Book Review: Tell Me more About Atopic Eczema

Tell Me More About Atopic Eczema
by John Berth-Jones and B. Roger Allen

Tell Me More About Atopic Eczema is a very user-friendly book. It can be read in one sitting. The text is easy to follow and there are helpful pictures and diagrams throughout. It is a great introduction to the subject but probably does not offer much new information to patients who have been reading about their condition for years. It does, however, provide a nice summary of information in one handy text.

The book begins with an overview of atopic eczema. The authors differentiate it from other types of eczema, discuss how it is diagnosed, and cover genetic and environmental causes/triggers. They then spend five sections on treatments, discussing emollients, steroids, tar, bandages, ultraviolet light, antihistamines, and systemic drugs for very severe cases. The authors address a few complications, including skin infections, and conclude with a section on "living with eczema." This section includes the traditional suggestions of not overheating your home in winter, avoiding triggers like dust mites, using soap substitutes, applying emollients after showering, and wearing light, cotton clothes.