The eczema boom: Air pollution may be to blame

In 2000, the American Academy of Dermatology warn the americans: Eczema is increasing. In a warning, dermatologists said the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (an inflammatory skin disease also known as eczema) had nearly tripled since 1970. At the time, it was estimated that nearly 6 percent of all Americans had atopic dermatitis. It causes itching, redness and scaly skin. today, National Eczema Foundation estimates At least 10 percent of Americans have eczema, and 1 in 10 will develop eczema in their lifetime.

Despite an increasing prevalence documented by many investigators, especially among children— One aspect of the warning that made the headlines 23 years ago has not changed. No one knows what is causing the growing number of people diagnosed with itchy skin conditions.

“We need to learn more.”

Dr. Ross Ladasky, a board-certified dermatologist at the Center for Dermatology and Therapeutic Research in Dallas, told Salon, “One possibility is that as the population grows and people live in more densely populated areas, the incidence of eczema increases. will naturally rise,” he said. [but] Further research is definitely needed. ”

One study found that worldwide the prevalence of eczema increased by only 0.98 percent in adolescents and 1.21 percent in children over the past decade. However, the increase in eczema varied widely by region. Most noticeable in urban areas. As Ladasky says, there’s no definitive reason why, but there’s growing suspicion that contamination may be to blame.

“Previous studies have examined the incidence of eczema in urban and rural settings, and incidence tends to be higher in urban areas, where high pollution rates are expected.” Mr Ladasky said. “There are other factors in the equation, but pollutants influence the incidence of asthma, seasonal allergies and even food allergies, and all three are associated with increased incidence of eczema. It’s important to know.”

Ladasky said pollutants, by their very nature, are foreign substances that shouldn’t be present in our daily lives, and our skin may not be aware of them.

“Our skin hates intruders,” says Ladasky. “Significant defensive measures need to be taken, and if they are implemented and a highly inflammatory state is formed, eczema flare-ups may not be too far off.”

March, dermatologist said They observed an increase in patients visiting dermatologists for eczema during the wildfires in California.In a study published in a journal scientific progress In January, researchers discovered a link between common chemicals and eczema. Specifically, in experiments with mice, the researchers found that when the skin was exposed to isocyanates, a component of car exhaust from wildfires, cigarette smoke, and catalytic converters, the bacteria that live on the skin were killed. It has been discovered that it no longer produces the oils necessary to maintain the skin. When your health deteriorates, your skin becomes more prone to inflammation.

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Part of the ignorance behind the rise in eczema is due to the complexity of eczema itself. Scientists know that eczema occurs when a person’s immune system overreacts to an irritant or trigger. The immune system recognizes intruders such as viruses and bacteria as triggers, which in turn causes the body’s immune system to become inflamed. Inflammation causes the physical symptoms of eczema on a person’s skin. However, eczema is not classified as an autoimmune disease, even though it functions similarly. This is because this reaction technically does not result in attacking the body’s own healthy cells and organs.

Ladasky said eczema is widely believed to have a genetic component, specifically a deficiency in a protein called filaggrin.

“This protein helps keep the cells that make up our skin glued together. Without it, water would escape through the tiny pores that exist between the cells of the skin, leading to a very severe skin condition known as eczema.” It causes an inflammatory, itchy skin condition,” said Ladasky. “We think of eczema as a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Certain stressors, such as dry and cold climates, seasonal allergies, and food allergies, can lead to inflammation leading to a rash known as eczema. It can cause a cascade.”

But this is an “interplay” between genetics and environmental causes, making it difficult for researchers to speculate on the exact cause behind the increase.

“We know that protein-deficient filaggrin is the main cause of atopic dermatitis (the most common form of eczema), but it’s not the only reason we see relapses,” said Ladasky.

Dr. Purvi Parikh, Allergist Allergy and Asthma Networktold the salon in an email that it believed eczema could become more common in the United States due to environmental factors such as pollution.

“Allergies in general have been exacerbated here by disruption of the microbiome through overexposure to air pollution, climate change, industrialization, chemicals, pesticides, processed foods and plastics,” Parikh said. “Pollutants generally increase allergies, which can lead to eczema. People with allergies are more likely to develop eczema than people without allergies.”

In fact, Ladasky said food allergies, seasonal allergies, and eczema make up what is known as the “atopic triad.”

“They go together, and the inflammatory response that occurs in all these conditions is known to follow the same pathway,” he said. “Our immune system responds in much the same way to both eczema triggers and asthma/allergy triggers.”

Unfortunately, there is no cure for eczema. However, there are many treatments available. And while other diseases such as celiac disease, which has an unknown cause and is on the rise, are difficult to understand due to lack of funding, this is not the case with eczema, said Ladasky.

“I don’t think the lack of funding is the reason why it’s so hard to know what causes eczema. There’s a ton of research and new drugs to limit the body’s inflammatory response, which is a common trigger for eczema,” said Ladasky. rice field. “Eczema cannot be cured at this time, but there are new treatments that can limit the severity of recurrences.”