Atopic dermatitis
History of the disease Atopic dermatitis is a common disorder not only found in the united states but also around the world. This disorder is not gender specific and affects boys, girls, men, and women alike. The disorder can appear at any age but is more likely to occur in infancy or childhood. It is thought that more than half of patients develop symptoms before their first birthday, and about two thirds before their fifth birthday. It is not very common to first show signs and symptoms of this disorder after people get into their thirties. Scientists believe this is because the disease was not genetically inherited by the person and rather the skin was exposed to harsh wet or dry conditions. It seems that climate may play a role in this condition, as people who live in places with extreme weather are more likely to develop this. The specific number of people affected by atopic dermatitis is not known because many people may report symptoms but never get officially diagnosed with the disorder. It is thought that the percentage of infants and young children affected are in the twenties to thirties and more than half of these infants and children continue to have symptoms until adulthood. But the prevalence of having continuing symptoms after childhood are very low. Research in the U.S. indicates that doctor visits resulting in new cases of atopic dermatitis have increased significantly in the years 1997 to 2004 and numbers of new cases continues to grow. Atopic dermatitis cases are also increasing around the world. More of a percentage of infants and adults are diagnosed with atopic dermatitis in other countries than in the United States at this time. It is thought that the number of people affected by this uncomfortable disorder has doubled and maybe even tripled in the past three decades. Although this disorder can be very painful and uncomfortable, death as a result of this disorder is very uncommon. An interesting fact about this disorder is that in the