MALARIA: A DEADLY DISEASE

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• Malaria is a potentially deadly tropical disease characterized by cyclical bouts of fever with muscle stiffness, shaking and sweating. It is caused by a tiny parasite (genus Plasmodium) that is transmitted by the female mosquito (genus Anopheles) when it feeds on blood for its developing eggs.
• Severe malaria is not readily distinguishable from other severe diseases, such as pneumonia typhoid and meningitis that require very different therapy.
• Almost all vertebrates, birds, snakes and monkeys, for example, can be infected by Plasmodium (malaria) parasites. Different animal species can only be infected by their own specific species of Plasmodium.
• Humans are generally host to four species of malaria parasites: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae. Plasmodium falciparum causes the most dangerous complications, such as cerebral malaria. It is the species that is most virulent and potentially lethal to humans.
• Because of its dependence on human/vector (mosquito) contact, malaria is considered to be a disease of poverty. Poor people can be physically marginalized and live closer to degraded land and conditions where mosquitoes thrive. They are also less likely to have physical barriers such as screens or nets to protect them and they often lack the education and resources to access proper care and treatment.
• Intense and costly control programmes targeting malaria, that incorporate a variety of approaches such as environmental modification and indoor spraying with DDT, have succeeded in eliminating or significantly reducing the disease in many countries. Malaria has been eliminated in former Soviet Republics, the USA, Italy, Korea and many Caribbean Islands.
• The Anopheles gambiae mosquito selects small, sunlit collections of water to lay its eggs. The intact forest provides few such breeding sites so there are few malarious mosquitoes in dark jungles and tropical forests. Replacing tropical forests with agricultural land provides the mosquitoes with the conditions and proximity to human hosts that they require to thrive.
• Malaria is transmitted by an infected, female mosquito; Anopheles gambiae. It can also be acquired from an infected blood transfusion or even from the shared needles of drug addicts.
• Human malaria parasites only develop in Anopheles mosquitoes. The parasites move to the salivary glands of the mosquito and are injected into a human host by the feeding insect.

• The anopheline mosquito only feeds in the evening. The parasite is injected into the host when the mosquito feeds and then progresses through a number of stages and transformations. The threadlike malaria parasites enter the bloodstream and are carried to the liver where they invade liver tissue cells, transform into spores and replicate repeatedly.
• The spores, formed within cyst-like structures in the liver, are released into the bloodstream where they attack and destroy red blood cells. In the process, they undergo another transformation that allows a form of the parasite to attack and invade new red blood cells.
• The synchronized development of different stages of the parasite is responsible for the characteristic cycles of fever in infected humans. A form of the parasite periodically bursts from demolished cells and is released into the blood stream to invade new blood cells. Different species produce different fever cycles.
• Plasmodium falciparum has a forty-eight hour period between fever peaks. The process is repeated over and over until natural or acquired immunity, or antimalarial chemotherapy, or death brings the repetitive process to an end.
• When an anopheline mosquito takes blood from a malarious human, the parasite enters the mosquito and goes through a number of complex changes over a 14 to 21 day period. It becomes an infectious form and moves to the mosquito's salivary glands where it is ready to reinfect and complete the cycle.
• Many people in Africa and other areas with intense malaria transmission, carry parasites without being ill. Having been infected repeatedly, they have built up immunity to the disease.
• The malaria situation around the world is worsening. Social and environmental factors are bringing more humans into closer contact with the mosquito carrier. The widespread use of chloroquine has allowed the emergence of resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum that no longer respond to the drug. Plasmodium falciparum has become resistant to the most common antimalarial drugs in most of its area of distribution. Mosquitoes are also becoming more resistant to chemical insecticides.
• Changes in the immune system make women particularly vulnerable to life threatening infections from malaria during pregnancy. In addition to the acute effects, malaria causes anaemia in children and pregnant women and increases their vulnerability to other diseases. Repeated bouts of malarial fever in young children reduces their immunity and interferes with feeding, thus increasing their vulnerability to other diseases and death

Enuresis ,Description

Enuresis, more commonly called bed-wetting, is a disorder of elimination that involves the voluntary or involuntary release of urine into bedding, clothing, or other inappropriate places. In adults, loss of bladder control is often referred to as urinary incontinence rather than enuresis; it is frequently found in patients with late-stage Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia .

