Posts Tagged ‘Eczema Patients’

How To Care For Eczema Tips And Tricks

July 29th, 2010

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Eczema is a condition that affects almost one fifth of all children and one in 12 adults. This problem of unbearably hot, itchy and inflamed dry skin is a condition that is called eczema. The precise cause is still not known yet.

Some people may have discovered of what triggers their eczema skin condition. Using what they discovered, doctors have recognized certain practices as eczema treatment that can help alleviate the condition and avoid flare ups.

Recently, some studies were researched regarding the use of regular lotions. It was found to actually cause the skin to produce less natural oils. But a shielding lotion as a eczema treatment bonds with the outer layer of the skin and protects it from irritants while locking in natural oils and moisture.

Some doctors and dermatologist have discovered that some eczema patients using a shielding lotion, the healing time between eruptions is much shorter. They have also seen the severe dry cracked skin associated with eczema is softened dramatically using a shielding lotion, reducing the discomfort and bleeding that some patients suffer.”

The first eczema care and treatment recommended by dermatologists is to use a cream to lock in moisture and use a shielding lotion that has a longer lasting effect. Try to limit the contact with irritants such as soaps, perfumes, cosmetics, detergents and strong liquids like gasoline, turpentine, and alcohol-based solutions.

It was also found that sweating and overheating tends to aggravate eczema. Use a cold compress if the itching starts. Avoid scratching the skin and always keep your fingernails short. Find a laundry soap that does not irritate the skin, double rinse the detergent out and remember to always launder newly purchased clothing before wearing.

Many eczema victims find it best to wear only loose fitting cotton and soft clothing. Avoiding wearing rough fabrics that can further irritate your skin. Individuals and families affected by eczema have found much relief using these eczema care and treatment suggestions. With the introduction of shielding lotion in the past few years, relief can be more rapid and effective.

Be careful when working or having fun outdoors. Be sure to have your sun tan lotion or moisturizers at hand. Apply them before going out and expose yourself to the elements. Drink plenty of plain water to keep yourself cool. No, your regular cup of coffee and tea does not count. Try to stop smoking if you are currently. In these ways, you could help alleviate your condition.

Is Eczema Stopping Your Child From Having Fun?

June 24th, 2010

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Whether your physician says that your child has eczema or Atopic Dermatitis, you will need to know more. It is important for you to know and understand the disease, its symptoms, causes, treatments, and what can be done at home. It is important to know that the disease is not contagious.

Eczema is often used as a synonym for Atopic Dermatitis, even though it is a general term which covers any inflammation of the skin. Neither race nor gender has any correlation with the disease, which affects 10% of people worldwide. Instead, a combination of environment and heredity tend to be the culprits causing the disease.

Eczema is characterized by skin that is scaly, dry, inflamed, and itchy. It is possible for the affected areas to form blisters which break open, becoming open sores. Scratching does not alleviate the itchiness; rather it becomes worse and can be the cause of the open sores. Determining factors for diagnosis include:

Age, Eczema symptoms usually begin to manifest in early childhood, especially infancy.

Itching
Location, Eczema is usually found on the face, behind the knees, and on the inside of the elbows. It can affect other parts of the body as well, such as hands, feet, or scalp.

Appearance, the skin is usually scaly and dry, but the disease can look different from one person to the next. Skin can have open sores, tiny blisters, or thickening.

Heredity, Children who have a genetic history of asthma, eczema, or hay fever are more likely to have it than others.

Causes

Too many inflammation producing cells are released into the skin when an affected person comes in contact with a trigger. Triggers include: various environmental factors, having too mush stress, or having an infection. This release of cells is a normal bodily reaction, but in eczema patients the cells continue to be released even after the trigger is gone.

What kinds of things make symptoms worse and what can I do?

The different things that set off a flare up (worsening of symptoms) are called triggers and are different for everyone. Different triggers include:

Allergens, These may be food related or airborne. Airborne allergens can be dust, pets, and pollen among other things. Avoiding allergens (possibly having your pediatrician prescribe allergy medication) will help reduce eczema flare ups.

