Is There a Cure for Eczema? Do Compounding Pharmacies Know the Cure?
Eczema or Atopic Dermatitis is a generic and chronic skin condition that can turn the skin red and tickly. Commonly, eczema affects children, but it can occur at any age. Usually, eczema occurs before age 5. Atopic Dermatitis can last till adolescence and adulthood. It’s a chronic condition, and its symptoms can blaze up now and then. There isn’t any cure for eczema to date; however, various treatments for the problem are available. Hopefully, compounding pharmacies will devise the solution for eczema over time, identical to remedies they have developed for certain patients.
Signs and Symptoms of Eczema
Signs and symptoms of eczema differ from person to person, and they may embrace:
- Dry skin
- Itching and even severe itching t nighttime
- Red to brownish-gray patches on hands, feet, ankles, upper chest, eyelids, and areas where elbows and knees bend. Infants can also have patches on the face and scalp.
- Small raised bumps that may leak fluid to cause crust with scratching
- Thick and cracked scaly skin
- Sensitive and swollen skin because of over scratching.
How Can Eczema Cause Complications?
The most common cause of eczema is linked to a gene variation that influences the skin’s ability to sustain moisture. As a result, it also affects the body to avert bacteria, irritants, and allergens. Food allergies are also a possible cause of eczema in children. Sweat, stress, obesity, soap/detergents, dust/pollen, and certain foods can trigger eczema. Personal or family history of eczema, allergies, hay fever, or asthma are risk factors of the disease. There are diverse complications of eczema. Eczema can dispose people to various conditions and complications, as mentioned below:
Asthma and Hay Fever:
Exceeding fifty percent of young children with eczema can run into asthma and hay fever when they turn 13.
Skin Infections:
Scratching the skin repeatedly with eczema leads to skin infections while letting bacteria and viruses entering into the body.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis:
More likely, people with eczema acquire allergic contact dermatitis.
Chronic Itchy and Scaly Skin:
Eczema affected skin may lead to prompt and constant itching. Moreover, some people may continue itching the skin and scratching it out, making it look discoloured, thick, and leather-like.
Available Treatments for Eczema
The available treatments for eczema are topical therapies and systematic therapies. Here’s what you need to know about them:
Topical Therapies:
Topical therapies are conducted to control itching and reduce inflammation. Corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors are used for this purpose.
Corticosteroids:
Topical steroids play a vital role in first-line therapies or topical therapies for eczema. The strength of steroids is contingent on the affected area. For example, low potency steroids are suitable against mild eczema, particularly on the face, neck, and skin folds. Similarly, medium-high potency steroids are appropriate for moderate eczema against acute flares. Patients have to apply corticosteroids once or twice daily. Side effects of topical steroids are thinning of the skin. Here are different potencies of topical steroids:
Low Potency:
Desonide 0.05%, Hydrocortisone 2.5%
Medium Potency:
Triamcinolone 0.1%, Fluocinolone 0.025%
High Potency:
Fluocinonide 0.05%, Triamcinolone 0.5%
Calcineurin Inhibitors:
Topical calcineurin inhibitors lessen inflammation and often serve as an alternative to corticosteroids. Particularly, patients have to apply these topicals on the face and skin folds. Additionally, using them for the long term can lead to skin cancer. Patients need to apply them twice a day, and these topicals have side effects, like burning and stinging.
Thus, topical therapies aren’t a permanent solution against eczema; hopefully, compounding pharmacies may find the solution with time.
Systemic Therapies:
These therapies include oral therapies and injectable biologics.
Oral Therapies:
Severe eczema patients need to undergo oral therapies with antibiotics and corticosteroids. Antibiotics are helpful when the skin develops a bacterial infection because of intense scratching and open skin. In addition, oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone, serve as an aid when topical therapies are ineffective.
Injectable Biologics:
Severe eczema patients who don’t respond well to the other treatments have to rely on injectable biologics. Injectable biologics work while altering the immune system.
How to Prevent Eczema Flares
Preventing eczema flares is essential to prevent flares and maintain moisture in the skin. Here’s how to prevent eczema flares:
- Apply moisturizer to the skin at least two times a day
- Spot and evade triggers that worsen eczema
- Take shorter baths or showers and use warm water
- Use gentle soaps
- Dry the skin prudently to evade irritating the skin further
Besides, Aurora Compounding is a reliable compounding pharmacy that offers satisfactory compounding solutions to people against pain, allergies, and more. Hence, you may consider its compound medications when traditional medicines fail to provide you relief from certain health conditions.
Conclusion
Eczema or Atopic Dermatitis is a common and chronic skin condition that can make skin red or itchy. Besides, there’s no exact cure for the disease to date. Eczema can occur in children under age 5, especially if they have a family history of eczema. Some eczema symptoms include dry skin, itching, etc. Moreover, eczema can lead to complications, such as asthma, hay fever, skin infections, allergic contact dermatitis, and scaly skin. Topical therapies and systematic therapies are the available treatments. Possibly, compounding pharmacies will develop a cure for the disease over time.
