Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)

Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that makes your skin red and itchy, and tends to flare up periodically. It's often accompanied by asthma and food allergies.

Signs You Should Get Help for Atopic Dermatitis

Doctors at RUSH can examine your symptoms and determine if you have allergies or other underlying causes that are contributing to your symptoms and making your eczema worse. You should see your dermatologist if you have these symptoms:

• Dry and itchy skin
• A red rash, particularly on your face, in the folds of your arms and on the backs of your knees, or on your hands and feet

Atopic Dermatitis Treatment at RUSH

During your initial visit, your dermatologist will discuss potential allergens causing your skin soreness, inflammation or redness.

• Patch testing: You will then undergo patch testing over a series of appointments to determine the exact cause. During a patch test, a doctor puts small amounts of suspected irritants or allergens on your skin to determine which ones are causing flares.
• Avoiding irritants: Your doctor will discuss allergens you should avoid.
• Skin products: Your doctor will recommend skincare products that are safe to use, such as mild skin cleansers and moisturizers that might calm skin and lower the risk of flares.
• Medications: You may need topical and oral medications that can help reduce inflammation.
• Light therapy: Your doctor may recommend light therapy treatment, which can help prevent the exaggerated immune response that leads to inflammation

While there are no cures for eczema, our dermatologists will attempt to manage it as best as possible. Every case of eczema is different, so our RUSH dermatologists, along with immunologists and other experts, will create a personalized treatment plan that will work for you and your lifestyle.

RUSH Excellence in Atopic Dermatitis Care

• Additional treatment options through research: Experts at RUSH are very active in clinical research for the treatment of eczema, which gives you access to improved treatments that you might not have elsewhere.
• A multidisciplinary team of experts focused on you: Many of our dermatologists have additional training in internal medicine and work closely with our allergy and immunology specialists to provide personalized care and diagnose and treat underlying conditions that may be causing or contributing to your eczema symptoms. You can get comprehensive allergy testing to determine which substances might be triggering flares in your eczema.