Dry skin, People who have eczema have to keep plenty of moisturizer on their skin because their skin does not moisturize itself like it is supposed to. To help avoid this, use plenty of moisturizer; apply in the morning, at night, after bathing, and during the day when dryness causes itching. Don’t use lotions as they have ingredients that can actually cause further drying. Creams with a petroleum jelly base provide the most relief. These should be applied to wet skin.

Infection, Infections from breaks in the skin (often due to scratching) often trigger flare ups. Keep nails cut short and wash with anti bacterial soap regularly (do not forget to moisturize,as described above, afterward).

Irritants, Man made products that irritate the skin when your child comes in contact with them. Try to not let your child come in contact with chemicals that irritate his skin.

Stress, It has not been determined why, but stress often precludes a flare up. A good support network is important, as is learning stress management techniques. Make sure your child knows about and understands his eczema.
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Sweating, Sweat tends to irritate the skin of eczema patients. Bath as soon after sweating as possible, remembering to moisturize, as described above.

Temperatures, Extreme heat or cold as well as sudden temperature changes can affect eczema.

What kind of treatments can I expect?

It is important to realize that eczema has no cure. Treatments will alleviate the symptoms, but they will not make the disease go away permanently. Eczema is considered a chronic disease, meaning that it is incurable and it is very long term. Some children seem to outgrow eczema, but often they are actually just in remission for a number of years.

Topical medications, Often the pediatrician or dermatologist will prescribe corticosteroid medications that are applied several times daily. Be sure to apply these exactly as your doctor prescribes. Too few applications or inadequately spaced (in terms of time) applications will not help relieve the symptoms. Likewise, applying too often can cause other problems, such as thin skin and stretch marks.

Antibiotics, Any skin infections may require antibiotics to destroy the bacteria that are causing skin irritation.

Allergy medications, For airborne allergy triggers, your child may have to take an antihistamine regularly.

Relief For Eczema Patients

November 2nd, 2009

ECZEMA CREAM

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the upper layers of the skin. Approximately 10 percent to 20 percent of the world population is affected by this chronic, relapsing, and very itchy rash at some point during childhood. Atopic eczema is believed to have a hereditary component, and often runs in families whose members also have hay fever and asthma. Itchy rash is particularly noticeable on face and scalp, neck, inside of elbows, behind knees, and buttocks. A patch of eczema that has been scratchedXerotic eczema is dry skin that becomes so serious it turns into eczema. It worsens in dry winter weather, and limbs and trunk are most often affected. Dermatitis herpetiformis causes intensely itchy and typically symmetrical rash on arms, thighs, knees, and back. Eczemas originating from ingestion of medications, foods, and chemicals, have not yet been clearly systematized. Neurodermatitis is an itchy area of thickened, pigmented eczema patch that results from habitual rubbing and scratching. Scaly pimples and red patches sometimes appear in various adjacent places.

Eczema can occur on just about any part of the body; however, in infants, eczema typically occurs on the forehead, cheeks, forearms, legs, scalp, and neck. In children and adults, eczema typically occurs on the face, neck, and the insides of the elbows, knees, and ankles. In some people, eczema may “bubble up” and ooze. In others, the condition may appear more scaly, dry, and red. Chronic scratching causes the skin to take on a leathery texture because the skin thickens (lichenification). Atopic eczema affects approximately 15-20% of young children in the UK. Atopic eczema clears up in approximately 70% of children by the time they reach their teens and in many it largely clears up by 4-5 years of age. If it persists into adult life, it usually affects the body creases, the face and hands. Medicine used to treat eczema is usually a steroid medicine that you rub on your skin. Use a moisturizer on your skin every day. Moisturizers help keep your skin soft and flexible. They prevent skin cracks. A plain moisturizer is best.

