ANNOUNCER: Eczema is a chronic skin condition which can mean itchy, dry skin. It can erupt into lesions or, over time, thicken into scales. The condition affects both children and adults. Treatment often depends on the age of the person and where the eczema is located.
SHEILA FRIEDLANDER, MD: Children, very little babies tend to have involvement in the cheeks and involvements in the surface of the arms, the surface of the legs.
As people become older, the disease tends to localize in new sites. Often the creases, in the creases both behind the knees and behind the elbows are very common sites of involvement.
ANNOUNCER: Of course everyone wants to avoid an outbreak.
A. PAUL KELLY, MD: The first line of defense usually is something to keep the skin from being this dry. So we use lubricating creams or ointments. In the wintertime, when it's cold, you use an ointment to lubricate the skin. In the summertime, you might want to use a cream or a lotion, so you don't plug the pores.
ANNOUNCER: Until recently, the most frequently used therapy for flare-ups was steroid creams or ointments.
A. PAUL KELLY, MD: If the person is flaring and they have lesions, then what we like to do is use topical steroids, that's usually our next choice. And you have many classes, class basically 1 through 6, with 1 being the most potent.
