Eczema Gone

by bhikku

With a disease like eczema, there is little more a doctor can prescribe than some skin creams and ointments to help ease the condition. This often comes as little comfort to sufferers hoping for some kind of miracle cure. In the absence of this magic pill, we can look at the alternative option of a natural cure for eczema.

The main reason that a medical cure does not exist on the market, is that eczema is just not very well understood. Common schools of thought on what causes it tend to revolve around hereditary factors, poor immune function and allergic reaction.

So, how can we use nature as a weapon against the disease?

There are many natural remedies for various ailments that do work, and they tend to revolve around taking a holistic view to treating the cause of the problem. This is also true of a natural cure for eczema. By holistic, we mean that in order to tackle the problem we need to take a look at the bigger, or whole picture. This means looking at how various different aspects of our lives interact to cause problems like eczema, aspects such as physical, social, psychological and mental.

Before we get too new agey, let’s look at some practical ways of applying this approach in a natural cure for eczema. It has been well documented that cases of eczema have increased in the past 100 or so years. Now, this could be just down to more people having access to a doctor, and actually getting a diagnosis, but we shouldn’t ignore other explanations.

It is believed that many aspects of our modern lives have left us more susceptible to conditions like eczema. There are more pollutants in the air we breathe and chemicals in our food than ever before. These have the ability to interfere in our immune systems and cause many of the modern diseases that are growing more common, such as type 2 diabetes, asthma, psoriasis and eczema.

Our diet is one area we have a good amount of control over to actually make a difference. Over processed food like ready made meals are full of chemicals and contain little nutritional value. By reading the labels on food, and switching these processed foods for fresh produce, you can help your body’s immune system function better, and make it more efficient at fighting conditions like eczema. Where possible, buy organic produce too.

Another area we can help in applying a natural cure for eczema is around the home, in the products we use that come into contact with the skin. These products can cause eczema by irritating the skin upon contact, or by triggering an allergic reaction to them. Many people are able to identify an individual trigger that causes their eczema, and common culprits are fabric softeners, washing powders, detergents and animal hair. If you are able to identify something that triggers a bout of eczema in you, it stands to reason you should eliminate it from your home.

Applying creams and lotions, as your doctor will advise, is also something that can be incorporated into a holistic natural cure for eczema. However, look to use products with natural ingredients rather than the chemical rich alternatives. Aloe Vera Gel is often used with some success, just make sure it contains no less than 90% Aloe Vera juice for best results.

For many, the effort of actually putting a plan for a natural cure for eczema into action seems like too much hard work. But it really is fairly simple when you break it down into three stages: improve immune system function through diet, eliminate triggers from your environment and apply natural lotions to the skin to help it heal and reduce itching.

More Eczema Articles

by Care_SMC

Sadly eczema in babies is much more common that in adults. The main reason is that infants have weakened immune systems that are not fully able to guard and protect them from many common allergens and irritants, such as eczema, that cause skin reactions.

Luckily over time most children will grow out of the condition before they are old enough to start school, however there are always the other unlucky ones who carry it into adulthood. This is why it is important to know how to treat and prevent eczema in babies.

The first step is an obvious one, avoid contact with any irritants known to cause eczema in babies. These are usually things such as detergents, cleaning products, pet dander, dust, pollens, wool and some food types. It is a good idea to have some allergy tests done by a doctor or pediatrician so you know what your child is reacting to rather than simply trying to eliminate all possible triggers – not the easiest task!

Because eczema in babies creates even more sensitive, dry and sore skin it is always a good idea to use mild soaps that won’t dry the skin. Brands such as Dove,Aveeno and Gentle Naturals are a few recommended brand names.

The next step is to keep your babies skin hydrated with a good moisturizer, Vaseline is also used effectively. Apply this straight after a bath and keep the routine up daily even if symptoms are not showing up.

Winter can be one of the worst months for aggravating eczema in babies as the cold air and heating systems used can dry the skin. You want to steer clear of harsh fabrics such as wool which can cause eczema in babies to flare-up also. Stick with cotton clothing which is much softer and breathable allowing affected areas to heal much better.

by Fuschia Foot

Every parent will agree that watching their baby suffer from eczema is the most heart breaking and distressing experience. Especially, if they have been told by their baby’s doctor that there is nothing they could do to make it go away. Itching that does not respond to scratching is agonizing to say at least, however it is also emotionally draining since prescribed medicine often does not work or the results are only temporary.

So what can a parent do to reduce the persistent itching and help their baby get rid of eczema for good if creams are not the answer? In answering that question, it is vital to understand the true cause of eczema.

Eczema, being an allergic reaction, is mainly triggered by eating specific foods or getting in touch with external allergens that penetrate and damage the skin barrier.

If some food is not tolerated well by your baby, it will act as an internal allergen that will in turn penetrate and damage their gut lining – also called “the inner skin”. Because of everyone’s individual make-up, it is possible to be allergic / intolerant to just about any food. This is because every food is composed of natural chemicals that our immune system may react to (e.g. salicylates, amines, tannins, caffeine, etc).You will find that some babies are sensitive to certain foods because their digestive and immune systems are still immature. Their skin is also much more sensitive because it is quite thin. This means that it is easier for toxins to penetrate through their skin barrier.

As babies grow older, food allergies become less of an issue. This is mainly because their digestive and immune system have grown more mature. Having said that, any ongoing allergy that goes untreated or that gets suppressed by steroid creams or anti-histamine medication may contribute to a compromised and hypersensitive immune system later on in life. The same food allergies may also develop into other allergies or manifest as asthma or hayfever (medical practitioners often maintain that most babies grow out of eczema however those individuals quite often develop asthma or other allergic conditions a few years down the line. Sadly, nobody seems to make the connection).

Sometimes however the main culprit is not food related. In such cases detergents could be the cause. Detergent related allergies appear to be on the increase since detergents are lurking everywhere from skin care and household products to washing powders and washing-up liquids. Detergents disrupt the skin barrier by interfering with the skin membrane permeability thus allowing for foreign particles (e.g. dust) to penetrate causing inflammation whilst at the same time decreasing the skin hydration which leads to dry itchy skin. Later on you will learn how to find out if detergents trigger your baby’s eczema.

It is important to keep in mind that everyone’s genetic make-up is unique, so the underlying factors that trigger each baby’s eczema will also differ. Often the primary contributing factor can be traced to the toxic load the baby inherits from their parents. By the toxic load I mean how healthy the baby’s parents were at a cellular level at the time of the baby’s conception. A status of parents’ cells does indeed affect the baby’s constitution and vulnerability to specific health conditions.

Unfortunately, eczema is not a result of only one factor. Rather it is caused by a complex interplay of several factors acting as triggers that eventually undermine the baby’s immune system.

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, it is crucial to delve deeper to get to the root cause of the condition. Eczema is an immune system disorder so our aim will be to strengthen and optimize your baby’s immune function as well as identify and eliminate the unique major triggers that set your baby’s eczema off.

This is just a small excerpt from my book Heal Your Baby’s Eczema available from www.simplyeczemafree.com. If your little one suffers from eczema thenfollowing thekey principles in this bookcould make tremendous difference when it comes to reversing their eczema for good. This in-depth guide has been dedicated to all parents who are willing to take matters into their hands and help their baby recover the natural way!

Find More Eczema Articles