Gil Yosipovitch, M.D. is a dermatologist and Director of the Miami Itch Center at the Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, part of the University of Miami Health System. For more information about treating skin diseases and chronic itch, click here or visit the UHealth blog.
MEET RACHAEL BRONSTEIN:
When Rachael Bronstein’s skin broke out in red itchy rashes she wanted to hide from the world.
“I was really at a loss. Crying, taking showers, crying my skin hurt so bad just in water,” says Rachael.
Rachael went to see Gil Yosipovitch, M.D., a dermatologist and the Director of the Miami Itch Center at the Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, part of the University of Miami Health System, who specializes in skin diseases that cause chronic itch.
“Large-scale studies have shown that around 13% of the population suffer from chronic itch,” Dr. Yosipovitch says.
Rachael has atopic eczema, an inflammatory skin disease causing redness, rashes and severe itch.
“So, the patients scratch their skin and cause thickness of their skin. Sometimes the eczema could also look like oozing, like a wound, open wound. It can get infected with bacteria called staph,” explains Dr. Yosipovitch.
“Doctor, how does this affect a person’s quality of life?” asks anchor Pam Giganti.
“Itch is intensified at nighttime. So when there is a lack of sleep, it affects all the patient’s quality of life. It causes also depression,” Dr. Yosipovitch says.
Dr. Yosipovitch and his team are studying the origin of chronic itch and the best treatment options for patients. He put Rachael on a new class of drugs called biologics that block certain proteins that trigger inflammation.
“I thought someone put a magic formula on my hands. It went away in one treatment. I couldn’t believe it,” Rachael says.
Rachael’s skin has healed and she’s now able to enjoy time with her family.
“There’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel,” says Rachael.
FOCUSING ON YOU
Focusing on You: Innovations in Modern Medicine is a series of healthcare-related stories airing regularly on WPLG Local 10. For more stories like this one, visit YouTube channels for UHealth, the University of Miami Health System.
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