It may not be as debilitating and deadly as cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
But the discomfort, stigma and low quality of life that atopic dermatitis brings to a patient can be similarly worrisome and alarming.
According to Dr. Linda L. Varona, president, Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, atopic dermatitis is a chronic and relapsing condition characterized by dryness of the skin, itching and burning sensation.
In a recent briefing hosted by Invida, Varona explained that “atopic dermatitis belongs to a group of diseases with a genetic predisposition. Individuals with atopic dermatitis have the tendency to develop other allergic conditions such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, it being a part of the allergic march,” Varona added.
A very common condition which affects both males and females, atopic dermatitis may occur at any age, from infants to elderly, regardless of education and socio-economic class.
“Worldwide atopic dermatitis affects 5 to 20 percent of children. In the Philippines it is less than 10 percent and most of the reported cases of atopic dermatitis are pediatric,” Varona noted.
“And while it is more common in industrialized country what is alarming is the increasing trend of incidence in the Philippines,” Varona further noted.
Can affect quality of life
In the same briefing, Dr. Ma. Teresita G. Gabriel, president of Philippine Dermatological Society, meanwhile stressed how atopic dermatitis, though not to be considered a serious condition, can in reality, gravely affect one’s quality of living.
“Individuals with atopic dermatitis can lose up to two-and-a-half hours of sleep a night. Bothered by daily skin discomfort, children can have difficulties in school and sink into apathy, while adults may develop problems at work and in the family,” Gabriel related.
She further explained that there are periods when atopic dermatitis worsens, called exacerbations of flares, and periods when the affected skin improves or clears up entirely, called remissions.
“Atopic dermatitis is not a serious condition but it can have a very negative effect on a patient’s quality of life,” Gabriel said.
And since atopic dermatitis is fairly easy to diagnose and evaluate individuals are encouraged to have themselves examined as soon as they experience signs and symptoms of the disease.
According to both doctors, proper diagnosis, management and treatment of the disease could afford people suffering from atopic dermatitis a much better and comfortable condition.
“Key goals in the management of atopic dermatitis includes hydrating the skin, control of inflammation, relief of itch, eliminating infections and avoiding aggravating factors such as common environmental allergens and food among others,” added Dr. Thomas Luger, director and chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Münster in Germany.
And to help Filipinos suffering from atopic dermatitis better manage their condition, Invida Group Private Ltd., a leading pharmaceutical commercialization services company in Asia Pacific, recently launched Atopiclair.
Unique treatment
“Atopiclair is a unique, clinically proven, nonsteroidal flare-remission treatment for atopic dermatitis. It has demonstrated statistically significant reductions in itch and also in the need for steroids to control flare-ups in adults and children over the age of six months,” Invida claimed.
“With Atopiclair’s unique triple mode of action, Filipino children and adults suffering from atopic dermatitis, can now enjoy long-lasting relief from the chronic itchiness and inflammation caused by this common skin condition,” the company added.
The unique Atopiclair formulation delivers a threefold action against atopic dermatitis: acts as an anti-inflammatory; hydrates the skin and restores the skin barrier function; and alleviates itching rapidly.