Eczema Gone

by lhuiz

In babies eczema usually appears first on their scalp and face (if around the mouth, it may well be a sign of food allergy / intolerance). It then spreads to the rest of the body affecting mainly the insides of the wrists, elbows and the backs of the knees (the skin in these areas is more sensitive and moist due to sweating).

The standard treatment for eczema involves an administration of antihistamines (to relieve the itching by suppressing the production of histamine) and an application of corticosteroid creams (to suppress the inflammation in the affected area).

Inflammation however serves an important purpose since it is the body’s primary response to infection, allergens or injury. It provides us with a warning sign that something is irritating the body and it calls for the immune system to deal with it. In eczema, inflammation is the body’s attempt to fight the allergens, pushing them out of the system so that they cannot cause any serious harm inside the body. This natural process acts as a self-preserving mechanism, without which the body would get poisoned.

It can be said that eczema flare ups are the result of overwhelmed elimination channels due to excessive amounts of toxins / allergens circulating in the bloodstream (unfortunately steroid medication greatly contributes to the toxic load thus pushing the disease picture deeper).

Prescribed medication (such as steroid creams and anti-histamines) often treats symptoms associated with inflammation such as redness, swelling and pain. However, it also suppresses the body’s natural defense mechanism thus confusing the immune system. The results are often short-lived which explains why stopping the treatment will result in eczema coming back.

When we use steroid creams we cover up the symptoms of inflammation, so the body is forced to find an alternative outlet. The suppressed inflammation may also sometimes move to other areas of the body (e.g. the bowel wall, which may result in a leaky gut or compromised absorption of nutrients) or it can move deeper and manifest as asthma or hay fever.

If the triggering factors remain unaddressed for a continuous period of time, the immune system will be subject to a lot of pressure. Eventually, it will get thrown out of balance at which point the eczema becomes chronic. In order to find a permanent freedom from eczema, we will need to delve deeper to get to the root cause of the condition.

What we will discover is that most cases share a common factor OVERACTIVE IMMUNE SYSTEM. Our immunity is a very sophisticated system that would do anything in order to defend the body against foreign invaders (incl. allergens). If the immune system is under chronic pressure, its function becomes impaired.

Your baby may well be genetically predisposed (since atopic conditions often run in families), but more often a weak immune system is the result of the following:

continuous exposure to allergens (which may lead to a leaky gut resulting in excessive amounts of toxins circulating in the blood)
inadequate nutrition
lack of sleep
environmental pollution / exposure to cigarette smoke
excessive use of antibiotics

When we manage to eliminate allergens, the body gains enough energy to initiate the healing process. The healing will occur on a priority basis starting with the more important organs (e.g. the intestines, the liver) moving onto the less important ones (such as the skin, nails, hair). That explains why the natural way of healing seems to take longer to notice any improvements since it literally heals the body inside out (as opposed to superficial skin healing).

This is only a small excerpt from my book Heal Your Baby’s Eczema which is based on thenotion that every baby is unique thus the cure will be different in each case. It also addresses factors that trigger eczema whilst showing parents what practical steps to take in order to eliminate their baby’s eczema for good. It is an in-depth guide for all parents who are willing to take matters into their hands and help their baby recover the natural way!

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by Care_SMC

Although there is no known cure for eczema, there are many different treatments for eczema available on today’s market. The sheer volume of products available to provide eczema relief can make it a difficult to choose the most suitable one. This article gives four of the best treatments for eczema and a brief description of each one.

1. Corticosteroid Creams

Some corticosteroid creams are available over the counter. These are often all that is required to treat slight cases of eczema. For moderate to severe cases, a doctor’s prescription may be required to attain a stronger variant. Corticosteroids, a class of steroid hormones produced by the body for stress, immune and inflammatory responses, have been a staple treatment for eczema for many years now. If the condition does not respond to topical corticosteroids successfully, your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids taken orally or injected into the blood stream to provide eczema relief.

2. Immunomodulators

Because of the side effects brought about by corticosteroids in the treatment of eczema, it was necessary for experts to look for an alternative treatment for eczema. Topical immunomodulators do not contain corticosteroids, so corticosteroids-related side effects such as thinning of the skin, dilatation of blood vessels, formation of stretch marks and infections are averted. They work by changing some of the functions of your body’s immune system so that inflammation of the eczematous skin is managed properly. Topical immunomodulators are usually recommended for a short-term treatment course, application only on skin areas affected by eczema, and not intended to be used on children below 2 years of age or those who are immuno-compromised.

3. Oral Antihistamines

Ask anyone afflicted with eczema and he or she will tell you that skin itching may just be the hardest symptom to put up with. Scratching the affected areas will not help, in fact it will only exacerbate the situation by making the inflammation and the itchiness itself even worse. This is where oral antihistamines come to the rescue. Antihistamines are commonly used for the control of allergies; they work by suppressing the action of histamines, which is produced by your body as part of its natural defenses. Oral antihistamines will help relieve itching and can be very useful during night time to help you get some sleep despite of the symptom.

4. Ultraviolet Light Therapy

Ultraviolet light therapy is often employed as an eczema treatment as well as a treatment for other skin diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo. The afflicted person is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light for a short amount of time. To be effective a patient may be required to have 20-30 sessions to see results.

For self-care treatment, moisturizing the affected areas well will greatly help in keeping the symptoms at bay – especially itching. Itchiness is worse when the affected skin gets dry. That is why anyone afflicted with eczema is recommended to apply moisturizers 2-3 times a day or even more, depending on certain factors such as the weather. There are a wide variety of moisturizers available, which may be effective.

Usually they are in the form of lotions, ointments, creams and foams. You may also find some moisturizers containing extracts of herbs that are proven effective in relieving inflammation and itchiness, the most important part of eczema treatment. Aloe gel, chamomile, rosemary, witch hazel and walnut leaf extracts are some of the commonly known additives for moisturizers effective for eczema relief.

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