Eczema Gone

by Jacob Johan

Eczema is a trouble some problem. Those who suffer from atopic dermatitis or eczema as commonly called suffer greatly whenever eczema flares up. Itchy reddish skin that may have blisters and causes physical and mental harassment and affects our life style must be kept away. We have taken eczema for granted. Whenever it strikes, we try medications and anti itching measures to see what can be done. Why not stop eczema? Let me discuss this with you.

Eczema- what is it?

Eczema is a hereditary condition. It is not a contagious disease. Any bacteria or any virus does not cause it. Those who get eczema are born with the tendency to get it. Nothing can stop that. The tendency to get eczema is with us in our body and unless some one changes the gene that is responsible, we will carry this tendency for lifetime. What can be done to stop eczema then?

Eczema triggers of eczema

There is always a trigger for eczema. Unless that trigger appears, eczema will not appear. Imagine a big dam. It may have lot of water, but unless you open the valve, the dam will not release water. With eczema it is similar. Unless you trigger it, it will not affect you. In some cases it is said that it can appear without any trigger. But those cases also might have been having unknown triggers.

Eczema- common triggers-

Which are the common triggers of eczema? There is along list. It is not necessary that your trigger will be one from that list. It can be something different. You have to make the relationship between eczema and the trigger. It is like- whenever I drink milk I get eczema. Or whenever I am under stress, I get eczema. The common triggers are- some foods, itchy clothing, heat, sweating, dust mites, stress, soaps, other skin care products and others. It is for you to identify your trigger.

Eczema- stop it

You can stop getting incidences of eczema if you can block your trigger. Let the dam be filled with water, don’t open the valve. Similarly you may have the tendency to get eczema, but if you don’t provide the trigger it will not appear. Click here to know more about What causes eczema?

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

Related link :-
1- Atopic dermatitis
2- Seborrhoeic dermatitis

by Niels_Olson

Eczema is a general term for many types of skin inflammation, also known as dermatitis. The most common form of eczema is atopic dermatitis (some people use these two terms interchangeably). However, there are many different forms of eczema.

Although eczema can sometimes look unpleasant, it is not contagious. With treatment the inflammation of eczema can be reduced. However, the skin will always be sensitive to flare-ups and need extra care.

People with eczema often have a family history of the condition or a family history of other allergic conditions, such as asthma or hay fever. Eczema might look different in different persons, and may occur in different parts of the body to different person. In adults, eczema most often develops on the hands and elbows, and in “bending” areas such as the inside of the elbows and back of the knees. In young children, eczema most often develops on the elbows, knees, face, neck, and scalp.

Symptoms of eczema may include red, itchy skin and sores that ooze and crust over. One out of ten children develops eczema, but more than half of them lose it by the time they reach their teens. It is a chronic inflammation of skin categorized by scaly and itching rashes. Dermatitis is a common condition that isn’t life-threatening or contagious. But, it can make you feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. A combination of self-care steps and medications can help you treat dermatitis.

Causes of Eczema

In most cases there is a familial predisposition. Atopy ( allergic rhinitis , asthma and hay fever ) is the term doctors use to describe this predisposition. However, the environment plays a significant role as well (such as heat in the summer and dry winters). There are two types of eczema. Atopic eczema is thought to be a hereditary condition . People with atopic eczema are sensitive to allergens in the environment which are harmless to others. In atopic eczema there is an excessive reaction by the immune system. This type of eczema can worsen after eating certain foods or after being exposed to other allergens such as pollen or dust.

Treatment of Eczema

1. Avoid frequent use of soaps, hot water, and other cleansing procedures (especially if you have a dry skin type) that tend to remove natural oil from the skin.

2. Topical corticosteroids , reduce inflammation in the skin and are usually safe and very effective in curing eczema when used correctly. Mild corticosteroids are generally used for children and on the face and flexures, eg crease of the elbow, behind the knees etc.

3. A very common treatment for treating eczema involves – applying lotions, creams, or ointments to keep the skin as moist as possible.

