As a condition characterized by an inappropriate immune response, GvHD is primarily treated with medications calledimmunosuppressants.
The moisturizer will typically be applied before topical medications and can help reducefolliculitiscommon in people with cutaneous GvHD.
Moisturizers are best applied after bathing and throughout the day whenever the skin feels itchy or chafed.
FatCamera / Getty Images
To help ease mouth pain, avoid spicy, acidic, coarse, or inordinately hot or cold foods.
Cigarette smokingshould also be stopped.
Smoking only amplifies the risk.
These diagnostic classifications help determine how the medications are dosed and stage.
The drugs work by mimicking the stress hormone cortisol that the body uses to induce systemicinflammation.
As a result, the overactive immune response is blunted, and the inflammatory symptoms are relieved.
Acute grade 1 GvHD may only require topical steroids.
All other grades, either acute or chronic, are typically treated with oral or intravenous steroids.
Even a low-potencytopical steroidmay need to be tapered to prevent irreversible skin thinning and discoloration.
Depending on the dose and duration of treatment, the tapering period can take weeks or months.
Referred to as steroid-refractory GvHD, this effect can occur in people with acute or chronic GvHD.
In cases like these, other immunosuppressive drugs may be prescribed, either alone or in combination.
Each has different indications for use, mechanisms of action, and risks.
Prophylactic Therapy
Immunosuppressants are not only used to treat GvHD but to prevent it as well.
There is no standard treatment for GVHD prophylaxis.
Different drugs and combinations of drugs may be used by different doctors and institutions.
Extracorporeal photopheresis combines two procedures known asleukapheresisand photodynamic therapy.
There are also surgeries that can preemptively treat a complication of GvHD and restore normal function.
Justiz Valliant AA, Modi P, Mohammadi O.Graft versus host disease.
National Health Service (UK).Guidelines for diagnosis and management of cutaneous graft-versus-host disease.
2017;52(11):1718-1722. doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2017.06.022
Montenegro D.Management of ocular GvHD.
In: EyeWiki (American Academy of Ophthalmology).