Description

Enuresis is a condition that has been described since 1500 B.C. People with enuresis wet their bed or release urine at other inappropriate times. Release of urine at night (nocturnal enuresis) is much more common than daytime, or diurnal, wetting. Enuresis commonly affects young children and is involuntary. Many cases of enuresis clear up by themselves as the child matures, although some children need behavioral or physiological treatment in order to remain dry.
There are two main types of enuresis in children. Primary enuresis occurs when a child has never established bladder control. Secondary enuresis occurs when a person has established bladder control for a period of six months, then relapses and begins wetting. To be diagnosed with enuresis, a person must be at least five years old or have reached a developmental age of five years. Below this age, problems with bladder control are considered normal.

Causes and symptoms

Symptoms

The symptoms of enuresis are straightforward—a person urinates in inappropriate places or at inappropriate times. The causes of enuresis are not so clear. A small number of children have abnormalities in the anatomical structure of their kidney or bladder that interfere with bladder control, but normally the cause is not the physical structure of the urinary system. A few children appear to have to have a lower-than-normal ability to concentrate urine, due to low levels of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). This hormone helps to regulate fluid balance in the body. Large amounts of dilute urine cause the bladder to overflow at night. For the majority of bedwetters, there is no single clear physical or psychological explanation for enuresis.

Causes in children

The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , fourth edition, text revision, or ( DSM-IV-TR ), does not distinguish between children who wet the bed involuntarily and those who voluntarily release urine. Increasingly, however, research findings suggest that voluntary and involuntary enuresis have different causes.
Involuntary enuresis is much more common than voluntary enuresis. Involuntary enuresis may be categorized as either primary or secondary. Primary enuresis occurs when young children lack bladder control from infancy. Most of these children have urine control problems only during sleep; they do not consciously, intentionally, or maliciously wet the bed. Research suggests that children who are nighttime-only bed wetters may have a nervous system that is slow to process the feeling of a full bladder. Consequently, these children do not wake up in time to relieve themselves. In other cases, the child's enuresis may be related to a sleep disorder.
Children with diurnal enuresis wet only during the day. There appear to be two types of daytime wetters. One group seems to have difficulty controlling the urge to urinate. The other group consciously delays urinating until they lose control. Some children have both diurnal and nocturnal enuresis.
Secondary enuresis occurs when a child has stayed dry day and night for at least six months, then returns to wetting. Secondary enuresis usually occurs at night. Many studies have been done to determine if there is a psychological component to enuresis. Researchers have found that secondary enuresis is more likely to occur after a child has experienced a stressful life event such as the birth of a sibling, divorce or death of a parent, or moving to a new house.
Several studies have investigated the association of primary enuresis and psychiatric or behavior problems. The results suggest that primary nocturnal enuresis is not caused by psychological disorders. Bed-wetting runs in families, however, and there is strong evidence of a genetic component to involuntary enuresis.
Unlike involuntary enuresis, voluntary enuresis is not common. It is associated with such psychiatric disorders as oppositional defiant disorder , and is substantially different from ordinary nighttime bed-wetting. Voluntary enuresis is always secondary.

Causes in adults

Enuresis or urinary incontinence in elderly adults may be caused by loss of independent control of body functions resulting from dementia, bladder infections, uncontrolled diabetes, side effects of medications, and weakened bladder muscles. Urinary incontinence in adults is managed by treatment of the underlying medical condition, if one is present; or by the use of adult briefs with disposable liners.

