ECZEMA TREATMENT

Foot eczema is a rash concentrated in scaly areas of irritated skin, common in children during wintertime when the air contains less moisture. Foot eczema can cause feet to dry out and crack. The most common cause of foot eczema is dyes used in the manufacture of shoes and sneakers, which are made with dyes and/or rubber. These irritants cause rashes and dry or scaly skin. Leather shoes also contain dyes. Also known as dyshidrosia or dyshidrotic eczema, foot eczema has nothing to do with sweating feet. Sweating is an important symptom in that it washes off natural oils, which lead to additional dryness. The symptoms of foot eczema are characterized by the sudden onset (1 to 3 days) of deep-seated, clear vesicles, which resemble the pearls in tapioca pudding. In the later stages, scaling, thickening, and painful fissuring may occur. Secondary bacterial infection is very often a complication with dyshidrotic eczema. Successful treatment may include wearing socks that are 60% cotton and changing shoes every day -- alternate 2 to 3 pairs of shoes. Follow recommended treatments for at least 4 months after skin has healed. It takes a long time for skin to recover, and unless you're careful the eczema will reoccur. Pompholyx or pedopompholyx eczema is vesicular foot eczema. In early stages it is seen as tiny blisters deep in the skin associated with itching and may cause a burning feeling. In later stages, it shows more peeling, cracking or crusting.

Xerotic eczema, winter itch, or asteatotic eczema is a rash that occurs in winter and in the elderly on the legs, arms, and hands. It is characterized by dry, cracked, fissured skin and redness. Stasis eczema is a rash of the lower legs, which is due to poor return of blood to the heart. Usually the inner leg is more involved than the outer lower leg. Sometimes the rash breaks down into a sore resulting in a stasis ulcer. It affects people with varicose veins.

Nummular eczema is a ringworm-like rash of circular, itchy, scaling patches, widespread on the arms and legs but may also be found on the trunk and buttocks. Nummular eczema is most common in older people with very dry skin.

Labels: eczema treatment, Eczema-Ltd, foot eczema, stages and classification of eczema

Eczema, often called dermatitis (inflamed skin), affects people of all age groups, but is most common in infants and young adults.

Early stages of eczema can cause the skin to turn red, blister, and ooze. Later stages of eczema can cause the skin to turn a brownish color and be scaly. In almost every case, eczema itches. Eczema can be widespread or limited to a few areas. Atopic eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, is the most common form of eczema. Eczema runs its course through three distinct phases: acute, sub acute, and chronic.

The usual symptoms associated with the acute stage of eczema include pain, heat, tenderness, and possible itching. The affected areas are characterized by extreme redness and drainage at the lesion site. In acute eczema you would experience vesicles, blisters, and intense redness of the skin. The skin surface will sting, burn, or may itch intensely. The common examples for this stage of eczema would include acute contact eczema, acute nummular eczema, stasis eczema, and pompholyx eczema. The standard courses of treatment at this time would include cold wet compresses, antihistamines, antibiotics, and possibly a short-term course of steroids. The acute disease typically is characterized by inflammation, redness, swelling, and itching, as well as some blistering and oozing. Skin biopsies show inflammatory cells and swelling.

The sub acute phase of eczema includes symptoms associated with skin redness and crusting; however, there is no extreme swelling. You may observe redness, scaling of the skin, fissures, and a parched or scalded appearance to the skin. People in the sub acute phase tend to complain about the symptom of itching more than the pain. The itching in the sub acute phase is generally slight to moderate with possible stinging and burning. The common examples of the sub acute phase include contact allergy, irritation, atopic eczema, stasis eczema, nummular and asteatotic eczema. The basic course of treatment at this time would include a topical steroid, emollients, antihistamines, and antibiotics. The sub acute disease typically is characterized by inflammation, redness, swelling, and itching, as well as some blistering and oozing. Skin biopsies show inflammatory cells and swelling.

Individuals with lesions developed over three months are referred to as having chronic eczema. Itching is a predominant symptom in this phase as well and scratching causes the lesion to worsen. In the chronic stages of eczema the skin would show a thickened, lichenified, excoriation and or fissuring appearance. At this time you would experience a moderate to intense itch. Chronic eczema most occurs in atopic eczema and lichen simplex chronic eczema, fingertip eczema, and hyperkeratosis eczema. Again your standard courses of treatment would include an antihistamine, antibiotics, emollients, and possibly a topical steroid. Chronic dermatitis is identified by thickened, leathery skin with excess ridges, as well as dark and dull skin. Under the microscope, the outermost (epidermal) skin layer is seen to proliferate and become elongated.

Labels: eczema, eczema treatment, Eczema-Ltd, stages and classification of eczema

It is important to treat the specific cause of your eczema, and the aggravating factors in as many ways as possible. One way to treat your eczema is behavioral with positive lifestyle changes such as better eating habits and reducing stress. Another way is by eliminating contact with environmental factors which can aggravate your sensitive skin such as allergens, harsh chemicals, certain metals, and irritating fabrics. A third way is through the use of prescription medications, moisturizers, Jojoba oil, or Eczema-Ltd III topical skin conditioner.

