Experts warn that the coronavirus may be particularly dangerous for patients suffering from atopic dermatitis, especially those with concomitant asthma. What do you need to remember if you have AD or are caring for a sick person?

Contents:

  1. Coronavirus and AZS: atopic, stay home
  2. Coronavirus and AD: treatment may lower immunity
  3. Coronavirus and AZS: stress is also bad

People suffering from atopic dermatitis are, next to diabetics, people with hypertension and patients with autoimmune diseases, a group at high risk of coronavirus infection.

Coronavirus and AZS: atopic, stay home

The skin of a person suffering from AD is dry, red, cracks and flakes, it also has a tendency to lichen. A characteristic feature of this ailment is not only burning and painful inflammatory changes that appear on the skin, often occupying more than half of the body surface, but also persistent, difficult to control itching.

- The itching is so severe that patients cannot control it. They scratch to blood. They hurt themselves if only for a moment the itching to stop. emphasizes Hubert Godziątkowski, president of the Polish Society of Atopic Diseases. - Over 91 percent patients experience a burning, piercing pain that prevents them from functioning normally.

But first of all, it should be noted that these scratched open wounds expose patients to viral and bacterial infections. You can't tell them to stop scratching - they won't control it. However, it is worthwhile for patients who have such wounds to be very careful and to stay at home in the near future so as not to expose themselves to infection.

Immune system dysfunction, which is affected by the intake of immunosuppressive drugs in AD patients, coexisting chronic diseases, including respiratory system diseases, or just open scratched wounds significantly increase the risk of COVID-19 infection and subsequent possible secondary complications - adds Hubert Godziątkowski.

And appeals: - We know that these patients need medications and ointments on a regular basis - please ask someone from your family, friends or a neighbor for help in purchasing medications. Stay at home! In conducted on Facebook by PolskieThe Society of Atopic Diseases Support Groups for patients and caregivers of children with atopic dermatitis, separate threads devoted exclusively to the subject of coronavirus have been created.

Information and links to reliable sources of knowledge are published there, and users support each other with knowledge and experience. On the other hand, on the PTCA profile on Facebook, we published a video with the participation of Dr. Jacek Zdybski, which explains in an accessible way the procedures in the face of a pandemic for patients with atopic dermatitis treated with immunosuppressants - he adds.

Coronavirus and AD: treatment may lower immunity

Patients with moderate or severe disease often undergo immunosuppressive therapy to overcome the over-response of the immune system - this is especially important when AD takes the form of an autoimmune disease.

- In patients whose immune system attacks their own body, we must use immunosuppressive treatment, i.e. inhibit the immune system response, and thus lower the patient's immunity - emphasizes prof. related dr hab. n. med. Joanna Narbutt, National Consultant in the field of Dermatology and Venereology, Head of the Department of Dermatology and the Department of Pediatric Dermatology and Oncology of the Medical University of Lodz, Head of the Department of Dermatology, Pediatric Dermatology and Oncology at WSS im. dr. On Bieganski in Łódź, member of the General Board of the Polish Dermatological Society.

- It is risky because patients with atopic dermatitis already suffer from comorbid atopic and non-atopic diseases, so their organism is additionally weakened and exposed to other diseases. However, especially today, in such a difficult epidemiological situation, people under such therapy must take care of themselves. A weakened body is not only more susceptible to infection with viruses, but it also goes through such diseases much worse - adds prof. Joanna Narbutt.

Coronavirus and AZS: stress is also bad

Of great importance is also the fact that almost 80 percent. people with AD suffer from insomnia, and as many as 84 percent. has trouble falling asleep. It also has a negative effect on immunity: Immune function and stress are linked by a steroid hormone called cortisol or the stress hormone.

After just one sleepless night, the level of this hormone increases by about 45 percent. Constantly elevated cortisol levels significantly reduce the effectiveness of the immune system. Meanwhile, patients with atopic dermatitis live under constant stress, caused by both severe itching, but also social reactions to the appearance of their skin, or problems in their professional life, such asfinding a job or keeping it.

- A combination of factors such as scratched wounds, the use of immunosuppressants, excessive stress and sleep disturbances have a huge impact on immune system disorders. - emphasizes prof. Joanna Narbutt. - Unfortunately, it is very difficult to eliminate these factors. However, it is worth knowing that, for example, in the case of patients suffering from psoriasis, therapies with immunosuppressants are slowly being replaced by biological treatments.

We hope that we will soon be able to say the same about treating people suffering from AD. We have already registered one biological drug intended for patients with moderate and severe AD, other therapies of this type are at the stage of clinical trials - adds prof. Joanna Narbutt.

Prof. dr hab. Joanna Narbutt, MD, PhD A dermatologist-venereology specialist, he is a national consultant in the field of dermatology and venereology, as well as the head of the Department of Pediatric Dermatology and Oncology at the Medical University of Lodz. Her main clinical and scientific interests are psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, photoprotection, urticaria, cancer and allergies. Her numerous publications devoted to these issues can be found in national and international medical journals. Prof. dr hab. n. med. Joanna Narbutt is a member of the Polish Dermatological Society, European Society for Dermatological Research, European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. He is also a member of the Qualifying Team for Biological Treatment of Psoriasis established by the National He alth Fund. Prof. Narbutt is also a laureate of many prestigious national and international scholarships, including American Academy of Dermatology, European Society for Dermatological Research; L'OREAL Scholarship for Women and Science.

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Category:

Infectious diseases