October is National Eczema Awareness Month, the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at this extremely common dermatologic condition and promote necessary awareness.
Eczema affects approximately 30 million people in the U.S. of which Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is the most common form. It is further estimated that one in 10 people will develop eczema in their lifetime with prevalence peaking during early childhood. And although eczema affects people of all races and ethnicities, it is widely recognized that the condition may present itself differently in different skin tones.
As providers, one of the best ways to care for your patients is to stay abreast of the latest therapies and treatment methods. In so doing, you can evaluate what works best and how to approach an effective treatment plan with your patient, keeping in mind that many AD patients suffer from comorbid conditions.
According to Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD, one of LiVDerm’s expert faculty and physician-scientist at Yale University,
“I always like hearing what my patients are feeling because it helps me know, what is the medicine that might be best for you? What’s the amount of risk that you as a patient are willing to take? What is safe for you given other comorbidities you might have? And I take all of that into account. And that’s part of the patient-oriented care that I think all of us in dermatology strive to give.”
Fortunately, thanks to recent studies and advances, there are a variety of new treatment options for AD sufferers.
Dr. Bunick states, “Right now we have more agents available than we ever had to help patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis…For the patient with severe eczema, I tell them it is the era of good news because now we have more medicines than ever.”
In an August interview with Dr. Bunick at the South Beach Symposium in Miami Beach, he shared some key takeaways from his session on IL-13 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis.
Peter A. Lio, MD, another of LiVDerm’s top-level faculty and Founding Director of the Chicago Integrated Eczema Center, also shared his own clinical expertise on the subject.
You can tune in to both insightful interviews below.
For even more free AD resources, visit our Atopic Dermatitis Digital Education Hub and get started with several free activities.
You can do your part in supporting eczema awareness by taking advantage of some of our complimentary resources to enhance your knowledge about this common inflammatory disease.