Demographics

Enuresis is a problem of the young and is more common in boys than girls. At age five, about 7% of boys and 3% of girls have enuresis. This number declines steadily in older children; by age 18, only about 1% of adolescents experience enuresis. Studies done in several countries suggest that there is no apparent cultural influence on the incidence of enuresis in children. On the other hand, the disorder does appear to run in families; children with one parent who wet the bed as a child are five to seven times more likely to have enuresis than children whose parents did not have the disorder in childhood.

Diagnosis

Enuresis is most often diagnosed in children because the parents express concern to the child's doctor. The pediatrician or family physician will give the child a physical examination to rule out medical conditions that may be causing the problem, including structural abnormalities in the child's urinary tract. The doctor may also rule out a sleep disorder as a possible cause. In many cases the pediatrician can reassure the child's parents and give them helpful advice.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, to make a diagnosis of enuresis, a child must have reached the chronological or developmental age of five. Inappropriate urination must occur at least twice a week for three months; or the frequency of inappropriate urination must cause significant distress and interfere with the child's school and/or social life. Finally, the behavior cannot be caused exclusively by a medical condition or as a side effect of medication.

Treatments

Treatment for enuresis is not always necessary. About 15% of children who have enuresis outgrow it each year after age six. When treatment is desired, a physician will rule out obvious physical causes of enuresis through a physical examination and medical history. Several different treatment options are then available.

Behavior modification

Behavior modification is often the treatment of choice for enuresis. It is inexpensive and has a success rate of about 75%. The child's bedding includes a special pad with a sensor that rings a bell when the pad becomes wet. The bell wakes the child, who then gets up and goes to the bathroom to finish emptying his bladder. Over time, the child becomes conditioned to waking up when the bladder feels full.
Once this response is learned, some children continue to wake themselves help from without the alarm, while others are able to sleep all night and remain dry. A less expensive behavioral technique involves setting an alarm clock to wake the child every night after a few hours of sleep, until the child learns to wake up spontaneously. In trials, this method was as effective as the pad-and-alarm system. A newer technique involves an ultrasound monitor worn on the child's pajamas. The monitor can sense bladder size, and sets off an alarm once the bladder reaches a predetermined level of fullness. This technique avoids having to change wet bed pads.
Other behavior modifications that can be used alone or with the pad-and-alarm system include:

• restricting liquids starting several hours before bedtime
• waking the child up in the night to use the bathroom
• teaching urinary retention techniques
• giving the child positive reinforcement for dry nights and being sympathetic and understanding about wet nights

Treatment with medications

There are two main drugs for treating enuresis. Imipramine , a tricyclic antidepressant, has been used since the early 1960s. It is not clear why this antidepressant is effective in treating enuresis when other antidepressants are not. Desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) has been widely used to treat enuresis since the 1990s. It is available as a nasal spray or tablet. Both imipramine and DDAVP are very effective in preventing bed-wetting, but have high relapse rates if medication is stopped.

Alternative therapies

Some success in treating bed-wetting has been reported using hypnosis. When hypnosis works, the results are seen within four to six sessions. Acupuncture and massage have also been used to treat enuresis, with inconclusive results.

Psychotherapy

Primary enuresis does not require psychotherapy . Secondary enuresis, however, is often successfully treated with therapy. The goal of the treatment is to resolve the underlying stressful event that has caused a relapse into bed-wetting. Unlike children with involuntary enuresis, children who intentionally urinate in inappropriate places often have other serious psychiatric disorders. Enuresis is usually a symptom of another disorder. Therapy to treat the underlying disorder is essential to resolving the enuresis.

Prognosis

Enuresis is a disorder that most children outgrow. For those who do receive treatment, the overall success rate of behavioral therapy is 75%. The short-term success rate with drug treatments is even higher than with behavioral therapy. Drugs do not, however, eliminate the enuresis. Many children who take drugs to control their bed-wetting relapse when the drugs are stopped.

