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Eczema Treatment and Prevention of Symptoms Aggravation

It is hard to imagine life with eczema. Constant itching, inflammation and discomfort are what people suffering from this dreaded skin disease have to go through on a daily basis. This is why they try every eczema treatment they could get their hands on. Although there is no cure to it, the signs and symptoms of eczema can be managed.

Most cases of eczema begin to appear early in life. It is a chronic inflammatory response of the skin, usually having flare-ups and remissions. The appearance or features may vary from one person to another, also greatly depending on the parts of the body where they appear. The psychological impact on the person suffering from eczema is significant having to live through the feeling of embarrassment and the effects it has on daily activities.

There are many things that can be tried to relieve the symptoms of eczema, including medications prescribed by doctors and some tried and tested natural remedies. Of course the results greatly depend on the kind and severity of the eczema. If you are suffering from this skin disease, let us discuss some of the things which you can do to lessen the inflammation, itching and other forms of discomforts.

First things first: Always pay attention to what aggravates the condition. Finding out the causes that worsens the condition and avoiding being exposed to them can do a lot more for eczema than any treatment available.

Is it because of an allergic reaction to certain foods? Commonly, consuming milk, eggs, wheat and peanuts contribute to the itching of eczematous skin. Its best to avoid eating foods that only makes the itching worse. Is it because of contact with certain chemicals and household products? Many people who suffer from eczema need to stay away from certain stuff such as cosmetics, perfumes, pesticides, detergents and many others. Ingredients such as alcohol, astringent and fragrance may trigger or worsen the case; thats why you should make it a habit to read labels prior to using a particular product.

Is it because of extremes in temperature and humidity? Maintaining a stable temperature and humidity all year long may be complicated, but you need all the help you can get. For instance, if you are using air conditioner, make sure you moisturize your skin or use a humidifier to prevent excessive skin drying, causing itchiness.

It is best to take baths than showers because the spraying water can irritate the eczematous skin and make it itchy. Use lukewarm water and never hot water. Hot water kills skin cells faster and makes the skin drier. The drier the skin, the more skin scaling and itchiness you will experience. Bath and essential oils may also be added onto the water. Rosemary and chamomile essential oils are effective anti-inflammatory and anti-itching remedies when added to bath water. Also, pat dry with a towel and never rub.

Researches have shown that making your life free of stress and having a positive outlook may help keep the symptoms of eczema at bay. While it is extremely difficult to stay relaxed each time your skin condition flares up and think about other peoples perception of you, you should always try to manage stress effectively.

If you know what triggers the symptoms of your eczema, then you can do a lot to avoid it and experience less of the nasty outcome of being exposed to them. Eczema treatment is far more effective when you know how to do away with contributing factors.

What Happens After Eczema Treatment

You might think after undergoing eczema treatment that it will never happen again. Well, it does and these are called flare ups. You have to remember that eczema itself cannot be cured but there are ways to prevent it from coming back.

If you happen to suffer from facial eczema, you can prevent it by washing your face regularly with a nondrying facial cleanser or facial moisturizer. Just be sure that it reads noncomedogenic or oil-free. When you go out, make sure you are only using hypoallergenic makeup and sunscreens.

Eczema does not happen only in the face so you should know how to protect your skin. The best way to do this is to avoid substances that stress your skin and some of these include drying soaps, detergents, fragranced lotions and certain household cleaners. You may have to switch to another brand but at least you are sure that you will not experience any flare ups.

They say that keeping your skin moist is good but did you know that water is not the answer? This is because too much water can dry out your skin. If you need to take bath, make sure it is warm and not too hot. If you have to do the dishes, wear gloves to protect your hands which will be immersed in water for a long period of time. When you are done taking a bath or washing the dishes, pat your skin dry with a coarse towel.

But is water really that bad? The answer is no. Studies have shown that water does not cause flare ups. It is the water that evaporates which you have to worry about.

The clothes you wear may also cause flare-ups and a good example of this is wool. To prevent that, you have change your wardrobe with clothes made of cotton.

You will also need to moisturize your skin. The best ones to use are fragrance-free moisturizers like petroleum jelly which prevents the skin from becoming irritated and cracked.

We told you earlier that eczema cannot be cured. This means it is still there waiting to appear again so resist the urge to scratch the itch. Doing so will make it more difficult for the skin to heal and if there is a break in the skin, bacteria can get in causing an infection.

As much as possible, keep you body cool because sudden changes in the temperature, sweating or becoming overheated causes flare-ups.

If you were given medication by your dermatologist, continue taking them as directed.

The last thing to do after eczema treatment is to relax because stress is another trigger factor associated with eczema.

Seeing a doctor and then applying cream, lotion or treatment does not mean that eczema will not happen again because it does come back. It is only by practicing proper post eczema treatment that you will be able to hold it at bay given that there is no cure for this skin condition.

The good news is that if you are successful in keeping eczema at bay, whatever happened to you will usually clear up before the age of 25 so no one will know that this ever happened. So until then, think smart and get help so can make the most of post eczema treatment.

Supplements Are Also Useful for Eczema Treatment

Prevention is best defense against any disease or condition. But if it is already there, your doctor may recommend medication and at times even supplements which has been proven to help in eczema treatment.