Eczema Ltd is dedicated to helping you to find new and novel ways to treat and control your eczema. The ingredients of Eczema Ltd III are exactly what the skin and body needs! Since it contains no irritating fragrances it provides the most favorable skin acceptance for those with damaged and sensitive eczema skin.

Labels: eczema, eczema treatment, Eczema-Ltd

According to an old wives tale, nearly every bodily sensation or skin condition has an explanation. One such tale involves itchy palms. The tale states: if the palm of your right hand is itching, you’ll soon be coming into money. But if you scratch your right hand while it is itchy, it'll prevent the money from coming your way. If your palm of your left hand is itchy, this foretells that you will be paying money to someone, and you should scratch away to do get rid of or lower the payments.

In reality an itchy palm usually has to do with a nervous system or allergic response, and it’s unlikely that is has to do with money one way or the other. An itchy palm is a common symptom of dyshidrotic eczema which incudes itching of the hands and feet, resulting in a sudden onset of blisters. Symptoms of this rash include burning pain or itching may be experienced before blisters appear. The cause of dyshidrotic eczema may be sensitivity to nickel or other metals such as chromium or cobalt, also fragrances, fungal infection (tinea pedis), stress, aspirin, oral contraceptives, smoking, and implanted metals. Dyshidrotic eczema is a form of hand eczema, which is more common in women and starts on the sides of the fingers as itchy little bumps and then develops into a rash. It takes a long time for skin to recover, and unless you're careful, the eczema will reoccur. The symptoms of hand eczema include red, itchy, scaly, cracked skin with blisters up to one inch in diameter, usually on the palms of the hands. Dentists are prone to hand eczema. The cause of hand eczema is usually a combination of sensitive skin and irritation or an allergic reaction from materials touched. Prevention and avoidance can be a powerful treatment.

The following suggestions will be helpful for anyone with symptoms of hand eczema: Wear waterproof or cotton-lined gloves,
Avoid contact with soaps, detergents, scouring powders, and irritating chemicals. Wear waterproof gloves when peeling or squeezing lemons, oranges, or grapefruit, peeling potatoes, or handling tomatoes.
Wear heavy-duty gloves while gardening,
Wash dishes in a dishwasher,
Do not wash clothes by hand,
Avoid contact with turpentine, paint, and paint thinner, floor polish, and shoe polish.
Wash hands in warm water and a small amount of mild soap, rinse carefully and dry gently.
Wearing rings can cause hand eczema to become worse.

Should you refrain from scratching your right hand or even your left hand when it itches? The answer is yes. Eczema occurs as a result of an immune system response to an irritant either through contact, inhalation or ingestion. The body activates an immune system response often resulting in a flushed appearance, a rash, or welts on the skin. The symptoms of eczema include itching, redness, dry/flaky skin, and even blisters. Usually the first symptom of eczema is intense itching; this itching can be very uncomfortable and individuals may tend to scratch the skin. The itchy feeling is an important symptom in eczema, because scratching and rubbing in response to itching worsen the skin inflammation characteristic of eczema. Scratching makes the eczema symptoms worse. The dry skin will become redder in color and may even crack due to scratching. Scratching may also lead to infection. The urge to scratch symptom becomes a repetitive cycle: the more you scratch, the more it itches.

As unusual as these old wives tales may sound, there are people who believe in them, and these theories are still being spread today from generation to generation. Just as outdated treatments for an itchy palm continue to be considered the standard if treatment. Among the many outdated treatments are Coal tar which has been used to treat the itching and inflammation caused by skin conditions for hundreds of years. The tar contains chemicals that soothe the skin. Crude coal tar is a byproduct of oil production. It makes the skin more sensitive to light. In its natural state it is a thick, brownish-black substance that is messy to apply to the skin. Refined coal tar preparations, many of which are available over the counter, may be more cosmetically acceptable. Coal tar has been used for many years to treat psoriasis and it has few side effects. However, it does not work for everyone. In addition to being messy to use, it has a strong odor and can stain skin and clothing. It can cause sun sensitivity, and may irritate acute eczema. The smell may be offensive to some people.

A few years ago, primrose oil was touted as a topical therapy for hand eczema, but it later was shown not to work. In November 1998, an American Medical Association journal, Archives of Dermatology, published a report listing several other plant extracts being used for skin conditions similar to eczema: calendula officinalis (marigold); chamomile; witch hazel; licorice root; and aloe vera gel. Unfortunately, a history of use doesn't necessarily translate to a history of effectiveness. Indeed, some of these substances, or their vehicle gel/lotion, may worsen your condition.

