05/14/2020
Want to learn what causes eczema, how to treat eczema and what you can do for your skin? Learn more about eczema in ASL!
**TRANSCRIPT**
Title: “What is Eczema? Q&A with Dr. Nertomb in ASL” on beige pinstripe background.
Speaker description: Dr. Nertomb; olive skinned female, brown hair tied back, copper coloured top and black cardigan on white background.
Hello! My name is Dr. Jessica Nertomb. I’ve been asked what is eczema? I’m going to give an overview of eczema. It is a chronic skin disease that results in red, itchy skin. It can be thick and scaly. It usually begins in infancy and changes its presentation with time.
What are some causes of eczema. There is a known genetic component to it. If a family member has it, it can be passed down. Your immune system as well as environmental factors can also cause eczema.
Imagine bricks laid out together without grout to seal them together. Now think about your skin cells lined out side by side without a seal. They are missing the junctions necessary to protect the skin from the outside world. So when it’s compromised, environmental particles such as trees, pollen and food can pe*****te through the skin and trigger an immune response, resulting in red, itchy, dry and scaly skin.
If you have eczema along with asthma and hay fever to things like pollen, trees, grass, dust cats and dogs, they can all be related. Foods are known to flare up your eczema. There is no scientific evidence that supports the theory that foods causes eczema. What we do know is that it can trigger your eczema to flare-up.
There are ways to manage your eczema, just like other chronic diseases. There are lifestyle modifications to improve your skin health. Always have lukewarm showers as hot water strips the natural oils from your skin.
After bathing or showering, always apply your preferred moisturizer. If you already have eczema, it’s best to go fragrance-free. There are up to 3000 different fragrances, but we have no idea what combination is used in the product. It is the company’s proprietary. It can contain chemicals and common plant products. It’s best to avoid it in your soaps, moisturizers and shampoos.
If moisturizers do not work, the next step is to use medicated topicals that range from lotions for your scalp, creams for your body which isn’t so greasy. But ointment based topical are best. Remember skin with eczema is like those “bricks that don’t have grout”. Your skin need a barrier to protect it from the environment. Imagine wearing a cheap rain jacket. Using more water based products such as lotions and creams will not offer the same protection a durable waterproof jacket or ointment would. So your immune system won’t react as the outside environment can’t pe*****te your skin.
Unfortunately some people have severe eczema and require oral medications to calm down their immune responses that causes significant skin disease.
There is a treatment ladder for managing your eczema. When lifestyle modifications and moisturizers aren’t enough to treat the thick, scaling skin, the next step up the ladder is use medicated topical which have steroids to decrease inflammation. Oral medication is the last step to manage severe skin disease.
You may have noticed that the sun, going to hot and humid countries help your skin. Wintertime usually exacerbates your eczema because of the cold temperature and dry weather.
There are different types of eczema. Hand eczema is commonly seen in health care workers who wash their hands frequently. With the COVID-19 pandemic this is a common problem.
You can have allergic contact eczema from things like nickel and cobalt that is found in cosmetic (cheap) jewelry and belts. It can result in itchy, red skin like eczema. There are several types of eczema. And that’s all for eczema today!
