the awakening of Tp2-lymphocytes, which secrete biologically active substances - cytokines. It is they who cause allergic skin rashes. The release of cytokines in the focus of inflammation leads to irritation of the nerve endings and to the appearance of itching. As a result of scratching the affected area of the skin, the inflammation process is exacerbated and often becomes chronic. Often atopy can be self-perpetuating even when the allergen has been eliminated. In this case, long-term therapy is prescribed.
How the course of atopy changes with age
This disease is divided into three forms: infant, child and adult. Each of them has its own specific features. The infantile form appears in children between the ages of zero and two years. Most often, signs of the disease occur on the face and bends of the limbs. Atopy is often exacerbated by teething and the introduction of complementary foods. The infantile phase occurs in children between 2 and 12 years of age. It is characterized by rashes on the neck and elbows. They are accompanied by peeling and severe itching. Adult atopy is a disease that can either disappear for a long time or sharply worsen. It is characterized by itching, flaking and dry skin in the affected areas.
Atopy treatment
It is impossible to get rid of dermatitis forever. But it is quite possible to weaken or completely remove unpleasant symptoms. A dermatologist must prescribe antihistamines. Depending on the severity of the course of the disease, these can be both external ointments and creams, as well as drops, tablets and even injections.
Recently, such a method of treatment as specific antihistamine therapy has become more and more popular. Its essence lies in the fact that the patient is injected intramuscularly with small doses of the extract of the allergen that provokes atopy. Gradually, the amount of the drug increases. As a result, over time, the human body becomes less susceptible to the effects of the reagent.
Atopy in animals
Allergies don't just affect people. Atopy is very common in dogs, cows, cats and other animals. Usually the only characteristic symptom of the disease is itching. The remaining manifestations are secondary and are caused by active scratching. In cats, the head is most often affected.
Atopy starts seasonally. The owner of the animal can observe biting,scratching, scratches and wounds. These symptoms may be accompanied by otitis media and sneezing. Corticosteroids are commonly used to treat atopy in animals.