Healing the skin and keeping it healthy are of primary importance as part of both preventing further damage and enhancing quality of life. Developing and sticking with a daily skin care routine is critical to preventing flares. Key factors are proper bathing and the application of lubricants, such as creams or ointments, within 3 minutes of bathing. People with atopic dermatitis should avoid hot or long (more than 10 to 15 minutes) baths and showers. A lukewarm bath helps to cleanse and moisturize the skin without drying it excessively. Because soaps can be drying to the skin, the doctor may recommend limited use of a mild bar soap or nonsoap cleanser. Bath oils are not usually helpful.

by peretzpup

Eczema, or dermatitis as it is sometimes called, is a group of skin conditions which can affect all age groups, although the condition is most common in infants. It is non-infectious and will permanently resolve by age 3 in about half of affected infants.

Eczema is not contagious, but nevertheless it is very common, estimates are that more than 15 million people in the United States have eczema.

Eczema most commonly causes dry, reddened skin that itches or burns and in severe cases may weep, bleed or form crusts so that over time a rough appearance results.

However the appearance of eczema varies from person to person and varies according to the specific type of eczema.

Eczema can sometimes occur as a brief reaction that only leads to symptoms for a few hours or days, but in other cases, the symptoms persist over a longer time and are referred to as chronic dermatitis.

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 adults eczema often affects the skin in areas around joints such as the elbow, behind the knees and in front of the ankles.

Eczematous skin is particularly vulnerable to bacterial infection, which can aggravate the eczema or cause serious illness.

Atopic eczema is thought to be a hereditary condition, being genetically linked.

Eczema does run in certain families and can be associated with other ‘allergic’-type disorders, like allergic rhinitis and asthma.

An eczema sufferer is also at risk of developing herpes simplex type 1 (cold sores) which can spread over a large area of the skin and occasionally prove dangerous.

Eczema may be set off by extreme temperatures, stress, sweating, medication, clothing (especially wool or silk), grease, oils, soap and detergents, and environmental allergens.

Other factors include; some dairy and wheat products, citrus fruits, eggs, seafood, chemical additives and food colourings.

External factors include; Moulds, grasses, pet dander, house dust mites, shampoos, detergents, soaps and washing powders.

Contact eczema is curable provided the offending substance can be avoided, and its traces removed from the environment. About three quarters of cases of contact eczema are of the irritant type, which is the most common occupational skin disease.

To determine whether an eczema flare is the result of an allergen, a doctor may test the blood for the levels of antibodies and the numbers of certain types of cells.

Dietary elements that have been reported to trigger eczema include dairy products and coffee (both caffeinated and decaffeinated), soybean products, eggs, nuts, wheat and maize (sweet corn), though food allergies may vary from person to person.

Treatment

The first and primary recommendation is that people suffering from eczema shouldn’t use detergents of any kind on their skin unless absolutely necessary.

Anti-itch drugs, often antihistamine, may reduce the itch during a flare up of eczema, and the reduced scratching in turn reduces damage and irritation to the skin (the Itch cycle). Moisturizing is one of the most important self-care treatments for sufferers of eczema. Some common emollients for the relief of eczema include Oilatum, Balneum, Medi Oil, Diprobase, bath oils and aqueous cream.

For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid may be used but because of the risks associated with this type of drug, a steroid of an appropriate strength should be sparingly applied only to control an episode of eczema.

Corticosteroids are generally considered safe to use in the short- to medium-term for controlling eczema, with no significant side effects differing from treatment with non-steroidal ointment. While these usually bring about rapid improvements, they should not be taken for any length of time and the eczema often returns to its previous level of severity once the medication is stopped.

When eczema is severe and does not respond to other forms of treatment, immunosuppressant drugs are sometimes prescribed. These dampen the immune system and can result in dramatic improvements to the patient’s eczema.

The most commonly used immunosuppressants for eczema are ciclosporin, azathioprine and methotrexate.