Topical corticosteroids, also called cortisone or steroid creams or ointments, are commonly used to treat eczema. Avoid moisturizers with fragrances (perfume) and a lot of extra ingredients. A good, cheap moisturizer is plain petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline). Use moisturizers that are more greasy than creamy, because creams usually have more preservatives in them. Eczema can flare up when you are under stress. Stress reduction techniques can help. Avoid scratching or rubbing the itchy area. Try not to scratch the irritated area on your skin even if it itches. Scratching can break the skin. Bacteria can enter these breaks and cause infection. Moisturizing your skin will help prevent itchiness. Avoid giving your child frequent hot baths, which tend to dry the skin. Use warm water with mild soaps or nonsoap cleansers when bathing your child. Avoid using scented soaps. Apply moisturizing ointments (such as petroleum jelly), lotions, or creams to your child’s skin regularly and always within a few minutes of bathing, after a very light towel dry.

Relief For Eczema Tips

1. Non-conventional medical approaches include traditional herbal medicine and others.

2. Avoid using washcloths, sponges, or loofahs.

3. Use soap only on areas where it is necessary.

4. Light therapy using ultraviolet light can help control eczema.

5. Anti-itch drugs, often antihistamine, may reduce the itch during a flare up of eczema.

6. Corticosteroids are generally considered safe to use in the short- to medium-term for controlling eczema

7. Light therapy using ultraviolet light can help control eczema.

8. Non-conventional medical approaches include traditional herbal medicine and others.

Is There Any Natural Treatment for Eczema?

March 18th, 2009

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Eczema is a skin condition that can affects both males and females of all ages. Common symptoms of mild eczema can include dry, hot and itchy skin but more severe forms of the condition can result in the skin becoming raw, broken and bleeding. Eczema is not a contagious disease.

Causes of Eczema

There are number of factors that may increase the risk of a person getting eczema. While people of any age can get eczema, it is most common in babies and young children. About one-third of all eczema patients develop symptoms before their first birthday, and almost all develop symptoms before five years. Genetic factors are also thought to play a key role, but these are not well understood.

Eczema is more common in people with a family history of eczema. People who have a pre-existing allergic condition, such as hay fever, sinusitis, or allergies to plant pollens or animal dander, are also more likely to develop eczema. Other medical conditions, such as respiratory infections, may also act as triggers.

Environmental factors are implicated in many cases of eczema. Such factors include extreme temperatures, or exposure to a large number of skin irritants. Some known environmental triggers of eczema include detergents, bath and beauty products, chemical compounds like nickel and cobalt, certain foods, and certain types of fabric. Emotional stress can also trigger eczema.

Symptoms of Eczema

Itching is one of the common symptoms of eczema. Although a rash is also present when you suffer from eczema. Another symptom of eczema is redness. When your blood flow is increased, the skin is very red. In cases of eczema, the process of the skin inflammation is a very complex one and can be triggered by many different factors. Eczema can also flare up if your skin gets infected by bacteria.

Blisters are also a symptom of eczema. In an active eczema, the blisters seen are small. Though, there are cases of eczema when the blisters are larger, because either of an infection of the skin or the type of eczema that you have. This blisters that are an eczema symptom are filled with fluid, but there are times when eczema blisters are filled with pus.

Eczema Natural Remedies

Here are few simple natural remedies you can try to gain control over your eczema without having to resort to prescription medication.

Prevent eczema with a good moisturize

The best way to treat eczema is to prevent it from flaring up in the first place. An easy way to do that is to keep your skin well moisturized. Use an all-natural body lotion without additives daily. This is particularly important after you get out of the shower or anytime during the winter months when your skin is dry. Moisturizing your skin will help prevent the dry itchy patches that are characteristic of eczema from appearing.

Natural healing lotions

If you have been scratching your skin as a result of your eczema, you should get it heal as quickly as possible. Natural healing lotions can help along in the healing process. Both Zinc and Vitamin E can shorten healing time.