Supplements are important in eczema treatment because there is research to suggest that the human body does not have sufficient amounts of fatty acids to combat this skin condition. While topical medications work from the outside and are then absorbed by the body, it will help to have something inside that also does it share to fight the skin condition.

Examples of these supplements are blackcurrant seed oil, evening primrose oil and starflower oil. Studies have shown that taking supplements that contain these ingredients reduces the number of flare ups and in some cases, reducing the severity and length of time compared to the last attack.

Taking it regularly also reduces dryness, inflammation, itching and scaliness which are the common symptoms of eczema.

A lot of studies have shown that fish oil is very useful in other health problems but in the case of eczema, it has not shown any significant effect. The casing point is Gamma-linolenic acid or GLA which is an omega 6 fatty acid. While the results of studies are mixed, the only thing it can do is reduce the severity of symptoms.

It has been proven that certain foods may trigger eczema in a patient. To prevent this from happening again, changes have to be made in the diet. It will also help if you take supplements that contain Vitamin B.

Certain herbs are also useful for eczema treatment. Two examples of these include liquorice root and witch hazel. Liquorice root is helpful because it contains glycyrrhizinic acid that also helps reduce the symptoms of eczema. Witch hazel on the other hand contains phosphatidylcholine.

Liquorice root may be taken internally or applied topically while witch hazel can only be applied to the skin. Other herbs which may be used if either of these is unavailable include burdock root, German chamomile, golden rod, red clover, roman chamomile and stinging nettle.

Babies are at risk of eczema and one way to treat it is with probiotics. While this good bacteria is already found in our body, infants do not have sufficient amounts of this yet which is why mothers are encourage to breastfeed. Since eczema can also happen later on in life, the best supplement to have is found in a bottle of Yakult which has the Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain.

If you think that applying and swallowing the supplement is the only way to get eczema treatment, think again because sulfur is a little bit different. You have to bathe yourself in sulfur to get the desired results. This is because it contains keratin that is a protein that can strengthen your hair, nails and skin. Take note that a sulfur bath is not recommended for children.

There are many ways to get eczema treatment. If you have this condition, you should consult with your doctor so you know what severe is your condition. It is only after getting yourself diagnosed that the proper treatment can be administered so that even though there is no cure for it, you are able to reduce it severity and make sure that flare ups do not occur.

Is an Eczema Treatment Using Antihistamines the Best for You?

Is an Eczema Treatment Using Antihistamines the Best for You?

Antihistamines are used to suppress the bodys natural production of histamines. When one is exposed to certain allergens substances that cause allergic reactions the body produces histamines as part of its defense systems. This is why an eczema treatment may sometimes include antihistamines to lessen the symptoms of the skin disease, such as inflammation, reddening and itching of the affected areas.

However, antihistamines interfere with the role of histamines in suppressing allergic reactions. So if you are suffering from eczema, you might as well give scrambling to your doctors clinic right away to get a prescription a second thought. Antihistamines may give you side effects even worse than the eczema symptoms you are trying to do away with. This is why many doctors recommend other forms of topical treatments for flare ups, such as ointments, foams, lotions and gels.

How do antihistamines work?

Certain organs in the body the skin, lungs and the length of the digestive system naturally contain high amounts of histamines. In fact, almost any of your bodily organs have them for defense. Aside from immune regulation, histamines also play other roles in the body such as:

* Secretion of digestive acids in the stomach
* Regulation of sexual response
* Regulation of sleep
* Relay and modulation of signals from one neuron cell to the other

As part of the bodys immune system, histamines trigger the pooling of blood supply in areas where foreign or invading organisms are present, such as in injured body parts like wounds. This is to supply larger concentrations of everything needed for the bodys efficient healing. However, large concentrations of histamines in a given area also results to inflammation, reddening and itching yes, just like the symptoms present during eczema flare ups. That is why certain treatments for eczema make use of antihistamines to get rid of such symptoms.

Can I use eczema medications with antihistamines?

Not just about everybody can take antihistamines. Many doctors advise people to steer clear of antihistamines if they have:

* Asthma
* Chronic bronchitis
* Hypertension
* Glaucoma
* Problems with the liver or kidney and other organs
* Any chronic illness

Histamines are also contraindicated for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, or if one is currently taking medications, be it conventional or all-natural. If you suffer from eczema and have one of the things mentioned earlier, then you should consider resorting to other modes of treatment for eczema, the ones that do not contain antihistamines.

Taking antihistamines for a long period of time can actually do more harm than good. It can cause histamine deficiency, which contributes to:

* Mouth ulcers
* Headaches
* Excessive hair growth
* Ringing in the ears
* Eye and ear problems
* Mental and emotional disorders such as schizophrenia

Half of the people classified as having schizophrenia, according to studies conducted, have low levels of histamines circulating in their blood stream. The depletion of histamines may be due to certain antipsychotic drugs prescribed for them. However, increasing the levels of histamines in their blood stream significantly improved their condition. Also, it is said that people with low levels of histamines usually experience anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations.

If you suffer from eczema at the same time with other conditions such as difficulty in breathing, you should consult your doctor for an eczema treatment other than that with antihistamines.