Prevention

Although enuresis cannot be prevented, one side effect of the disorder is the shame and social embarrassment it causes. Children who wet may avoid sleepovers, camp, and other activities where their bed-wetting will become obvious. Loss of these opportunities can cause a loss of self-esteem, social isolation, and adjustment problems. A kind, low-key approach to enuresis helps to prevent these problems

Enuresis (Bed-Wetting)

What is enuresis?

Enuresis (say "en-yur-ee-sis") is the medical term for bed-wetting during sleep. Bed-wetting is fairly common among children and is often just a stage in their development. Bed-wetting is more common among boys than girls.

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What causes bed-wetting?

A number of things can cause bed-wetting. Some of the more common causes of bed-wetting include the following:

• Genetic factors (it tends to run in families)
• Difficulties waking up from sleep
• Stress
• Slower than normal development of the central nervous system (which reduces the child's ability to stop the bladder from emptying at night)
• Hormonal factors (not enough antidiuretic hormone is produced, which is the hormone that slows urine production at night)
• Urinary tract infections
• Abnormalities in the urethral valves in boys or in the ureter in girls or boys
• Abnormalities in the spinal cord
• A small bladder

Bed-wetting is not a mental or behavior problem. It doesn't happen because the child is too lazy to get out of bed to go to the bathroom.

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When do most children achieve bladder control?

Children achieve bladder control at different ages. By the age of 6 years, most children no longer urinate in their sleep. Bed-wetting up to 6 years of age is not unusual, even though it may be frustrating to parents. If a child is younger than 6 years of age, treatment for bed-wetting usually is not necessary.

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How can my family doctor help?

Although most children who wet the bed are healthy, your doctor can help you determine whether your child’s bed-wetting is caused by a medical problem. First, your doctor will ask questions about your child's daytime and nighttime bathroom habits. Then your doctor will do a physical exam and probably a urine test (called a urinalysis) to check for infection or diabetes.

Your doctor may also ask about how things are going at home and at school for your child. Although you may be worried about your child's bed-wetting, studies have shown that children who wet the bed are not more likely to be emotionally upset than other children. Your doctor will also ask about your family life, because treatment may depend on changes at home.

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What are the treatments for bed-wetting?

Most children outgrow bed-wetting without treatment. However, you and your doctor may decide your child needs treatment. There are 2 kinds of treatment: behavior therapy and medicine. Behavior therapy helps teach your child not to wet the bed. Some behavioral treatments include the following:

• Limit fluids before bedtime.
• Have your child go to the bathroom at the beginning of the bedtime routine and then again right before going to sleep.
• Use an alarm system that rings when the bed gets wet and teaches the child to respond to bladder sensations at night.
• Create a reward system for dry nights.
• Ask your child to change the bed sheets when he or she wets.
• Bladder training: have your child practice holding his or her urine for longer and longer times during the day, in effort to stretch the bladder so it can hold more urine.

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What kinds of medicines are used to treat bed-wetting?

Your doctor may give your child medicine if your child is 7 years of age or older and if behavior therapy has not worked. But medicines aren't a cure for bed-wetting. One kind of medicine helps the bladder hold more urine, and the other kind helps the kidneys make less urine. These medicines may have side effects, such as dry mouth and flushing of the cheeks.

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How can I help my child cope with wetting the bed?

Bed-wetting can lead to behavior problems because a child may feel guilt and embarrassment. It's true that your child should take responsibility for bed-wetting (this could mean having your child help with the laundry). But your child shouldn't be made to feel guilty. It's important for your child to know that bed-wetting isn't his or her "fault." Punishing your child for wetting the bed will not solve the problem.

It may help your child to know that no one knows the exact cause of bed-wetting. Explain that it tends to run in families (for example, if you wet the bed as a child, you should share that information with your child).

