Thank you for the question. Eczema is a chronic skin disease which can range in severity from mild to severe.
The choice of treatment is to start with topical medications like gentle cleanser, moisturisers and steroid and non steroid creams. Avoidance of irritants and triggers like scratching and treating underlying infection are also very important. In most cases, the eczema can be controlled on topical treatment alone.
In more treatment resistant cases and in moderate to severe eczema, topical treatment alone may not be able to control the eczema. In these cases, oral immunosuppressants can be used. They can help to control the eczema and prevent or reduce the frrquency of relapses. They do have side effects on liver, kidneys etc and your doctor will discuss with you about these side effects and do some baseline blood tests before proceeding with the treatment.
There is a new biologic treatment called dupilumab that is FDA approved for the treatment of moderate to severe eczema. This biologic treament is much less immunosuppressive than traditional systemic treatment and is a welcome new treatment option for people with moderate to severe eczema.
