This post is sponsored by Med-IQ.

2020 inexplicably keeps progressing. Somehow, it’s nearly the fall. And while I am always thrilled to see the heat of the summer in the rear-view by the time September rolls around, I do start to get a little worried about some of the things cooler and drier air brings our family. If you or anyone in your family deals with eczema or atopic dermatitis, you probably do, too.

October is quickly approaching, and it is Eczema Awareness Month. I’ve partnered with Med-IQ- an accredited medical education company- to make sure you all know about eczema (or atopic dermatitis) signs & symptoms, and that we empower you to seek treatment. 

WAIT, DON’T BOUNCE! I know, you’ve just realized you’re reading a sponsored post about a skin condition, and you’re probably like, wow, this is not going to be entertaining. But! It IS going to be full of a lot of really valuable information about a condition that impacts more than 31 million Americans,  AND there is a link at the bottom that will take you to a survey. After you fill it out, you’ll have the chance to enter to win a $100 Visa gift card. 

While eczema/atopic dermatitis can occur any time of year, it is generally worse for people who experience it in the winter months. If you’ve dealt with it in the past, but have put off treatment, now is a great time to get ahead of it and get in to see your doctor. 

 And if you or your children haven’t experienced it, it’s still a great time to learn about the signs and symptoms so you’ll know what it is if it does affect someone in your household. You can learn more (and check out some pictures) from the American Academy of Dermatology. 

Atopic eczema is chronic and does not just go away on its own! It can even increase the risk of infections, and being chronically itchy can definitely impact you or your child’s quality of life. We want you to feel empowered to seek treatment because while it may be a life-long condition, it can be managed.

If you think your child is dealing with eczema, you can always start by discussing it with their pediatrician. Peter A. Lio, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine encourages parents to seek treatment with a dermatologist if a child isn’t getting better. Adults can also seek treatment from a dermatologist. 

Treatments can be as simple as warm baths, preventatively moisturizing, and avoiding triggers. I’ll be doing a second blog post in the coming months to discuss traditional and new treatments for eczema and atopic dermatitis. 

In the meantime, take care of yourselves! I know the stress of this moment in time can be a lot most days, and that can make conditions like eczema worse. Nobody wants to live with discomfort like chronically itchy skin. I hope you’ll feel empowered to talk to your doctor. 

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. 

Links to external sites are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only. They are not intended and should not be construed as legal or medical advice, nor are they endorsements of any organization. Med-IQ bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of any external site. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

I was compensated by Med-IQ through an educational grant from Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to write about the signs, symptoms, and treatments available for eczema/atopic dermatitis. All opinions are my own.