Remind your child that it's okay to use the bathroom during the night. Place nightlights leading to the bathroom so your child can easily find his or her way. You may also cover your child's mattress with a plastic cover to make cleanup easier. If accidents occur, praise your child for trying and for helping clean up.

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More Information

For Parents

• Toilet Training
• Toilet Teaching Your Child
• Stool Soiling
• Constipation
• Vomiting and Diarrhea
• Urinary Tract Infections
• Proteinuria

Moisturizing and Cleansing Key to Treating Atopic Dermatitis

When it comes to treating atopic dermatitis, dermatologists consider moisturizing and gentle cleansing to be indispensable. Yet, a recent survey revealed that 23% of adults living with atopic dermatitis say they do not do not apply moisturizer and 29% do not use a cleanser. The researchers also found that most of the people who participated in the survey wanted more information about moisturizers and cleansers.

Why is Moisturizing So Important?
Our skin is our barrier. It protects us from unseen invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful organisms and toxins. Our skin also prevents us from losing large amounts of water. The outermost layer of skin, the stratum corneum, serves as our first line of defense. Some dermatologists call this our “bricks and mortar.”

When atopic dermatitis develops, the stratum corneum breaks down. With gaps in our bricks and mortar, the skin is more easily irritated. These gaps also make it easier for bacteria and viruses to enter the body. Easier access and the weakened immune system of atopic dermatitis make people more susceptible to infection. The skin also loses moisture more readily, causing dry skin.

Studies have shown that when patients with atopic dermatitis properly use a recommended moisturizer, it can help:

• Alleviate dry skin. Moisturizer forms a protective coating that reduces the amount of water lost through the skin. This, in turn, decreases dryness, itch, and cracking skin.
  
  Depending on the patient’s signs and symptoms, it may be necessary to apply moisturizer 4 or more times per day. Moisturizer should always be applied after a shower or bath while the skin is still damp. This locks in moisture.
   
• Boost the skin’s protective abilities. Moisturizer forms a protective membrane on the skin. One type of product called a barrier-repair emollient may provide the skin with essential components that can actually repair the damaged stratum corneum.
  
  Two small studies showed that a barrier-repair emollient produced dramatic improvement. In one of these studies, 24 children with stubborn to recalcitrant (not responding to treatment) atopic dermatitis were treated with a barrier-repair emollient containing ceramide (a molecule that helps regulate our skin cells and an effective emollient). Fifteen of the children were previously treated with other emollients.
  
  The emollient containing ceramide was applied twice a day for 12 weeks. All 24 children showed improvement within 3 weeks. By the end of 12 weeks, there was such significant improvement in all children that the researchers asked for the emollient be applied once a day. With regular once-a-day use, the skin continued to improve.
  
  Larger studies are needed to determine if a barrier-repair emollient actually repairs the skin. Research, to date, has not shown whether or not barrier-repair emollients offer any benefit not provided by other emollients.
   
• Increase the effectiveness of topical corticosteroids, and possibly reduce the need for long-term corticosteroid treatment. Researchers have found that using both a topical corticosteroid and a moisturizer decreases the signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis better than use of a topical corticosteroid alone. Studies also have found that proper use of a moisturizer along with a topical corticosteroid can reduce the amount of corticosteroid needed. This suggests that using an appropriate moisturizer may reduce the need for long-term corticosteroids.
   
• Reduce skin irritation. One study found that pre-treating skin affected by atopic dermatits with moisturizer before exposing it to dust mite or grass pollen significantly reduced patients’ reactions to these substances. More than half of the patients said they would continue using the moisturizer after the study ended. The researchers concluded that moisturizer may help prevent exacerbation in patients with atopic dermatitis; however, more research is needed.
   