Oatmeal as a natural treatment for Eczema

Oatmeal baths are also a great way to treat eczema. The oatmeal will sooth the skin, and stops the itching. Once you stop scratching your itchy skin, it has a chance to heal and clear up the eczema spots.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Eczema Treatment – When Cure is Not Possible

November 1st, 2008

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Eczema, or dermatitis as it is otherwise called, is a form of skin disease where the skin becomes dry and itchy. When eczema worsens, the skin may get red and you may see inflammations in the affected area. In worst cases, the skin gets torn and it starts bleeding or weeping or both. Eczema is more common in UK, however, it can happen to anyone in any corner of the world. And for all cases, eczema treatment is possible.

Eczema affects children and infants more than people of any other age. Although people of all ages can suffer due to eczema, but number of children is usually more than the number of adults who complain of this skin problem, especially in UK. One out of five children in UK seem to have eczema and are getting eczema treatment, while on the other hand, one of twelve adults in UK have complained of this problem.

Eczema is not curable. Research after research have been done on this and more light has been thrown on eczema treatment. There are no cure for eczema found out as yet, however eczema treatment is possible. Eczema treatment brings the situation and skin condition under control. It reduces the inflammation and itchiness of the skin. The redness is lessened and the skin gets back its original colour. With regular treatment and skin care, eczema can be controlled.

Skin care forms the basis of all eczema treatment. One has to moisturise and protect the skin all the time so that it is not exposed to dust, pollution or anything that can act as a trigger to eczema. There are particular kind of clothes meant for eczema patients, particularly kids and infants which cover their hands so that they do not scratch themselves. Such protection is very important for eczema treatment.

Amazing New Relief For Eczema Patients

October 14th, 2008

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An evolution of the cold compress, wet wraps are a new way to help alleviate the inflammation, itching, and pain associated with eczema. Studies have shown that skin is hydrated and calmed through wet wrap therapy and children with severe atopic dermatitis (commonly referred to as eczema) showed significant improvement when other therapies had failed to provide much needed relief.

One week after the start of therapy, these children experienced a decrease in itch by 74%, leading to better sleep and less overall stress. These improvements lasted for quite some time after the treatment in the study was ended (for study purposes, the treatment lasted two weeks). Hand eczema has also shown considerable improvement through wet wrap therapy. Your dermatologist may feel like this form of therapy is appropriate for you or your child, so you may want to ask about it.

Wet wrap therapy is a process of wrapping wet bandages around areas affected by eczema symptoms. There are sometimes differences in treatment, so your dermatologist may not repeat the exact steps to the basic technique given here:

The patient will soak in a warm (not hot) bath with unscented, dye free bath oil.

A good moisturizer is applied to the wet skin over the whole body. Moisturizers need to be cream or petroleum jelly based and preferably dyes and fragrance free. If you cannot find a moisturizer that lacks fragrance, test in on a small area of the skin before you apply for large areas of skin, allergic reactions can cause further severity of the flare up. Do not use lotions as most lotions have an alcohol based that actually dries the skin, rather than hydrating it.

Medication is applied to the affected areas.
Bandages which have been wet with either warm water or a warmed moisturizing agent are wrapped around the affected area. The can be used on any part of the body as long as the patient is not unduly bothered by them. The face is sometimes a problem in young children, but older patients will usually tolerate the inconvenience in order to alleviate the suffering.

Dry bandages are then wrapped over the wet bandages as a way to seal in moisture.

After about two weeks of doing this every day, you can cut applications back to every other day and sometimes every two days, but the therapy should be continued in order to continue to see the results.

Wet wrap therapy is not only an unobtrusive way to provide a number of benefits to eczema sufferers. These include: Better sleep (due to decrease in irritating symptoms), less itching, reduced inflammation, reduced redness, reduction in the overall amount of staph bacteria found on the skin’s surface, and more moisturized skin.

Cons to wet wrap therapy are as true as the benefits. Like any type of medication or therapy, there are things that people have not liked about it. Some of these include:

Children have trouble sitting still while the bandages are applied.

Many children, especially younger ones, tend to remove the bandages, not giving the treatment enough time to help with deep moisturizing of the skin, which is the basis of the entire therapy and the reason the symptoms are so well controlled.

Much patience is necessary for the application of bandages on children with eczema.

