Let’s talk about neurodermatitis

Neurodermatitis, also known as lichen simplex chronicus, is a common skin disease. Traditional Chinese medicine calls it vitiligo. Paroxysmal skin itching and skin lichenification are its main features. It is chronic and does not heal all year round, and it is easy to relapse after recovery. It commonly occurs on both sides of the neck, nape, cubital fossa, popliteal fossa, sacrococcygeal region, wrist, and ankle. It is also found in the lower back, eyelids, limbs, vulva, etc. It is more common in adults and generally does not occur in children. Mood swings, excessive mental stress, anxiety, and sudden changes in living environment can make the condition worse and worse. Prevention and treatment methods generally include:

1. Manage your emotions. When the mood swings are large, such as anxiety, tension, anger, sadness, depression, too much pressure in spiritual life, irregular work and rest, and heavy suspicion, it can easily be induced. You should maintain a peaceful mind at ordinary times, learn to relieve yourself, pay attention to avoid emotional tension, anxiety, and excitement, balance work and rest, maintain a reasonable life, and have a regular work and rest schedule.

2 Choose your diet. Eat more vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, and less greasy and fried foods. Avoid contact with irritating drinks such as coffee, strong tea, etc., avoid drinking and smoking, and avoid eating irritating foods such as peppers, ginger, leeks, etc., and eat less allergic foods such as fish and shrimp to keep bowel movements smooth.

3. Local care: Friction, chemical stimulation, insect bites, sun exposure, scratching, etc. caused by hard collars can all induce the disease. Do not scratch intentionally or unintentionally, avoid scalding with hot water, and use less or no alkaline soap to avoid irritating the skin. If you need to use soap, choose boric acid soap, which is less irritating. When the itching is really unbearable, you can apply a cold compress with a cold towel or apply medicine immediately. You should not use hot water to relieve itching. Wear loose underwear and do not wear silk, wool or chemical fiber underwear.

4. Drug treatment

(1) Local treatment: mainly to relieve itching and prevent scratching, and the skin lesions can get better quickly. Generally, eloxone ointment, parisone ointment, skin care cream (clobetasol propionate cream), triamcinolone (all containing hormones), tacrolimus ointment, dyclonine ointment, and black bean distillate can be used externally. , turpentine tincture, urea ointment, calamine lotion, white lotion, etc. However, for those with obvious lichenification or leathery skin, triamcinolone urea cream or Fujining (containing hormones), 5-salicylic acid, and black bean distillate plaster can be applied. Be careful not to use the above-mentioned hormone-containing drugs for a long time (will be introduced in a separate chapter).

(2) Systemic therapy: When accompanied by paroxysmal severe itching, you can choose oral anti-allergic drugs to relieve itching, such as cetirizine tablets, loratadine tablets (Claritan), Ma Chlorpheniramine lecitrate tablets, diazepam (sedative-hypnotic drug), doxepin tablets (antidepressant drug) and autonomic nerve-regulating drugs such as oryzanol can be used to calm and aid sleep.