A Plan for Treatment

Once eczema is diagnosed, a treatment plan will be made based on:
1)Type and severity of the eczema present
2)Age, health, and medical history (including presence of other conditions)
3)History of previous treatment

The primary goal of treatment is to relieve discomfort by controlling the signs and symptoms. Since eczema is usually dry and itchy, most treatment plans involve applying lotions, creams or ointments to keep the skin as moist as possible. The treatment plan also may require lifestyle modifications and using medication as directed. A topical (applied to the skin) medication may be prescribed to help relieve itching and inflammation. If the skin is infected, a topical or oral antibiotic will be prescribed to kill the bacteria causing the infection. For severe itching, sedative antihistamines are sometimes used. These are available in both prescription and over-the-counter varieties.

Certain types of severe eczema may be treated with phototherapy. Stronger systemic medications, such as corticosteroids and cyclosporine, may be prescribed to treat severe eczema that has been unresponsive to treatment.

Since so many factors affect why a person develops eczema, a treatment plan that works for one person may not effectively control eczema in another person. Sometimes it takes a bit of detective work to find an effective treatment plan.