It is not a fast process. You will have to plan the time to accomplish the therapy each day.

In treatment of very young children cotton pajamas are recommended rather than actually bandages for both the wet part of the wrap and the dry part. Keep in mind that you or your child may get chilly while the process is happening. You may want to keep a warm blanket close at hand.

Something to consider is that this therapy not only works for the dry skin of eczema patients, but can also relive rough, dry feet and hands (and any other part of the body that is dry and/or rough. You may want to wrap you child, then wrap your own feet. Your child will feel more comfortable if you two can share this experience, forming a common bond between you.

Eczema Treatment : Steroids Can Have Side-effects

September 1st, 2008

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Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis in medical jargon, is a condition characterised by skin flare-up, inflammations, in which the skin becomes itchy, red and dry. As in most cases of allergy, the underlying cause is the over-reaction of the immune system to certain substances in the environment, known as allergens.

Moisturising and cleansing the skin is the major means of eczema treatment.Since infants have more sensitive skin, it is found that they are more susceptible to eczema, generally called infantile eczema. In infants, the usual affected skin areas are the forehead, cheeks, forearms, legs, scalp, and neck whereas in adults, it is usually the insides of the elbows, knees, and ankles.

The swelling of the blood vessels leads to redness of the skin, while irritated nerve endings causes itchiness. Dryness is a common feature of eczema. However, in some people, the red skin areas may ‘bubble up’ and start to ‘weep’. So it is usual to see eczema patients having dry scaly patches of skin that can become raw and cracked causing bleeding. Itching, the most irritable symptom of eczema, can further contribute to skin abrasion and bleeding. The scratching also causes very unsightly rashes and the skin takes on a leathery texture due to thickening.

Eczema treatment is usually done with steroids but they also bring side-effects in their wake. This is a worrying factor as apart from a burning sensation, these creams have also been known to cause adrenal damage. Herbal creams containing natural ingredients, are safer options in any case. In fact, there is a growing line of herbal skin care products and creams to treat eczema with a more holistic approach. These creams work to soothe damaged tissue, working from inside out to help the skin to regain lost moisture, thereby improving its texture.

Best Herbal And Ayurvedic Cure For Eczema Treatment

July 17th, 2008

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Eczema is a skin disease, which is observed as exfoliation of the skin, mostly accompanied by severe itching. In the chronic stages, there may be oozing of pus and bleeding from the affected regions. It is also commonly referred to as dermatitis.

In Ayurveda, eczema is known as Vicharchika. It is caused due to the vitiation of all the three doshas vata, pitta and kapha. Eczema is an infectious disease. It can spread from one person to another. It has been found to run in families. Especially if there is some allergy, then there is greater chance of eczema. Other factors that can bring on eczema are age, climate, food, stress and nature of skin. Eczema has more chances of occurring during puberty and menopause.

Useful Herbs for the Treatment of Eczema

Babul (Acacia arabica) The bark of the babul tree is potent in the treatment of eczema. It is boiled in water and the fumes are used to foment the affected areas.

Butea (Butea monosperma) In the treatment of skin diseases such as eczema, its the seeds of the butea tree that are useful. The seeds of the butea are mixed with lime water and are applied on the affected regions to get the required benefits.

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum) Linseed is applied on the affected regions in the form of its oil mixed with lime water. This is effective in the treatment of many skin ailments including eczema.

Madhuca (Madhuca indica) Madhuca leaves are used to get the madhuca oil. This is applied on the regions where the eczema has occurred to obtain relief.

Dietary Treatments for Eczema

The following dietary rules are very important for eczema patients to be obeyed:-

Salt must be reduced in the diet.

Sour foods must be avoided. This includes all pickles, curds, etc.

Bitter tastes are useful. These are obtained from vegetables such as bitter gourd, bitter drumstick and flowers of the neem tree.

Turmeric has a soothing effect on the skin. It must be used liberally in flavoring the food. Turmeric is also useful if it is applied locally over the affected parts.

