More than 30% of our population suffers from an allergy, says Dr Anjali Salvi
Rains bring along a host of problems for us, such as vector-borne diseases, allergies and parasitic infections. Patients, mostly children between the age group of 4-10, account for around 20 per cent dermatological ailments at hospitals.
The skin is under constant attack not only from foreign substances (allergens) like germs, pollution, faulty nutritional choices, UV rays, but also from internal foes like free radicals, deficiencies, and imbalances. Skin allergies can be irritating and distressing to bear, appearing in various forms such as atopic dermatitis, urticaria, hives and contact dermatitis, to name a few.
Research suggests that allergic diseases are increasing among youth in countries such as India. In fact, more than 30 per cent of the population in the country is known to suffer from an allergic ailment.
Certain people also have very sensitive immune systems and may even react to harmless substances like proteins found in food, pollen, latex, etc by producing antibodies, and this reaction may appear on the skin in the form of redness, rash, itchiness etc. These individuals are more prone to having allergies than others.
Skin allergies are also common in infants and children, with atopic dermatitis affecting one in five infants globally. Specifically in India, when more than 37,000 children were studied across 14 different centres, all except Kottayam (Kerala) reported a prevalence between 2.4 and 6 per cent, while Kottayam reported a prevalence of >9 per cent.
While many remain on the quest for speedy relief relying on home remedies or products recommended by hearsay, these may not necessarily be the right solution. Others rely on topical steroid-based creams that offer rapid relief but can be harmful if used indiscriminately in the long run. Especially in the case of children and infants, topical steroids can be harsh on extremely tender skin.
Simpler and safer topical anti-allergy solution avoids the need to rush to a doctor and eliminates the need to apply strong steroid-based medication. It is also safe to use on the tender skin of babies and children. Products containing calamine or zinc oxide along with antihistamines like diphenhydramine can be safely used topically to soothe the skin and provide relief from the flare and burn of allergic rash.
The writer is a General Practitioner from Mumbai and lead Clinical Investigator at ClAIMS Pvt ltd