Treatments for atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis, a type of eczema, is a condition that makes your skin red and itchy. Doris Day, MD, discusses various levels of treatment for atopic dermatitis and ways to help manage the condition.

Transcript

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[PEACEFUL ACOUSTIC MUSIC]

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Atopic dermatitis is a chronic condition. And so the treatments need to be ongoing in order to maintain results.

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We start with simple things, like managing diet and stress, things that you have control over. And then, when you see your dermatologist,

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we may add in other medications that are topical ones that you apply to the skin, like topical steroids

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or steroid-sparing ointments and creams. There's a newer class of drugs called biologics that your doctor may also prescribe

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to help control the condition. For my patients who have chronic eczema, who seem to need those topical treatments on a regular basis,

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some patients will come in, and they say, well, I use the creams. It helps. But as soon as I stop, the eczema comes back. We've worked hard to manage their diet, their clothing,

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and any other triggers that we can identify. But they're still very bothered and affected by their eczema.

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In those patients, it's time to move past topical treatments and think about other measures, like biologics.

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On the holistic side, there are some supplements that are anti-inflammatory that can be very helpful. And your doctor can help guide you through these.

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It also helps to manage your skin in general to make it as healthy and intact as possible. Sometimes we use a combination of these