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?
“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.
“…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