WHAT IS ECZEMA? Eczema Overview
Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that often results in red itchy rashes and flaky skin. The word ‘eczema’ is of Greek origin. It means “to boil’”. In severe cases, pustules may form on the surface of skin, which leak puss. Typically, it is cured only for a certain period of time before it returns to haunt the sufferer once again. People who suffer from this condition have to take special care of their skin for the rest of their lives because their skin is extra sensitive. Eczema is also called ‘Atopic dermatitis’. It can be quite intense when it affects newborns and babies in early childhood. The severity of infection lightens with increased age.
Eczema may be triggered by:
- Allergies- to a certain food, poison ivy, or even nuts
- Cold and dehydrated weather conditions
- Eating disorders
- Overload of toxins circulating in the human body
- Imperfect body mechanism ( E.g. Thyroid malfunction)
- Sensitive skin
- Varicose veins
- Stress
Eczema may not be life-threatening, but it does have a negative impact on your child’s life. It might make your child feel different from his peers, not to mention the constant physical discomfort. Therefore, eczema should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
Symptoms of Eczema
Eczema is mainly characterized by the red, itchy skin and bumps. However, this can vary depending on age. Almost all children develop rash-like eczema with bumps on their face or scalp at some point in their first 5 years. As children grow older, the eczema tends to get drier, less scaly, and way itchier! That is, of course excluding occasional flare-ups. Eczema rashes can appear anywhere, including the abdomen, arms, legs, and neck. Lesions that are bright red and crusty can appear in these areas. Ring-shaped bumps that itch can develop inside elbow bends, knee bends, and wrist backs. When eczema affects the skin around the eyes, it can cause red and puffy eyes. Scratching too much around the eyes could cause hair fall on the eyebrows and eyelashes.
Eczema rashes are usually red at first and worsen with increased scratching. They might even deepen to a thick brown color.
Other Eczema Symptoms and Visible Signs of Eczema Are:
- Inflamed & cracking skin
- Raised dots filled with fluid and puss
- Swollen lips
- Crusts on skin
- Blisters
- Extreme itchiness
- Tingly skin that is extra-sensitive to harsh chemicals or weather
- Dry skin
- Red and scaly patches of skin
- Weeping, inflamed areas of skin
- Mild Itchiness
Eczema and Eating Habits
Like hay fever, your eczema could also be the outcome of your allergy to certain foods. When you visit a doctor to diagnose the cause behind your eczema, he might test for food allergies. He would basically do this by giving you certain foods, like nuts or wheat, and testing for outbursts. He might also needle you with an extract of the food and examine your skin for adverse reactions. However, sometimes, the allergy food might not be the culprit behind your eczema, so this can be deceptive.
Some common troublesome foods would include soy, wheat, eggs, yeast, nuts, fish, and milk products. You could simply cut out all these foods. Alternatively, you could track your eating patterns to investigate which one is the culprit. That way you can fight your eczema AND indulge your taste buds in the foods you enjoy. While tracking your food habits you could note down what you ate and the time that you ate it.
Simultaneously, adapt a healthy eating plan focused on skin health. Drink lots of water. Eat green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits rich in nutrients and antioxidants. Healthy skin is less likely to be vulnerable to eczema and other skin infections. Breakouts of eczema will visibly decrease in just a few weeks. Also, try to include foods like nuts and olive oil, rich in fatty acids. These will lessen the swelling of your eczema.
Making conscious changes in your eating style and maintain a food diary will soon help you cure your eczema for good.
Treating Eczema with Herbal Remedies
Treating those unsightly rashes called eczema can be simple and inexpensive if you use homemade herbal treatments. Continue to abide by the usual, which involves steering clear of any food allergies, like gluten products, eggs, nuts, etc. Below are outlined some of the more popular herbal treatments used in the treatment of eczema.
- Rub aloe vera gel over the inflamed area
- Drink chamomile tea or place the leaves over the affected area to soothe the itching.
- Add a tablespoon of turmeric powder to an equal quantity of bitter mint leaf with some warm water and use it as an exfoliant to speed up the healing process.
- Apply spearmint leaf juice to the rash.
- Crush almond leaves with water and apply. When the leaves have turned dark, cool the mixture and strain it out. Store the oil in a jar and massage over rash 2-3 times a day. This is a very effective procedure.
- Rub coconut oil on the damaged area gently to soften the skin.
- Brew fresh mint leaves in boiled mustard oil.
- Take supplements of Omega 3, like fish oil tablets.
- Relax with a calming mudpack. It does wonders for the eczema!
Alternative Treatments for Eczema
Sometimes, the natural remedies just don’t cut it. You might start to feel powerless against the wrath of “eczema”. Fear not! Medical scientists and dermatologists are always on the look-out for fast and effective ways to fight skin infections and eczema. The doctor will check the eczema patient for severity of lesions and past medical history. He will then prescribe the most suitable medication.
Doctors mainly aim to cure 3 things through medication: itchiness, swelling, and dryness. They may prescribe a topical lotion, topical steroids, antibiotics, antihistamines or even UV light treatment in extreme cases.
General tips you can put into effect immediately include:
- DO NOT itch! It’s just going to make it worse and possibly cause infection. You don’t want that, do you?
- When showering, do so with luke warm water. Hot water may cause your eczema to become irritated and inflamed.
- Wear cotton clothing. They are unlikely to aggravate your skin condition.
- Stay in cool and soothing weather conditions. Avoid intense heat.
- Avoid harsh chemicals, like cleaning liquids, bug sprays, or detergents.
- Use a petroleum jelly, like Vaseline, as a moisturizer to avoid dehydration of your skin.
- De-stress
Ongoing research into autoimmune drugs to fight eczema is also in process.
If you feel that your eczema is getting out of hand and has been hanging around for too long, visit your dermatologist ASAP and get rid of your eczema. Any medication used for eczema must be recommended by a doctor. A regime that worked very well for your friend, may not work perfectly for you. Eczema can be hard to deal with. However, with application of the general tips outlined above and adherence to the doctor’s orders, fast recovery is almost guaranteed!
