Revealing his condition, he stressed that the most important thing is to “love ourselves and be comfortable in our own skin.”
Doctor Elena Montalván, dermatologist and atopic dermatitis patient. Photo: Taken from Dr. Montalván’s profile.
“The atopic dermatitis it is a chronic condition that usually affects people with a personal or family history of nasal allergies and/or asthma and is characterized by skin lesions and a lot of itching”, those were the words of Dr. Elena Montalván, who recently revealed that in addition to being one of the leading dermatologists in Puerto Rico, is a patient.
The atopic dermatitis It is not cured, it is controlled and it is exacerbated when the person is exposed to certain things or when they have a lot of stress.
Even when they do not present skin lesions, these people live with dryness and itching, even when asleep. Therefore, they must do maneuvers in their daily lives, such as avoiding long baths or very hot water, resorting to fragrance-free soap substitutes, getting used to the fact that their clothes will not have any scent, using perfume without it touching the skin. , or apply moisturizer as soon as they get out of the shower so it can be absorbed into the skin.
Things as insignificant to others, such as putting one’s feet on the cold floor when waking up, can make a patient with atopic dermatitis have a bad day. This is because: “The skin is hypersensitive and overreacts to common external factors such as dust, pollen, woolen clothing, mites, extreme temperatures, and/or fragrances or dyes, among others”, Montalvan says.
The diagnosis of atopic dermatitis It is usually determined by a history and physical exam. A medical professional can help you live with this condition, since the most important thing that Montalván highlights is that: “The goal is to love ourselves and be comfortable in our own skin.”
Atopic dermatitis and genetic indecency
Dr. Eneida De La Torre, dermatologist and former president of the Puerto Rican Society of Dermatology, exclusively told Medicine and Public Health that the atopic dermatitis it has an important genetic component within the diagnostic criteria in patients who suffer from it.
“It is known that there are genetic factors and there is something called the atopic triad, this means that patients suffering from atopic dermatitis they will have in their genetics or family history conditions such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and skin dermatitis,” he explained.
He mentioned that dermatitis is a condition where almost 60% of patients will present it in their first years of life, and up to 90% of patients might experience it in the first five years of their life.
In this sense, Dr. Rogelio Mercado, past president of the Dermatological Society of Puerto Rico, specified that many of the skin conditions are associated with inflammatory diseases, diseases of the immune system and stress, which is also associated as a predetermined factor in many cases.
“In principle, all skin diseases are associated with inflammatory diseases, the immune system and stress as a factor that exacerbates the condition that can be the atopic dermatitis, alopecia, among others. I want to clarify that stress by itself is not a determinant for suffering from any related condition, it is only a trigger for a genetic predisposition and the environment in which the patient develops, ”he explained.
In this sense, Dr. Mercado explained that in the west of Puerto Rico he has found a higher prevalence of benign pre-cancerous lesions, since in the area there are many fishermen who have been exposed to the sun all their lives, and already entered adulthood. is that you see those consequences.
