Treatment of eczema was dependent on the use of ointments and emollients that would keep the skin moist and reduce irritation and itching. Along with the medicines for external applications, use of anti-inflammatory drugs helped to reduce inflammation was the standard treatment. Eczema treatment was mostly symptomatic until a few years ago in 2006; scientists discovered that the lack of a certain skin protein in the body led to the chronic disease of eczema also known as atopic dermatitis. The discovery has made it possible to pinpoint exactly what goes wrong, and this might pave the way for new treatment of eczema cure.
Eczema affects children mostly like 20% children worldwide suffer from it along with 3% of the adult population. Although there are several creams, ointments, lotions, and emollients available for keeping eczema under control, there is yet no cure available for the disease. What the discovery is all about and how it could help in finding a cure for eczema is discussed in this article.
Finding the cause
Scientists have discovered the gene that causes dry skin that finally leads to eczema. The gene produces filaggrin (FLG), a protein that occurs in abundance on the outer skin at the topmost layer. The protein helps the skin barrier function by forming a protective layer on the skin surface that allows retention of water within the skin and keeps foreign organisms away. Deficiency of this protein or complete lack of it leads to the defective formation of the skin barrier. It can result in quick drying of the skin, and the outer layers of the skin are inadequately formed and flake off regularly. People who experience FLG mutations are susceptible to foreign substances that penetrate into the skin easily that lead to inflamed skin or eczema.
The association between eczema and FLG mutation
There is a very close association between FLG mutations and eczema as revealed in various studies. In a study among Irish children, two-third of the group carried one or many FLG mutations. The strong link between FLG mutations to asthma and eczema became known in a study conducted among Scottish children. Similar results were available from studies carried out on Danish babies monitored for the first years of the life. The study on Danish children further pointed to the fact that 60% of the children carrying FLG mutations were likely to have eczema within the first few years of their life.
According to estimates, 60 million people across the world carry this type of gene defects, and about a million people are likely to suffer from eczema on account of the gene defect alone. At least 56% people suffering from FLG deficiency suffer from eczema.
Protect your skin barrier
To protect your skin barrier, use emollients directly on the skin and also for bathing and washing. Avoid the use of soaps, shampoos, and detergents as well as abrasive cleaners. Use Wet Wrap therapy with emollients to get comfort from itching and heal the skin barrier. Do not forget to use hand gloves when washing.
Author bio: Tom Guilgud is a dermatologist and a well-known blogger. He loves to write about the latest developments in the treatment of eczema and is especially interested in the developments that take place post discovery o the link between filaggrin and eczema.