VOA慢速英语--在婴儿期治疗湿疹 有助于预防哮喘和过敏

Treating Eczema During Infancy¹ Helps Prevent Asthma², Allergies³

Eczema is a type of skin condition that causes itchy, red, raised areas on human skin. The condition most often affects children, but adults can also get it. No one knows what causes eczema, and there is no cure. While it is not life-threatening, eczema can severely⁴ affect the quality of life for both those who have it and their families.

Ava Segur developed eczema shortly after she was born. She is now a teenager. Segur says she used to wear long-sleeved shirts to hide the bumps and rashes. Her mother, Stephanie Segur remembers what it was like when Ava developed the condition.

“We were trying to get that under control, and then all of a sudden, she got these food allergies at the same time, around 18 months old.”

Doctor Donald Leung says there is a link between Ava’s eczema and food allergies.

“Probably a third of patients with eczema develop a food allergy⁵.”

Leung is an allergist and immunologist at National Jewish Health, a research hospital in Denver, Colorado. He says the link is known as atopic march. It is a series of allergic⁶ diseases beginning with eczema that progress to allergies and asthma.

Leung says that eczema patients have dry, cracked skin. If children have microscopic⁷ amounts of food on their fingers, the particles can enter the body through the skin instead of through the digestive tract⁸. Other environmental allergens such as pollen⁹ can enter through the skin as well.

“What we need to do is rebuild the skin barrier.”

Leung says patients with eczema should see a skin specialist to get control of the eczema quickly and to prevent the progression of atopic march. Research shows that a warm, 20-minute bath, followed by use of an ointment¹⁰, a thick medicinal substance, can help rebuild the skin barrier. The ointment keeps a film of water on the skin and prevents it from evaporating. Doctors call this method the “soak and seal.”

Covering a baby’s hands can prevent them from scratching affected¹¹ areas. A head cover can further protect the skin.

Eczema is a troublesome skin condition. It can become so itchy that it can interrupt the sleep of both the child and the parents. The disease can affect the entire family, especially if it interferes¹² with a parent or caregiver's ability to work. In addition, there is the emotional effect of not being able to comfort a baby.

Kristen Kline’s infant son has eczema. She says she "can’t even explain the relief that we’ve really gotten from (treatment).”

“He had the cracks in the back of his legs, in his elbows. Those are almost completely healed, and we’ve been doing this treatment for a week.”

Researchers are developing a way to test the skin to identify what weakens its natural barrier. They hope to find a way to repair such weakness before children develop what could become lifelong issues.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

allergy – n. a medical condition that causes someone to become sick after eating, touching¹³, or breathing something that is harmless to most people

bump – n. a swelling¹⁴ of tissue

immunologist – n. a science that deals with the ways in which the body protects itself from diseases and infections

rash – n. an eruption¹⁵ on the body

relief – n. removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing¹⁶

soak – v. to put something in a liquid for a period of time

seal – v. to close tightly or completely to prevent anyone or anything from moving in or out

1 infancy   

n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期

参考例句：

• He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
• Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

2 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

3 allergies   

n.[医]过敏症；[口]厌恶，反感；（对食物、花粉、虫咬等的）过敏症( allergy的名词复数 )；变态反应，变应性

参考例句：

• Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发很多不同的症状。 来自辞典例句
• Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 现在让我们来看看最常见的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句

4 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

5 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

6 allergic   

adj.过敏的，变态的

参考例句：

• Alice is allergic to the fur of cats.艾丽斯对猫的皮毛过敏。
• Many people are allergic to airborne pollutants such as pollen.许多人对空气传播的污染物过敏，比如花粉。

7 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

8 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。

9 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

10 ointment   

n.药膏，油膏，软膏

参考例句：

• Your foot will feel better after the application of this ointment.敷用这药膏后，你的脚会感到舒服些。
• This herbal ointment will help to close up your wound quickly.这种中草药膏会帮助你的伤口很快愈合。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

12 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

13 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

14 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

15 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

16 distressing   

a.使人痛苦的

参考例句：

• All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
• It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。