Dealing with the symptoms of eczema, which include dry, itchy skin on a regular basis can be daunting. The good news is there are several options for you to manage your eczema symptoms, however, it may take some trial and error.
If you are questioning your current regimen, here are seven signs that it's time to talk to your doctor about a new treatment option.
1. You’re experiencing new or worsening symptoms.
“If your eczema is under control — for example, your regular regimen of moisturizing your skin and using topical medications is working — you probably don’t need to check in with your doctor, Melissa Piliang, MD, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio tells Everyday Health. “But if you suddenly develop areas where your medicines aren’t working, you develop itching, or overall things get a lot worse, those are all the times when you should call your doctor,” she says. Even if your eczema has been largely under control, it’s possible for it to change over time. Sometimes people come into contact with a new irritant or develop a new allergy that causes their disease to flare up again, which causes the medication to no longer work, according to Piliang. Outside stressors can affect your disease and cause flares, she says. “Maybe you’re doing fine on your regimen and then say something happens — an example would be the COVID-19 pandemic — and your stress levels go through the roof. When that happens, your treatments may not work like they did before that,” she says.
2. You’re tired of keeping up with your skin-care routine.
Keeping up with a skincare routine can be time-consuming and oftentimes you may feel like giving up. However, not sticking to your skincare routine can cause a flare-up. So, what do you do?
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"If you’re getting tired of your skin-care treatment — for example, it’s too time-consuming — talk to your doctor before you stop it. “We can help,” Piliang advises.
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3. You started a new treatment but can’t cope with the worsening symptoms.
Dealing with the worsening of symptoms while you wait for a new medication to kick in is often a part of the process. However, you don't have to be miserable.
If the medication's symptoms are causing you a great deal of discomfort, Piliang suggests talking with your doctor. He or she can give you a timeline of how long it will take for the medication to kick in.
If the wait is too long, your doctor can prescribe an additional, faster-working medication to ease your symptoms until the first one kicks in, according to Piliang.
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“...Sometimes in a case like that we’ll do a round of systemic steroids in the beginning to tamp down on the inflammation and give the medication time to work,” Piliang tells Everyday Health.
4. Your symptoms are interfering with your day-to-day plans.
Eczema may interfere with your day-to-day plans including school performance, work performance and relationships with family and friends from time to time, but it shouldn't drastically affect your quality of life.
“...If you find yourself missing out on life activities, either in your work or personal life, because of your eczema symptoms, you should probably talk to your doctor about changing up your treatment," Piliang adds.
5. Your health insurance status changes.
You and your doctor spent all this time trying different medications and as soon as you find one that works, your insurance status changes. What do you do? How do you know if your current medication is still covered?
“It can be really discouraging and frustrating,” Piliang tells Everyday Health. However, if you talk to your doctor, they can send a letter to your insurance company explaining that you’re being treated successfully with a certain type of medication — and hopefully, the coverage can continue, she says. “It takes a lot of work on your doctor’s part and on your part to get that to happen, but that’s something you can work on with your dermatologist,” she adds.
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6. The side effects of your medication are bothering you.
Itching, stinging, and burning are all side effects you may experience as a result of your eczema medication.
Most medications come with side effects, however, if the side effects are too bothersome, or you don't like how it feels on your skin, talk to your doctor about another option.
“Some of the ointments we use for eczema can be greasy; when you put it on, it gets all over your clothes and leave stains and so you don’t want to use it,” Piliang notes.
7. Your previously well-controlled symptoms are coming back, despite following your treatment.
What once worked for you may suddenly stop working due to no fault of your own.
“If your treatment stops working as well as it once did, that’s a time to come in,” Piliang notes.
Don't let the guilt of something you can't control stop you from getting the help you need.
She also advises against feeling guilty when they have a flare, and that may keep them away from checking in with their provider, she adds.
