Pt 3 Patient AOC Handbook

Live Without Eczema

The Handbook for Adults and Older Children

Part 3 – Follow-up

3.1 The Treatment Levels

 Once healing has been thoroughly accomplished, continue with emollients as necessary, discontinue topical steroids after hidden healing is judged complete, and use habit reversal only when needed – but from now on … beware of relapses!

3.2 Acute flare-ups

The fluctuations in the severity of long-standing atopic eczema are now replaced by only short episodes of relapse.

Once healing has been thoroughly accomplished, continue with Level 1 treatment only, as necessary — but beware of relapses!

3.3 Features of relapse

LOOK at, and FEEL the skin daily during convalescence. Recently healed chronic eczema remains unstable for several weeks …

 3.4 Zap the relapse

When an acute relapse is identified — TREAT IT!

Help STAMP OUT chronic eczema…

Remember!
Itch will go if relapse is treated promptly.

3.5 Regime for acute relapses

N.B.

As convalescence progresses the skin becomes more stable …

Look at the skin:

Is there redness, is it dry, rough or itchy?

• The more cautious you are
• The sooner you begin your treatment
• The stronger steroid you use
• The more consistent you are with emollients at the beginning  of treatment

Then…

• The sooner the skin will heal
• The less steroid will be used
• The less trouble you will get with eczema, and with side effects from both eczema and steroids

Then there is only the predisposition to eczema to live with.

Click here for your Follow-Up Schedule: complete this with your practitioner.

Click here for Follow-up Tips

Please Note: Part 3 can usefully include follow-up reviews at six weeks and six months.