After visiting the doctor in November 2022 for what he thought was just an allergic reaction, junior Charlie Ott discovered that his regular skin inflammation were a symptom of a condition that he had unknowingly dealt with his whole life.
Atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema, weakens the skin鈥檚 protective barrier function, causing it to become dry, itchy and bumpy. While the exact cause of eczema is unknown,
according to the National Eczema Association, it often develops due to genetic or environmental triggers. Ott鈥檚 eczema is mostly the result of an overactive immune system, as various foreign substances tend to irritate his skin. There have been times 鈥 ranging from a few days to a couple of months 鈥 when Ott鈥檚
skin would flare up unexpectedly.
鈥淚t was extremely painful to do simple things like put on clothes or rest my arm on my desk,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 never found out what caused it, so many things flared up my eczema that it was difficult to find out exactly what might have caused it.鈥
When Ott was young, rashes and itches seemed normal: His immune system was still developing. As he grew older, however, they persisted and worsened, resulting in uncomfortable interactions with peers.
鈥淎 lot of people thought that if they touched me or something, they鈥檇 get flare-ups or a rash from me, which is not true,鈥 he said. 鈥淓czema is just something you鈥檙e born with 鈥 it鈥檚 in your body and won鈥檛 spread to anyone else.鈥
While Ott鈥檚 eczema lessened in severity during middle school and early high school, it reemerged in his sophomore year, spurring anxiety.
鈥淗aving all those noticeable rashes on my arm, I was always worried people would want to be away from me or that they would think of me differently just because of how my arms look,鈥 he said.
His November diagnosis that year provided clarity and helped him begin to manage his symptoms.
鈥淢y doctor told me I had an autoimmune condition, and I got a little scared because it meant that my body was attacking itself, and I didn鈥檛 like that idea,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o I was worried for my future, but it鈥檚 a pretty treatable condition.鈥
Throughout Ott鈥檚 medical journey, he has been prescribed various creams and steroids. After exploring many short-term solutions, he was eventually prescribed Dupixent, a monoclonal
antibody drug, at the end of last year.
鈥淏eing on Dupixent has been peaceful,鈥 he said. 鈥淎lthough once every two weeks I have to take a pretty painful injection, it鈥檚 totally worth it to be able to put my arm on a table without it stinging or put on my shirt without my arms getting itchy again. I haven鈥檛 had to worry about eczema in a long time, and that鈥檚 just been a real blessing.鈥
As a wrestler, eczema didn鈥檛 directly impact Ott鈥檚 performance, but it left a persistent worry as he started back up again the season after getting diagnosed.
鈥淲hen I was getting my athletic clearance for wrestling, they took quite a while to clear it because they were worried that since I have sensitive skin, I might worsen my eczema or contract some skin disease really easily,鈥 Ott said.
Ott鈥檚 experience with eczema has profoundly changed from the confusion of his earlier years: Now, with the proper diagnosis and medication, he is able to better understand and feel comfortable in his own skin.
鈥淕rowing up, I didn鈥檛 really know what it was,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 just knew that my parents would always have to take some extra time to take care of it. Now that I know it鈥檚 a genetic thing and started treating it with medicine, I don鈥檛 worry as much about what I wear or eat, and I don鈥檛 even have to worry as much about getting flare-ups anymore.鈥