The Taiwanese Dermatological Association yesterday released an educational pamphlet on atopic dermatitis, a long-term pruritic skin disorder that affects nearly 2 million Taiwanese, mostly young children and adolescents.
The pamphlet was compiled by the association and a group of dermatologists based across the nation with the aim of increasing the public’s understanding of the disorder and giving patients’ families information on assuaging symptoms.
“Atopic dermatitis generally manifests as dry and extremely itchy skin, which often disturbs the sufferers’ sleep and makes it difficult for them to keep their focus,” Taiwanese Dermatological Association deputy secretary-general Huang Yu-huei (黃毓惠) told a press conference in Taipei.
Huang said the skin disorder was a non-infectious, inherited disease that commonly appears in early childhood, with its onset occurring predominantly before the age of five, but which can persist into adolescence or even adulthood.
“Young patients are often shunned and labeled ‘unhygienic’ by their peers under the erroneous notion that the disease can be transmitted through direct contact with the patients’ skin,” Huang said.
Citing a 29-year-old male patient as an example, Huang said that the man, surnamed Liu (劉), first developed the disease shortly after birth and since then, the itching has been so unbearable that it has severely affected his academic performance and quality of life.
Taiwan National University Hospital attending dermatologist Chu Chia-yu (朱家瑜) said atopic dermatitis is most prominent on infants’ cheeks, back and outside of their arms, while in older children, it is often found on the neck, wrists and ankles.
“To control the symptoms, patients are advised to regularly apply moisturizer, avoid contact with allergens, and refrain from strong emotional displays, staying up late, and binge eating,” Chu said.
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