New Eczema App Helps Track and Record Flare-Ups

Help for Eczema Sufferers

People with food allergies often deal with other allergic conditions such as eczema. There is a new app available for Apple and Android users to help track and record symptom. the app also provides the latest news on eczema. This tool is especially helpful for parents of kids with eczema as well as adults with the condition who are trying to determine the cause of skin flare-ups. 

Eczema affects up to 20% of infants and 3% of children and adults. This itchy skin condition can flare-up for a variety of reasons including certain foods, certain materials or fabrics, household products such as soap, animal dander and even temperature changes. By tracking symptoms, people with eczema can more effectively manage and treat this condition.

The Eczema App is sponsored by Bayer Health Care, maker of Desonate, a topical steroid to treat eczema. While the app does promote Desonate as a treatment, users of the app should talk to their doctor about the best treatment for their condition.

Eczema and Sunflowers?

Sunflowers May be Key in Skin Disorders

Many are familiar with the allergy march- the sequence of symptoms, often beginning in infancy, that start with eczema and move into asthma and allergies. For a detailed explanation of  the progression of the allergy march, check out Dr. Eugene Weinberg's article in the February 2010 CME Journal.

Eczema can severely affect quality of life with its itchy rashes so I was pleased to come across research being done at Queensland University of Technology in Australia. PhD student Simon de Veer and his colleagues are looking at treating eczema with peptides found in sunflowers. By engineering these peptides, researchers are designing inhibitors, which Mr. de Veer claims, are the missing piece of the puzzle for sufferers of skin conditions.

The research will continue to be evaluated over an eight month period. Researchers are hopeful that this study will provide new treatments for sufferers of skin disease. Stay tuned!

Eczema Resources

Treat Eczema

It's a funny word that's easy to misspell, but for those dealing with eczema, there's nothing humorous about it. We've had our share of keeping fingernails super-short so as not to cause cuts when scratching. I once spent a small fortune on the softest sheets imaginable and I think I could buy a pony with all the money I've spent on special laundry detergents and moisturizers over the years.

It is very common for people with food and environmental allergies to also deal with some level of eczema. Here are a few of my favorite eczema related resources:

The National Eczema Association offers support and helpful tips. I really like their suggested list of cleansing and moisturizing products. Their patient conference will be held in Atlanta GA this summer.
The National Eczema Society has a great list of FAQ's.
The Mayo Clinic lists the symptoms, causes, treatments and more for anyone new to eczema.
Penny's World is a cartoon site for kids to learn all about eczema and how to treat it.
It's An Itchy Little World is a blog filled with tips and additional eczema resources.

Did I miss any of your favorite eczema places?

Eczema Drugs Linked to Cancer Risk

There is a scary warning about two common drugs used for eczema. The FDA is recommending warning labels for the skin creams Elidel® and Protpic®. They may cause cancer.

I suspect that many of you were told, as we were, that these two creams were the best treatment on the market for our children's eczema, since they were non-steroid based. We switched to these creams when we noticed some loss of pigment on some areas of the leg. "That's from the steroid cream you're using to treat the eczema," our allergist said. Two new (at the time) creams were recommended to us.

Now we find out that these creams have caused cancer in animals involved in a study. Human study results will be unknown for 10 years.

So we wait?

If you are still using either cream, I suggest speaking to your allergist or dermatologist about risks and benefits. They are not being pulled off the market and doctors seem to believe they have a place in eczema treatment.

They are not, though, the "miracle drug" I was led to believe they were...