Eczema and hives

• Can I talk to a doctor on Gotodoctor.ca about eczema and hives?

Yes, Gotodoctor.ca provides virtual care services for eczema and hives. A doctor will take a comprehensive in-depth history and may provide you with prescriptions. Depending on the severity of symptoms further recommendations will be provided. If a patient is suffering from severe eczema the doctor will direct him/her to clinic treatment.

• What is eczema?

Eczema can vary from mild skin rash to a serious form along with itching and extremely dry skin^[1]. Weak immune systems with less efficient skin barriers allow more germs to pass in and reside under the skin protective layering, leading to eczema^[2]. Usually, eczema patients have a history of allergies and hypersensitive reactions of the body, asthma and respiratory allergies^[3][4].

• What are the symptoms of eczema and hives?

Eczema and hives can be presented simultaneously with hay fever, skin rashes, dryness and red-spotted skin if there is underlying inflammation. A doctor will be able to diagnose eczema and hives by identifying characteristic symptoms. Symptoms associated with eczema and hives are red itching skin, stings, itchy bumps as hives and fluid-filled blisters. If left untreated, skin may become scaly^{[5][6][7, 8]}.

• How are eczema and hives treated?

A doctor decides on treatment after taking a comprehensive history of the patient. First of all, life-threatening conditions are excluded by the doctor at the clinic. Analgesic medications may be prescribed to make the patient free of pain^[9]. Prescriptions for anti-allergic medications such as antihistamine medications may be provided for the patients that suffers from severe hypersensitive reactions^{[10, 11]}.

• How can an online doctor on Gotodoctor.ca treat eczema and hives?

Online doctors on Gotodoctor.ca treat eczema and hives through virtual care services. An appointment can be easily made with an online doctor. Eczema and hives can be treated via virtual care methods^{[7, 10-17]}. Dermatitis and severe skin reactions should be excluded^[18]. An online doctor will take a comprehensive history of your signs and symptoms and may provide you with prescriptions. Prescriptions can be obtained by online doctors. Virtual care services provided by Gotodoctor.ca assure comfort, convenience and a higher level of care for the patient.

References

1. Williams, H., et al., Is eczema really on the increase worldwide? Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2008. 121(4): p. 947-954. e15.
2. Meding, B., Epidemiology of hand eczema in an industrial city. Acta dermato-venereologica. Supplementum, 1990. 153: p. 1-43.
3. Meding, B. and G. Swanbeck, Consequences of having hand eczema. Contact dermatitis, 1990. 23(1): p. 6-14.
4. Sohn, A., et al., Eczema. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine: A Journal of Translational and Personalized Medicine, 2011. 78(5): p. 730-739.
5. Falade, A., et al., Prevalence and severity of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhino-conjunctivitis and atopic eczema in secondary school children in Ibadan, Nigeria. East African medical journal, 1998. 75(12): p. 695-698.
6. Camargos, A.M., et al., Prevalence of symptoms of eczema in Latin America: results of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase 3. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol, 2010. 20(4): p. 311-323.
7. Eaton, L.H., et al., Development and implementation of a telehealth-enhanced intervention for pain and symptom management. Contemporary clinical trials, 2014. 38(2): p. 213-220.
8. Staub, G.M., J. von Overbeck, and E. Blozik, Teleconsultation in children with abdominal pain: a comparison of physician triage recommendations and an established paediatric telephone triage protocol. BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2013. 13: p. 110-110.
9. Hoare, C., A.L.W. Po, and H. Williams, Systematic review of treatments for atopic eczema. Health technology assessment (Winchester, England), 2000. 4(37): p. 1.
10. Almathami, H.K.Y., K.T. Win, and E. Vlahu-Gjorgievska, Barriers and Facilitators That Influence Telemedicine-Based, Real-Time, Online Consultation at Patients’ Homes: Systematic Literature Review. J Med Internet Res, 2020. 22(2): p. e16407.
11. Deldar, K., K. Bahaadinbeigy, and S.M. Tara, Teleconsultation and Clinical Decision Making: a Systematic Review. Acta informatica medica : AIM : journal of the Society for Medical Informatics of Bosnia & Herzegovina : casopis Drustva za medicinsku informatiku BiH, 2016. 24(4): p. 286-292.
12. Gunasekeran, D.V., et al., Evaluating Safety and Efficacy of Follow-up for Patients With Abdominal Pain Using Video Consultation (SAVED Study): Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of medical Internet research, 2020. 22(6): p. e17417-e17417.
13. Myers, D.R., et al., Towards remote assessment and screening of acute abdominal pain using only a smartphone with native accelerometers. Scientific Reports, 2017. 7(1): p. 12750.
14. Staub, G., J. Overbeck, and E. Blozik, Teleconsultation in children with abdominal pain: A comparison of physician triage recommendations and an established paediatric telephone triage protocol. BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2013. 13: p. 110.
15. Bokolo Anthony, J., Use of Telemedicine and Virtual Care for Remote Treatment in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Medical Systems, 2020. 44(7): p. 132.
16. Wang, X., et al., Impact of Telemedicine on Healthcare Service System Considering Patients’ Choice. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 2019. 2019: p. 7642176.
17. Williams, O.E., et al., The use of telemedicine to enhance secondary care: some lessons from the front line. Future healthcare journal, 2017. 4(2): p. 109-114.
18. Vaghef-Davari, F., et al., Approach to Acute Abdominal Pain: Practical Algorithms. Advanced journal of emergency medicine, 2019. 4(2): p. e29-e29.