The UAE weather is now undergoing a transition from cold to warm temperatures, with March 21 identified as the first day of the spring equinox, according to the National Center of Meteorology.

As colder days come to an end in the country, experts are again warning residents about the sweltering heat ahead, which is one of the main triggers of eczema, a common skin disease worldwide.

“Kristine,” 31, an OFW working for several years now in the UAE, first ignored an irritating itch in her forearms last November; Then the reddish, dry skin condition had slowly spread on her wrist, fingers and palms.

At that point, she began applying lotion and other ointments to help moisturize her skin, but none of these effectively took the itching and redness away. So she decided to consult it with a dermatologist.

Dr. Saima Anwar, dermatologist at Harley International Medical Clinic at Al Barsha in Dubai, identified Kristine’s skin condition as eczema. She recalled: “The itch was causing a disturbance in her sleep, and she applied lotions, but nothing was working.”

She added: “Her treatment was composed of using the right products such as topical corticosteroid creams for one to two weeks. I also advised her to avoid using liquid dishwashing detergents and to avoid washing anything with bare hands. I also asked her to use antihistamines to avoid the sensation of itching and to use lotions and emollients to help her condition.”

Breakthrough treatment

The UAE excels in eczema treatment by using tailored or individualized regimen for every patient.

For severe cases, there are now injections to effectively help eczema patients recover from the disease that’s beyond skin deep, according to Dr. Anwar Al Hammadi, President of Emirates Dermatology Society, Adjunct Clinical Associate and Professor of Dermatology at Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), Dubai.

One of these major breakthrough treatments against eczema that’s being used in the UAE is Dupixent® (dupilumab). The injection treatment is the brainchild of Sanofi, a global pharmaceutical company that has given new hope for individuals suffering from moderate to severe cases of eczema to live normal, better lives.

The UAE is one of only five countries or regions in the world to offer the medicine, which was introduced and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in March 2017 and the European Medicine Agency in July 2017. Patients are injected with the drug every two weeks, as per the recommendation of their doctor. Other countries that offer Dupixent include North America, Japan, the Netherlands, and Germany. This treatment currently serves as the go-to medicine for patients whose bodies are unable to respond to therapy methods along with regular medications.

“This treatment has made a real change in the lives of people with severe cases. Now, with confidence, I assure patients with severe cases that their lives will improve as there are now treatments, not just creams,” said Dr. Al Hammadi during the webinar for World Eczema Day initiated by the Living with Eczema network and Sanofi.

Considering that eczema is a chronic disease, injection treatments are taken regularly depending on the patient’s needs and other factors as determined by their dermatologist. “The injection must be taken every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks, depending on the age of the patient, because the treatment of eczema must be continuous,” explained Dr Al Hammadi.

He furthered that while mild cases may still be treated with topical treatment and conventional therapy, the injection treatment has been proven safe and made available for younger patients as well.

“This is a new therapy, biological therapy, used intradermally once every 2 weeks for adults. It is also now approved for use from age of 6 onwards,” he said, adding that they started providing the treatment for members aged 18 and above four years ago. They then started to administer it to adolescent patients aged 12 about two years ago. Now, they are also offering the treatment to patients aged 6.

“It is highly effective and safe. For me, as a dermatologist, when I look for therapy or treatments, I’m looking for two things: safety, and is it effective? Because what’s the point of having something safe but not effective?” added Dr Al Hammadi.

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