Ayurvedic Treatments for Eczema

Eczema is a constitutional disease. Its cause is deep-seated within the body. Hence external medications are not effective in eczema. With such medications, the outer symptoms may disappear, but the underlying cause remains. Ayurveda attempts at curing eczema from its roots. The method used is an elaborate process to purify the blood of the individual.

The different steps involved are:-

a) Snehana This method oleates the skin, i.e. makes it smooth using oily preparations. b) Swedana This method induces sweating which removes the toxins from the blood. c) Panchkarma These are the five steps to improve the blood. They include vamana (emesis), virechana (purgation), vasti (enema), siro-virechana (errhines) and rakta mokshana (blood-letting).

The following Ayurvedic preparations are used in the treatment of eczema:-

One teaspoonful of Panchatikta ghritam twice a day and one tablet of Arogyavardhini thrice a day are prescribed to all patients of eczema.

In addition, a dosage of 50 milligrams of Chaturmukha rasa with gold is prescribed to be taken twice a day along with 15 milliliters of Khadirarishta thrice a day. All treatments must be continued for one month.

Physicians would suggest massaging the area with Mahamarichyadi taila or Guduchyadi taila.

Home Remedies for Eczema

Applying the juice of the wild almond (Terminalia catapa) on the affected parts provides relief.

An emulsion can be made with the seeds of the karanja (Pongamia pinnata) and lemon juice. This is very beneficial if applied externally.

An ointment is prepared using one part of sesame oil, sixteen parts of arka (Calatropics gigantica) and one part of turmeric. This should be applied externally.

Prepare a brew of the peel of the banyan tree. Both drinking this brew and applying it externally over the affected parts show promising results.

After meals, take one teaspoonful of Panchanimbadi choorna, which is available at all Ayurvedic outlets.

There are some other preventive methods that are necessary for people with eczema. These are enlisted below:-

Soap must not be used over the affected regions. Mild soaps can be used, but it is best to avoid them. Hot water must not be used for baths. Adding some olive oil to the water helps.

If the skin over the affected part is excessively dry, then a ghee or an oil massage will help. This will prevent the skin from erupting.

People with eczema should take care that their bodies do not suffer from sudden extremities of climate. Hence, traveling must be done with care.

The products of wool are not good for skins affected with eczema. Hence, people with eczema must avoid blankets and sweaters that are made of wool.

People with eczema must take care that they do not sweat too much. Sweat can irritate the eczema.

Eczema Treatment – Part 1

June 9th, 2008

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Eczema is treated differently from a person to another, depending on what symptoms he/ she has, on the age of the eczema patient and of course of his/ her state of health. Family members must also help the person that has eczema to apply the treatment. If all the doctor’ s directions are followed, then improvement will be seen very quickly.

The eczema treatment has two main objectives: one is to heal the skin and the other is to prevent any eczema flares. In order to achieve those two goals, besides the medication that the eczema patient will receive, he/ she will also have to develop routines of skin care and also try to avoid any substances or allergens that might cause an eczema flare up. When flare- ups occur, the itching becomes more intense and the skin can be more damaged than as it was before. A very important thing that eczema patients should remember is to be very persistent in finding the right eczema treatment for them.

There are many medications used to treat an eczema. Some of them have been used for many years now and some of them are new. The new developed medications are immuno- modulators that can help reduce reactions of your immune system and also control inflammation. These drugs are applied on the skin. Any eczema patient who is over two years old can used these medications. There are some side effects but only a couple of days after application. The most common side effects of these eczema medication are itching and burning. Furthermore, these ointments maintain a good skin texture, reduce flares and by using them you can reduce the period of corticosteroids use. These creams are the old medication that have been used to treat an eczema as well as other diseases that affect the skin. They can be found in pharmacies and you do not need a prescription for them, but in most of the eczema cases, the doctor is the one who will prescribe you these ointments or creams. When the doctor prescribes you this cream to treat

your eczema, several factors must be taken into consideration. Your age, the severity of the eczema symptoms and the part of your body that has to be treated are some of the main things to consider when he/ she will prescribe you the corticosteriod medication to treat your eczema.

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