Symptoms of a relapse

In the case of neurodermatitis, symptom-free phases alternate with acute neurodermatitis attacks.An acute flare-up of the disease can be recognized by the sudden appearance or worsening of the symptoms. Initially, the affected persons suffer from slightly reddened skin areas, which subsequently become further inflamed, dry and scaly. At the inflamed areas, the erythema, the skin is reddened and wets or is surrounded by crusts.

Especially the agonizing itching is an enormous burden for many patients. Scratching further irritates the skin and the itching becomes worse. Neurodermatitis patients often suffer from sleep disorders due to the extreme itching, feel permanently tired and are stressed.

Diagnosis of a thrust

In most cases, the affected persons quickly recognize when they have a neurodermatitis attack on the basis of the sudden onset of symptoms. The dermatologist makes the diagnosis by thoroughly examining the patient’s skin. He determines how many eczemas are present on the body surface, how pronounced the inflammation is and whether the skin is wet or dry. The diagnosis of a relapse always includes a detailed conversation with the patient (so-called anamnesis) in order to identify the subjective symptoms and accompanying symptoms, a family history and possible triggers.

The treatment of a relapse

The treatment of a relapse of neurodermatitis essentially consists of alleviating the symptoms, as the disease itself is not curable at present. The treatment is carried out with special creams and ointments that alleviate the itching and moisturize the dried skin. Antihistamines, which are administered in tablet form, can also help with severe itching.

Keeping an allergy diary can help to identify triggers for atopic dermatitis and avoid them in the future. To do this, patients should note down every day whether they have symptoms of neurodermatitis, which foods they have eaten or whether they have had contact with animals. Short notes about the psychological state of mind or the weather conditions (e.g. sweating in hot weather) can also be helpful. Together with the doctor, the diary can then be used to search for possible triggers that trigger the relapse.