Eczema

Eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis) is chronic inflammation of the skin.  Though many people think of eczema as an issue for the dermatologist, it is often a symptom of a deeper problem:  allergies.

When the body encounters allergens (pollen, allergenic foods, etc.), it can misinterpret them as invading enemies and try to fight them off by releasing chemicals into the body.  These chemicals can lead to inflammation of the skin which leads to the below symptoms:

Signs of Eczema:

  • Red patches
  • Itching
  • Raised bumps that may ooze and crust over
  • Thickened, cracked or scaly skin
  • Infected sores

One in 10 children has eczema, but half of those children will outgrow the skin condition by the time they reach adolescence.  The rest may continue to suffer with eczema through their adult life.

Managing Eczema:

If eczema is lowering the quality of your life, consult a physician.  Skin creams, antihistamines and oral corticosteroids can help manage the symptoms of eczema.  If the eczema is caused by allergies, however, symptoms will likely continue to recur without the intervention of allergy immunotherapyContact AllergyEasy to find out if you would be a candidate for allergy testing and treatment, including “no-shots” treatment using sublingual immunotherapy (safer and more convenient than shots).

About The Author

Stuart H. Agren, M.D.

Stuart H. Agren, M.D. completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Utah and went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine from Tulane University School of Medicine in 1974. He completed additional training at L.D.S. Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah and then established his private medical practice starting in 1975. Dr. Agren completed a mini-residency in Industrial Medicine at the Robert Johnson School of Medicine at Rutgers University and also completed training to become a certified Medical Review Officer.

Dr. Agren was the Medical Director at TRW and McDonnell Douglas in Mesa, Arizona and at Stauffer Chemical and Kennecott Copper in Salt Lake City, Utah. He also served as an adjunct faculty member at Arizona State University.

In his private medical practice, Dr. Agren specialized in family practice and allergy. In his work as a private practice allergist, he was one of the first doctors in the country to prescribe sublingual immunotherapy to his patients as an alternative to subcutaneous immunotherapy (allergy shots). He has also been a trailblazer in the field of food allergy treatment and research, developing a program to treat multiple food allergies simultaneously using sublingual immunotherapy. Dr. Agren has been featured on local CBS, NBC, and ABC news affiliates and won the peer-nominated “Top Doc” award from Phoenix Magazine.

After 20 years in private practice, Dr. Agren became the Founder and President of AllergyEasy, which helps primary care physicians around the country offer allergy testing and sublingual immunotherapy treatment to their patients. Over 200 physicians in over 32 states use the AllergyEasy program to help their patients overcome environmental and food allergies and asthma.