Back toUpdated on October 22, 2024
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the skin. Join your host, Kimberly, to explore the pain and suffering brought on by AD.
Transcript
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Separating the tissues in the human body from the dangers lurking outside of it is the skin, a living, breathing, 16-
to 22-square-foot organ meant to protect and shield us from harm, an organ that for over 16 million American adults is
a site of pain and suffering in the form of atopic dermatitis, a type of chronic, relapsing, inflammatory skin disease set
on damaging the defensive barrier that keeps us whole. Hi, I'm Kimberly, your virtual anatomy host.
And in this segment, we will explore the fascinating world of the skin. To show it working in perfect harmony, how that harmony can
be disrupted by atopic dermatitis, and reasons to restore the balance before the disease gets out of control, let's dive deeper.
At first glance, the skin appears calmingly mundane, almost devoid of any remarkable landmarks that would excite a nomadic traveler.
Dune-like land forms on the outermost layer, the epidermis, stretching and rolling over every crevice of the body,
seemingly barren yet housing a vibrant, bustling world that permeates the skin with life.
Underneath the epidermis, we find the crowded, densely-packed dermis, sourced with oxygen and nutrient-rich blood vessels,
pain-receptive and touch-sensing nerves, and glands that help support healthy skin.
Dropping below the dermis, a thickly padded, insulated floor of the hypodermis. All three unify together as the body's largest organ.
Underneath the smooth surface of skin exists a microscopic alien-like sea of cells, working together
in choreographic sequence to maintain the erected wall designed to keep us in balance.
In atopic dermatitis, this delicate dance appears abnormal and uncoordinated.
The overly sensitive skin barrier, flawed in composition, cells misguided and hyperactively angry
at the lack of flow and synchronicity, ready to attack and erode the very organ keeping them safe.
On our way back to the surface, we find the once unified and harmonized skin in the midst of an atopic dermatitis flare up.
The soft, silky, rolling dunes interrupted by itchy, mound-like bumps sprouting in every direction.
Raw, oozing blisters stripping the frontline defenses of their protective shield. Flakes and crusts of skin barely hanging on to inflamed patches.
A treatment once strong enough to keep flare-ups at bay, overpowered by the disease.
Over time, cycles of injury and repair can damage the skin permanently, remodeling a once fruitful environment into a near uninhabitable landscape,
vulnerable to infections and germs. A constant reminder of lost battles against atopic dermatitis and medications not working
as well as they should. Fortunately, newer treatments can restore much needed balance, calm down
the avalanche of misguided cells, help skin rebuild its protective barrier, and make the painful symptoms of atopic dermatitis,
like itchiness and inflammation, a thing of the past. Ask your doctor about newer and more effective
treatment options. And let's put atopic dermatitis to rest.
