The Search for Treatment and Cure for Eczema

Dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, is a condition of skin inflammation. It is characterized as itchy, dry red patches on the skin, oftentimes located around the neck, creases of elbows, back of the knees and etc. In the United States alone there are 31.6 million affected by eczema. 17.8 million have moderate to severe eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis. There is a 10.7% chance of childhood eczema in the US and about 1 out of every three children will be diagnosed with moderate to severe eczema (Eczema Prevalence in the United States). Currently, it is unknown what the cause of eczema is. Sometimes it can be classified as a symptom while in other cases it is a condition. The fact that there are so make known cases of eczema and the lack of better treatment options is due to the incomplete understanding of the disease itself. Today doctors, scientists and researchers from different fields of study are coming together, searching for the causes for this condition to help better understand and prevent it as well as help find a better treatment option, which important to cure the epidemic of eczema and the disease itself.

Eczema can be characterized differently for each person. It can look different and or be located on different areas of the body at a time. The eczema can be mild, moderate, or severe. In most cases eczema symptoms are characterized as dry and sensitive skin. Another common symptom includes intense itchiness. This can lead to scratching, which can cause the affected area to bleed, which tends to worsen the inflammation and the itch as well. This is known as the itch scratch cycle (Causes & Triggers).

In the article “Our Body the Ecosystem: Understanding the Interplay Between Man and Microbe”, written by Virginia Hughes, a 14-year old boy named Jake Harvey is introduced. He goes to the National Institute of Health located in Bethesda, Maryland where he takes part in aiding the research for the Human Microbiome Project. Researchers and dermatologist Heidi Kong and geneticist Julie Segre take lead in this project. Here, Jake is asked question pertaining to his daily life, followed by a collection of samples from his eczema and then doctors check his vitals. His samples are then sent to labs for further testing.

Part of the Human Microbiome Project is creating a reference database that consists of 3,000 distinct bacterial species including their genetic fingerprints. It is also crucial to the project that they characterize the makeup of the microbial communities of 300 healthy people (Hughes). They then compare results to those of people with specific medical conditions, one being eczema. The samples taken from Jake, and other children with eczema, will help diagnose whether skin flora and how it reacts with the human immune system are correlated to the rise in rate of the disease. Within the last 30 years, eczema diagnoses has tripled (Hughes). Segre believes that because of the rate of this rising that is must be linked to the gene-environment interaction which she thinks is stemmed from the body’s bacteria.

The National Eczema Association believes that eczema, in some cases, can be inherited. Whereas in other cases it can be linked to allergic diseases, for example hay fever or asthma. These three conditions are known as the atopic triad. Like mentioned before the exact cause for eczema is unknown but there are known triggers. Irritants, such as soaps, detergents, and disinfectants can make eczema symptoms worse. Being exposed to allergens like pets, dust mites, or pollen can also cause symptoms. The humidity and perspiration is also linked to eczema as well. Food allergens, most likely before the age of one, can cause atopic dermatitis. Some studies found that one third to almost two thirds of children with atopic dermatitis also had food allergies.

Treatments for eczema are also available but are unsatisfactory. Patients who take prescription medication say the treatment was ineffect or and cause side effects. Other treatments include over the counter remedies sold at drugstores to help alleviate the itch. Some even use herbal treatments to help cure the itch of eczema. It’s important for eczema patients to take care of their skin, especially the affected areas. Taking warm, rather than hot, baths then applying lotion or moisturizer will remedy the itch. The National Eczema Association believes that taking care of your skin will benefit in the effectiveness of prescription medication treatments.

Over 30 million people in the United States are affected by eczema. I consider this to be an epidemic. Millions of lives are affected and the fact that a cure hasn’t be created is tragic. Finding a cure for this condition and disease can change the lives of so many people. Therefore, the research that is being done currently needs to be continued and prevail.

Like mentioned before, there is a 10.7% probability of childhood eczema. Some grow out of it while others don’t. I believe finding a cure is important because of the effects the condition and symptoms of eczema can have on children and young adults. It can affect physical appearance causing embarrassment. Growing up is hard enough for children but to add a physical abnormality can have a very cruel toll on children. To find a cure for eczema can help create a better life for patients and their loved ones.

Treatments for eczema are lacking. I do not be they are enough to mitigate the conditions of this disease. If not finding a cure, creating a better, more effective treatment is needed. Many patients feel that the itch from this disease is never fully eased. I think finding a treatment that alleviates the itch is what’s important. If the itch is lessened then the scratching will subside and if the scratching stops that rashes should cure itself. Therefore the better treatment for eczema should be to create a more powerful itch relieving solution.

It is interesting to see how many lives are affected by eczema. Understanding the severity of some cases of this disease helps shed light on how important it is to find a cure for eczema.The researchers and doctors aiding the search to the cure for eczema are doing very important and praised work. Eczema affects the physical appearances which can in turn create self-consciousness. The instances of eczema in young patients, such as 14-year old Jake Harvey, can have an even harsher effect to overcome while growing up. Finding a cure to this condition will help to relieve those young affected lives. Having cured eczema would give much comfort to those with this disease.

In conclusion, finding a cure or better treatment method is important. Eczema should be considered a serious condition due to the amount of lives that are and have been affected. More should be done to understand this disease because currently, not much has been done to help create a better life for people dealing with eczema. The more research that is done on eczema the more we will understand about the disease. Having a better understand of this condition will be beneficial in the search to create new treatment options and get closer to finding a cure. So many lives are affected by this disease therefore finding a cure is crucial in order to help those with eczema.

Work Cited & Bibliography

Ben-Shoshan, Moshe, et al. "Eczema In Early Childhood, Sociodemographic Factors And Lifestyle Habits Are Associated With Food Allergy: A Nested Case-Control Study." International Archives Of Allergy And Immunology 166.3 (2015): 199-207. MEDLINE. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.

"Causes & Triggers." National Eczema Association. N.p., 15 Aug. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

"Eczema." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

"Eczema Prevalence in the United States." National Eczema Association. N.p., 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.

Hughes, Virginia. "Our Body the Ecosystem: Understanding the Interplay between Man and Microbe." Popular Science. N.p., 7 Mar. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

Meffert, Jeffrey John, MD, and Melissa Conrad Stoppler, MD. "Eczema Causes, Symptoms, Treatment-

Eczema Symptoms and Signs - EMedicineHealth." EMedicineHealth. N.p., 12 May 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.