The Itch: Allergies, Asthma, Eczema & Immunology27 Mar 2025

#106: The Risks and Realities of Steroid Overuse for Eczema

Have you ever wondered if steroids are the best choice for managing your eczema?

While both topical and oral steroids offer quick relief from severe eczema flares, understanding their long-term risks and safer alternatives can dramatically improve your quality of life.

In this episode, Dr. Mondana Ghias joins Kortney and Dr. Gupta to discuss the complex role of systemic corticosteroids in eczema management. They dive deep into the short-term relief that steroids provide for severe eczema symptoms and emphasize why steroids must be approached cautiously due to potential side effects and dependency risks.

Dr. Ghias also highlights the unique challenges of eczema care for individuals with skin of color, addressing differences in treatment response and the common issue of hypopigmentation caused by topical steroids.

What we cover in our episode about steroid use in eczema treatment:

Role of Systemic Steroids: When steroids are necessary and how they quickly manage severe eczema flares.
Risks and Side Effects: Understanding the serious long-term effects of systemic and topical steroids.
Steroid Withdrawal: Recognizing the signs of steroid withdrawal and strategies to manage rebound effects.
Challenges of Topical Steroids for Skin of Color: The unique risks of steroid use and managing hypopigmentation.
Alternatives to Steroids and Innovative Treatments: The rise of biologics and targeted therapies offering safer, long-term solutions.
The Importance of Specialist Care: Working with a dermatologist or allergist will help you find a sustainable long-term management plan.

Made in partnership with The Allergy & Asthma Network. Thanks to Sanofi and Regeneron for sponsoring today’s episode.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for any medical concerns.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(173)

#171 - Rescue Inhaler Changes in the Newest Asthma Guidelines

For decades, the rescue inhaler was simple: feel tight, take a puff, breathe easier. But the newest asthma guidelines have changed what's actually recommended inside that inhaler, shifting away from p...

21 Aug 42min

#170 - When Asthma Peak Week Hits Adults

Most asthma peak week coverage focuses on kids heading back to school. But adults with asthma are just as much at risk, and often don't realize it until they're already in trouble. Kortney and Dr. Pa...

13 Aug 29min

#169 - What a School Nurse Wants Parents to Know About Asthma Peak Week

Every September, doctors see a jump in asthma attacks and ER visits. It's called Asthma Peak Week, and it usually hits the third week of September, right when families are settling into their school r...

6 Aug 41min

#168 - Wildfire Smoke and Your Lungs, What You Need to Know

Wildfire smoke used to feel like someone else's problem. Now it can show up on air quality alerts hundreds of miles from any actual fire, and for anyone with asthma, that hazy sky can mean real troubl...

30 Jul 23min

#167 - How Is Chronic Rhinosinusitis Without Nasal Polyps Diagnosed and Treated?

Chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) is the type that makes up most chronic sinusitis cases. It's often mistaken for allergies, a lingering cold, or migraines, which can delay a proper...

24 Jul 28min

#166 - How Pregnancy and Your Baby's Gut Microbiome Play a Role in Food Allergy Prevention

Food allergy prevention is something most families think about once a baby starts eating. But the gut microbiome begins developing before birth, and what happens during pregnancy matters for the devel...

16 Jul 21min

#165: Gut Microbiome's Role in Food Allergies

You have probably heard the word "microbiome", but what does it actually mean for someone living with a food allergy? Dr. Carina Venter, a registered dietitian, joins us to break down the gut’s role i...

9 Jul 35min

#164 - New Chronic Hives Guidelines: A Look at What's Changing

In this journal club episode, we break down the draft of the Chronic Urticaria Guidelines: 2026 AAAAI/ACAAI Joint Task Force (JTF) on Practice Parameters GRADE- and Institute of Medicine-based recomme...

2 Jul 32min