• Improve the skin’s appearance. A large-scale study found that applying certain lipid-rich moisturizers significantly improved the condition of skin affected by atopic dermatis. During this study, patients either applied a lipid-rich moisturizer alone or the lipid-rich moisturizer and a topical corticosteroid. In many cases, the moisturizer alone was as effective as the moisturizer plus corticosteroid in relieving dryness and scaling in patients. However, when it came to reducing the redness and itch, the corticosteroid plus moisturizer was more effective. This finding suggests that once the atopic dermatitis is under control, a moisturizer alone may be all that is needed.

Gentle Cleansing Essential
Cleansing the skin helps keep it healthy. Washing removes oils, dirt, bacteria, dead skin cells, and a number of other substances. The key to cleansing skin affected by atopic dermatitis is to be gentle because the outer layer of skin, the stratum corneum, is damaged and fragile.

Rubbing, scrubbing, peeling, microdermabrasion, and exfoliating can cause more damage as can harsh soaps. Soap can dry the skin and worsen itching. Mesh sponges, abrasive scrubs, and woven face cloths should not be used as they also can further damage the skin. Anything that increases damage to the skin can cause a flare-up and block the effects of treatment.

When washing, be sure to use a mild cleanser and to gently apply it with your fingertips. Cleanser should be rinsed off with lukewarm water. Dermatologists recommend that cleanser never be applied to skin that has flared. Even the mildest cleanser can be quite irritating when skin has flared.

Ask a Dermatologist for Product Recommendations
With the number of moisturizers, emollients, and cleansers on the market, trying to choose suitable products can boggle the mind. Typing the word “moisturizer” in a popular Internet search engine yields more than 2 million results. If that is not challenge enough, certain ingredients in these products can cause folliculitis (a type of skin inflammation that may resemble acne) or prickly heat in people living with atopic dermatitis. And, did you know that products containing glycerin and rose water — ingredients used to effectively moisturize skin — can increase dryness in skin affected by atopic dermatitis?

To help sort through the options, you may want to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist. After considering a number of factors, such as the severity of your atopic dermatitis and overall health, the dermatologist can recommend suitable products. This can save you time and money. During this appointment, the dermatologist also can show you how to apply cleanser and moisturizer to get optimal results

Daily Skin Care Essential to Control Atopic Dermatitis

When looking for a safe and effective way to control atopic dermatitis, do not overlook dermatologist-recommended skin care. It can reduce flare-ups, decrease the need for medication, and improve response to treatment.

Despite these benefits, dermatologists find that patients and caregivers seldom follow the skin care guidelines given to them. Often the reason is misconceptions about skin care. The following should help clear up some of this confusion.

Myth: Keep Bathing to a Minimum
It is a common misconception that bathing dries the skin and should be kept to a bare minimum.

What dermatologists recommend: People with atopic dermatitis tend to have excessively dry skin. To hydrate the skin, take a short, daily bath(s) in warm — not hot — water. A mild, non-irritating soap should be used only when needed.

The facts: Daily bathing as recommended by a dermatologist helps to hydrate the skin, which can reduce flare-ups and relieve discomfort when moisturizers also are used as directed.

For severe atopic dermatitis, a dermatologist may recommend up to 3 short baths a day. Even patients who avoid water because getting wet can be painful tend to get relief after some initial discomfort.

Myth: Moisturizers Add Moisture to the Skin
The word “moisturizer” causes a great deal of confusion. People often think that a moisturizer adds moisture to the skin and can be applied any time.

What dermatologists recommend: Apply moisturizer within 3 minutes of bathing. This will trap moisture in the skin. Continue to apply moisturizer throughout the day to very dry areas.

The facts: A moisturizer cannot add moisture to the skin. Moisturizer seals in the water from the bath, preventing water from evaporating. This is why moisturizer is most effective when applied within 3 minutes of bathing.

To apply a moisturizer after bathing:

1. Gently pat the skin partially dry.
2. Apply medication directly on the lesions.
3. Apply moisturizer on top of the medication and to the rest of the skin. For best results, dermatologists recommend using a thick, oily moisturizer and applying it in the same way that you would apply icing to a cake.

