Diathesis is not just an allergy, but a predisposition of the body to the occurrence of diseases and pathological reactions that manifest themselves mainly in childhood. This is a special condition, accompanied by the tendency of the child:
- to allergic reactions;
- frequent colds and respiratory infections;
- metabolic disorders;
- changes in immunological reactivity.
With diathesis, an inadequate response of the body to the usual effects (irritants) of the environment is observed. But such reactions occur with an unfavorable combination of several provoking factors at once: nutritional errors, irrational regimen, improper care, frequent infections, etc.
The most common type of diathesis is exudative-catarrhal. It is he who manifests himself in the form of allergic dermatitis. The first signs appear as early as 3-6 months and can remain up to 1-2 years, when most children have all the symptoms of diathesis .
The main signs that manifest exudative-catarrhal diathesis:
- “gneiss” – peeling and seborrheic crusts on the scalp;
- redness, peeling and thickening of the skin of the cheeks (“milk scab”);
- itchy nodules (” strofulus “);
- diaper rash of large folds.
One of the methods of diathesis treatment is local therapy.
The complex treatment of diathesis includes local therapy in the form of ointments and gels. They should be prescribed only by a specialist, and he approaches this issue very seriously, since the main role in the appearance of signs of diathesis is given to allergens that affect the child’s skin.
What drugs are often included in the list prescribed by a doctor:
- To soften and quickly heal the skin: Bepanten , zinc ointment, Desitin (zinc-based ointment).
- For disinfection, softening and prevention of the formation of new crusts: Diaderm , Glutamol .
- To suppress an allergic reaction: Fenistil, Vibrocil , Tsetrin .
It should be borne in mind that ointments are not the main way to treat diathesis, since they do not affect the cause in any way. Local therapy comes as an auxiliary method. The basis of the treatment should be diet, proper care, exclusion of contact with allergens.
Hormonal ointments for diathesis
A special group of local drugs used for diathesis are hormonal ointments. They are used if non-hormonal agents do not help. Hormonal preparations have a more serious composition, including hormonal components – glucocorticoids. These are steroid hormones synthesized by the adrenal cortex. Among them, the most common are:
- Natural glucocorticoids: cortisol, hydrocortisone. Their action lasts for 8-12 hours.
- Synthetic analogues: prednisolone, prednisone , methylprednisolone , mometasone , clobetasol . Substances act within 12-36 hours.
- Synthetic analogues with fluorine content: dexamethasone, betamethasone , paramethasone , fluprednisolone . The action of substances lasts up to 3 days.
Such substances have the following effects:
- Antiallergic. Hormones reduce the level of basophils – substances that are activated during allergies.
- Anti-inflammatory. Substances reduce the level of inflammatory mediators in the blood.
Hormonal drugs have a faster effect, but they also have a more impressive list of side effects. For this reason, few hormonal ointments are allowed for children, and they are tried to resort to in extreme cases, when the child’s condition is neglected, and he suffers from itching, large lesions and other unpleasant symptoms.
The list of hormonal drugs used for diathesis includes:
- Advantan ( methylprednisolone ) – from 4 months;
- Lokoid (hydrocortisone) – from 6 months;
- Afloderm ( alclomethasone ) – from 6 months;
- Beloderm ( betamethasone ) – from 6 months
- Dermovate ( clobetasol ) – from 1 year;
- Elokol ( Mometasone ) furoate ) – from 2 years.
What is the danger of using hormonal ointments for diathesis
Because children have a larger surface area to body weight ratio than adults, they are more at risk of side effects from hormonal drugs. With prolonged use, there is a risk of growth and development disorders. For this reason, children are prescribed minimal doses of ointments, as well as short courses. For example, Advantan should not be used for longer than 4 weeks.
There are other features of the use of hormonal ointments associated with a small surface area of the child’s body. For example, Beloderm ointment is used very carefully and in no case is applied under a diaper, since the risk of developing serious side effects increases due to the increased absorption of active ingredients.
It is equally important to carefully apply hormonal ointment in the area of \u200b\u200bfolds of the body. In these places, the ointment is absorbed more actively and can have a systemic effect on the body, i.e. enter the bloodstream and influence from the inside.
In the case of hormonal ointments, it is also important:
- do not exceed the prescribed dosage;
- use the amount of ointment prescribed by the specialist;
- do not extend the period of application (in most cases, no longer than 5 days);
- smear only lesions.
What else smear diathesis
Many parents resort to the use of traditional methods of treatment. On the advice of relatives and friends, they make baths with string or chamomile, starch baths, perform various lotions and prepare ointments based on baby cream. But such methods can not only not help, but also have the opposite effect. Any ingredient used can become an allergen for the body, and then the symptoms of diathesis will only intensify and the condition will worsen.
What to do with diathesis in a child
Local therapy with the use of ointments is one of the components of complex treatment. But both hormonal and non-hormonal drugs should be prescribed by a doctor individually for each baby, taking into account the characteristics of the course of diathesis.
Self-medication in such a situation is not only ineffective, but also dangerous to the health of the child. Therefore, it is better to turn to competent specialists. PsorMak employs doctors with extensive experience in the treatment of diathesis.
We have a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment, and for local therapy we use an ointment made according to our own recipe without the addition of hormones. She has been helping our patients in our clinic for over 25 years, so we guarantee a complete cure without side effects. Contact us for a consultation so that we can begin to solve your problem.