Labels: Dyshidrotic eczema, hand eczema, itchy palms

ReferenceByremo, G., Rod, G. and Carlsen, K.H. 2006. Effect of climatic change in children with atopic eczema. Allergy 61: 1403-1410.
BackgroundAtopic eczema, to quote the authors of this study, "is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by itching, lesions and lichenification," especially at "the flexure sites of the major joints of the upper and lower extremities." The pain and itching associated with the disease, as they describe it, "may cause depressive symptoms, social isolation and reduced self-perception," negatively influencing the quality of life in both children and their caretakers. They further report that epidemiological studies suggest climate influences the disease's prevalence, noting that "atopic eczema has been reported worldwide to be positively associated with latitude and negatively with temperature (Weiland et al., 2004)."
What was doneThirty children, 4 to 13 years of age with severe atopic eczema, were transported from their homes in Norway to the Canary Islands, where they stayed for a period of four weeks before returning, while 26 similarly-infected children of the same age group stayed at home in Norway the entire time. All were evaluated for various disease characteristics (1) at the start of the study, (2) at the conclusion of the group-of-30's four-week period of stay in the Canary Islands, and (3) three months after the 30 children left the islands to return home to Norway. The specific disease parameters employed in the evaluation were the Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis, the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index, skin colonization by Staphylococcus aureus, and pharmacological skin treatment.
What was learnedNoting that temperatures during the children's stay in the Canary Islands were much higher than they were back in Norway, Byremo et al. report that their time in the warmer climate significantly reduced the severity of atopic eczema, and that the youths improved in (1) severity of eczema, (2) quality of life, and (3) bacterial skin culture, which was reflected in (4) a reduction in the use of topical steroids, antihistamines and topical antibiotics. These positive changes were observed at the conclusion of the 4-week stay in the Canary Islands, as well as back home in Norway three months later. In fact, the researchers state that the four weeks spent in the Canary Islands "led to a lasting improvement for the children," while "the control group did not show similar improvement."
What it meansAlthough greater exposure to sunlight and the effect of regularly bathing in seawater, such as the children did at the Canary Islands, likely played positive roles in reducing the severity of their atopic eczema, the results of this study once again proved harmonious with the worldwide negative correlation that prevails between eczema and temperature, suggesting that global warming may well prove beneficial to people unfortunate enough to suffer from it.

Reference:Weiland, S.K., Husing, A., Strachan, D.P., Rzehak, P. and Pearce, N. 2004. Climate and the prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic eczema in children. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 61: 609-615.

Research by Bass & Boney Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 1999 determined that patients with rosacea often have seborrheic dermatitis which co-exists in 35% of sufferers which makes for a most delicate skin condition.(1)

In the summer of 2004, research by the National Rosacea Society verified these facts in a study of their own:

“According to a new study, rosacea is the most common facial skin disorder overlapping with seborrheic dermatitis (SD), a chronic and recurring inflammatory condition characterized by a red, scaly or itchy rash often found in the creases around the nose, the inner eyebrows or as dandruff on the scalp. Dr. James Del Rosso, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Nevada, found that 26 percent of rosacea patients had facial SD and 28 percent had SD of the scalp.(2)
Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin condition which results in overactive sebaceous glands which cause inflammation, flaking and a red rash in the central portion of the face. If one looks closely, the flakes usually have a greasy look, smell and feel. The dryness of seborrheic dermatitis is perceived because of the flaking which consists of dried layers of accumulated oil.
Seborrheic dermatitis usually affects the scalp, but can also affect other parts of the body, such as eyebrows, eyelids, the folds of the nose, lips, behind or inside the ears, in the external ear, the forehead and the chin and the skin of the trunk, particularly around the navel, in the skin folds under the arms, in the groin, or under the breasts.
In infants seborrheic dermatitis is referred to as cradle cap or infantile eczema.
Rosacea-Ltd can be used on skin that is sensitive to the occurrence of both rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis.

Associated Reference
1. Patients with Rosacea often have seborrheic dermatitis which co-exist in 35% of sufferers which makes for a most delicate skin condition; and even more so when adult acne co-exist with rosacea in approximately 82% of sufferers. The combination of the three is quite aggravating as seen by years of past efforts, the treatment of one condition aggravates the other two medical conditions.
2. Del Rosso J. The prevalence of seborrheic dermatitis in patients with other commonly encountered facial dermatoses. Poster presentation, American Academy of Dermatology summer meeting, New York, July 2004.

Nummular eczema is a name given to a stubborn, sometimes itchy rash that forms coin-shaped patches on the skin. The lesions as they get older may clear in the center resembling ring worm or fungus. The condition tends to be chronic, with periods of quiescence and exacerbation.The cause is unknown although it is more common in the winter. Nummular eczema is frequently associated with dry skin. Wool, soaps and frequent bathing (more than once a day) often worsen the condition. People with eczema have skin that is dry and easily irritated by soap, detergents, and rough wool clothing. Clothes washed or dried with liquid or sheet fabric softeners such as Cling, may also irritate the skin. Hot and cold weather often aggravates eczema. Certain allergies may worsen eczema, but they don't cause it.