Applying moisturizer within 3 minutes of bathing and frequently throughout the day will help the skin to retain moisture from bathing. This, in turn, helps prevent dryness and cracking, which is especially important when the air is dry. With regular use, moisturizer can help to reduce discomfort and flare-ups as well as decrease the need for medication.

The new barrier repair moisturizers (also called barrier repair creams) can be especially helpful. Barrier repair moisturizers are generally applied twice daily to flare-prone skin and can be used along with a traditional moisturizer. These products do more than traditional moisturizers, which sit on top of the skin and prevent water loss. Barrier repair moisturizers, also known as physiologic moisturizers, not only reduce water loss; they help rebuild the skin. Patients say barrier repair moisturizers also calm the burning and itching.

Myth: Identify and Avoid Allergens to Prevent Flare-ups
Dermatologists often hear their patients and caregivers say that if only a patient’s allergies could be identified, then the patient could avoid these and prevent atopic dermatitis flares.

What dermatologists recommend: No one thing — not even allergen (substance to which the patient is allergic) avoidance — can control atopic dermatitis. Successfully managing this complex condition requires a multi-faceted approach. Proper skin care, using medication as directed, and avoiding one’s personal triggers all play a role. A trigger is anything that irritates the skin. A trigger need not be an allergen.

The facts: Laundry detergents, soaps, smoke, skin care products that contain alcohol or fragrance, and rough-textured clothing such as wool are common triggers that cause atopic dermatitis to flare. Triggers vary from person to person though, so it is important to learn what irritates the skin and avoid contact with individual triggers.

Discover the Benefits of Skin Care
Dermatologists stress that control of atopic dermatitis is nearly always possible. A key part of gaining control is good skin care. If skin care has not been a regular part of caring for atopic dermatitis, be sure to see a dermatologist. Including dermatologist-recommended guidelines can help one discover the relief possible with skin care.

Types of Eczema

Eczema, also called “dermatitis,” is not one specific skin condition. Several types of eczema exist, and sometimes a person develops more than one type. The links below take you to more information about common types of eczema.

Atopic dermatitis

Contact dermatitis

Dyshidrotic dermatitis

Hand dermatitis

Neurodermatitis

Nummular dermatitis

Occupational dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis

Stasis dermatitis

Eczema Treatment

What happens if I have eczema?
If the diagnosis is eczema, the dermatologist will explain what type of eczema you have and prescribe an appropriate treatment plan.

Before prescribing a treatment plan, a dermatologist considers the type of eczema, extent and severity of the eczema, patient’s medical history, and a number of other factors. Medication and other therapies will be prescribed as needed to:

• Control itching
• Reduce skin inflammation
• Clear infection
• Loosen and remove scaly lesions
• Reduce new lesions

It is important to realize that in most cases no one treatment will be effective. Medical research continues to show that the most effective treatment plan for eczema — regardless of type — involves using a combination of therapies to treat the skin and making lifestyle changes to control flare-ups. Doing so tends to increase effectiveness and reduce side effects from medications.

The type of medication prescribed will depend on many factors, including the type of eczema, past treatment, and the patient’s preference. Topical (applied to the skin) medication is frequently prescribed. If the eczema is more severe, phototherapy (a type of treatment that uses light therapy) or systemic (circulates throughout the body) medication may be prescribed.

Today, there are many effective therapies available to treat the different types of eczema. With proper treatment, most eczema can be controlled.

Keep in mind that eczema can be stubborn. If the signs and symptoms persist, be sure to tell your dermatologist. Sometimes it helps to change how you use the medications or to set aside more time for relaxing activities. Stress triggers flare-ups in many people. Others find relief with stronger medication. Keeping a diary to learn what triggers the eczema and avoiding these triggers helps others. A dermatologist can work with you to tailor a treatment plan that meets your needs.