Learning More About Atopic Dermatitis

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This is a sponsored post on behalf of Med-IQ. I was compensated by Med-IQ through an educational grant from Pfizer, Inc. to write about the signs, symptoms, and treatments available for eczema/atopic dermatitis in communities of color. All opinions are my own. 

When I was younger, I really thought there was something wrong with me.

I had so many things that I was struggling with physically — from allergies, asthma, awkward late bloomer experiences, and more. 

One of my biggest issues was with my skin. The dryness, the rashes, and sometimes the pain I felt made me think there was no way I could be a “normal” kid.

We learned that I had atopic dermatitis, which is a form of eczema. 

Once we had answers, I finally felt at ease. What’s even more interesting is that I wasn’t the first person in my family to have atopic dermatitis.

Once I had my first child, and we found out that he also had atopic dermatitis, I felt more prepared. I knew what the skin condition was, and the avenues I could take to remedy it.

I decided to partner with Med-IQ to learn even more about atopic dermatitis, and share the signs and symptoms associated with it.

Atopic dermatitis, which is one of many eczema conditions, is a red, itchy rash that can happen any time of the year. 

It’s often assumed that it’s worse in the winter, but for some patients it can worsen in the summer due to heat and humidity.

What causes eczema?

This was a question I wanted to learn from Med-IQ, which is an accredited medical educational company that provides an exceptional educational experience for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals.

Some patients may have a genetic predisposition that causes their skin to be more reactive, more prone to allergic factors on the surface of the skin which can trigger redness, scaling, bumpiness and itch. 

This fact completely intrigued me since 2 of my children have atopic dermatitis: Doctors consider the “atopic triad” – asthma, seasonal allergies and atopic dermatitis.  These conditions are often seen together in patients with atopic dermatitis or patients often have a family member with one or more of those conditions. 

Since I experienced that atopic triad at an early age, it was eye-opening to me that my kids were more susceptible to having atopic dermatitis. 

Hereditary Parallels to Atopic Dermatitis

Like I mentioned, since I experienced atopic dermatitis at a young age, I was prepared when our oldest was diagnosed. 

What I didn’t realize is how much family history and even demographics play a part in an atopic dermatitis diagnosis.

African-American, Black and Hispanic kids are more likely to have severe disease than white children. 

I also learned that nummular eczema is often misdiagnosed as ringworm in patients of color. It presents as circular rashes and it can occur along with atopic dermatitis.

There were so many other facts I learned about the correlation of eczema and the African American community. I’ll share these lessons in a future post.

Med-IQ is looking for your input, and there’s a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card! All of the details are listed below. 

Med-IQ is conducting an anonymous survey and would appreciate your input. The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Survey responses are shared only in aggregate. Your responses to these survey questions will provide Med-IQ with important information about your experiences with atopic dermatitis, which will help us develop future educational initiatives. Once you’ve completed the survey, you will have the option of providing your email address to be entered into a drawing administered by SOMA Strategies to win 1 of 10 $100 VISA gift cards. If you choose to enter, your email address will be used only to randomly draw the winners and notify them of their prize and to send a follow-up survey as part of this same initiative. 

Do you or someone in your family have atopic dermatitis, or some other form of eczema? Share with us below.