ECZEMA TREATMENT

Some things that may irritate your skin include household cleansers, detergents, aftershave lotions, soap, gasoline, turpentine and other solvents. Try to avoid contact with things that make you break out with eczema. Because soaps and wetness can cause skin irritation, wash your hands only when necessary, especially if you have eczema on your hands. Be sure to dry your hands completely after you wash them.

Wear vinyl or plastic gloves for work that requires you to have your hands in water. Also, wear gloves when your hands will be exposed to anything that can irritate your skin. Wear cotton gloves under plastic gloves to soak up sweat from your hands. Take occasional breaks and remove your gloves to prevent a buildup of sweat inside your gloves.
Wear gloves when you go outside during the winter. Cold air and low humidity can dry your skin, and dryness can make your eczema worse.

Lifestyle modifications are the first line of defense in controlling eczema, regardless of whether the eczema is mild, moderate, or severe. Recommended by dermatologists, the following guidelines can help reduce the severity and frequency of flare-ups, which also may decrease the need for anti-inflammatory medicine. Continuing to follow these guidelines once the signs and symptoms clear can help prevent further outbreaks:
1. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Eczema is usually dry and itchy, so applying moisturizers as needed to keep the skin moist is part of an effective treatment plan. Frequent moisturizing locks in the skin’s own moisture to prevent dryness and cracking.
One of the best ways to lock in moisture is to apply moisturizer after bathing. When bathing, care must be taken to avoid irritating the skin.
2. Limit contact with anything that irritates the skin. Soaps, bubble bath, perfumes, cosmetics, laundry detergents, household cleaners, too much time spent in water, finger paints, gasoline, turpentine, wool, a pet’s fur, juices from meats and fruits, plants, jewelry, and even lotions can irritate sensitive skin. Know what irritates your skin and limit contact with all that does. Avoiding personal-care products that contain alcohol and not washing hands too frequently also will help reduce irritation.
3. Avoid sweating and overheating. The most common triggers of the scratch/itch cycle are sweating and overheating. It is essential to prevent these situations whenever possible.
4. Avoid sudden changes in temperature and humidity. A sudden rise in temperature can cause overheating and sweating. A drop in humidity can dry skin and lead to a flare-up.
5. Grab a cold compress to curb the itch. Scratching makes the condition worse and may puncture skin allowing bacteria to enter and cause an infection. Gently applying a cold compress to the area that itches can reduce inflammation and lessen the desire to scratch.
6. Keep fingernails short. Short nails decrease the likelihood that scratching will puncture the skin. Keeping nails short and wearing cotton gloves at night may help prevent scratching that punctures the skin while asleep.
7. Dress in loose-fitting cotton clothes. Synthetic fabrics, wool, and other materials that feel rough to the touch often irritate the skin and trigger a flare-up. Cotton and cotton-blend clothes usually make skin feel better.
8. Double rinse clothes, and wash new clothes before wearing. Laundry detergents can trigger flare-ups. Using a fragrance-free, neutral pH detergent and double rinsing clothes can help prevent flare-ups caused by laundry detergent. It also may be helpful to wash new clothes before they are worn as washing removes excess dyes and fabric finishers, which can irritate the skin. Tags should be removed, too, as these can rub the skin, causing irritation.
9. Reduce stress. Stress reduction plays a key role in preventing eczema flares. In today’s fast-paced world, reducing stress can be challenging; however, there are ways to effectively reduce stress.
10. Follow a prescribed treatment regimen. Moisturizing and using medications as directed by a dermatologist go a long way toward keeping flare-ups at bay.

Wet Wraps Can Relieve Severe EczemaIf it seems that absolutely nothing will alleviate that red, cracked, and unbearably itchy skin, you may want to ask your dermatologist about wet-wrap therapy. (more...)

Infection Common in Patients with Atopic DermatitisThe red, cracked, and unbearably itchy skin that develops when atopic dermatitis (AD) flares is not only uncomfortable. It also makes one more susceptible to infection. (more...)

Treatment TipMoisturizers play a key role in relieving eczema's dry, itchy skin. Moisturizer should be applied after each bath, shower, or swim. For best results, apply to damp skin.

Using a medication more frequently, or in greater amount than prescribed, will not increase effectiveness and can trigger a side effect. If uncertain about how often or how much to use, be sure to ask your dermatologist.

Contact Eczema is eczema caused by physical contact with an irritant or allergen
Light Sensitive Eczema is eczema caused by exposure to sunlight
Juvenile Plantar Eczema is eczema caused by footwear
Eczema Craquele: skin has a "crazy paving" appearance
Eczema Herpeticum is eczema caused by herpes simplex virus
Atopic Eczema is an inherited condition thought to be caused by an allergic reaction
Infantile Eczema ("cradle cap") is a temporary eczema in babies
Adult Seborrheic Eczema is eczema thought to be caused by a yeast
Varicose Eczema is eczema caused by poor circulation in the legs
Discoid Eczema appears in coin-shaped areas on the skin
Dyshidrotic Eczema appears as itchy blisters

Hand eczema often results from a combination of causes, including genetic makeup, injury, contact with irritants and allergy. It is frequently caused or aggravated by work, when it is known as occupational dermatitis. Hand dermatitis is particularly common in industries involving cleaning, catering, metalwork, hairdressing, healthcare and mechanical work.Hand dermatitis varies in severity. It may affect the backs of the hands, the palms or both sites. Often it starts as a mild intermittent complaint, but it can become increasingly severe and persistent. The affected skin initially becomes red and dry, then progresses to itchy bumps and fluid-filled blisters, scaling, cracking, weeping and swelling. Bacterial infection can result in pustules, crusting and pain. Longstanding dermatitis at the ends of the fingers may result in deformed nails. Hand dermatitis can spread to affect other sites, particularly the forearms and feet.

Cradle cap is a crusting and scaling rash found on the scalps of many healthy babies. The sebaceous glands in their skin are hyper-activated often because of mom’s hormones that crossed the placenta just before birth. These glands pump out a greasy substance that keeps the old skin cells attached as it dries. Cradle cap can occur in any baby, and most commonly begins sometime in the first 3 months. The baby develops patchy scales and redness on the scalp, even though the early baby pictures showed beautiful baby skin. The scales may appear cracked, greasy, or even weeping. The same rash is often prominent around the ear or the eyebrows. It may appear in other locations as well, where it is called seborrheic dermatitis rather than cradle cap.

Many cultures used herbs as medicinal preparations. A cup of chamomile tea can help soothe inflammations and fight infections. It also is a botanical that can dispel worms. The flowers can be made into a salve which has become a popular treatment for a wide variety of skin disorders, including eczema, bedsores, post radiation therapy skin inflammation, and contact dermatitis (e.g., poison ivy). Infusing the flowers in sweet almond oil, and then applying topically has helped to sooth sunburns.

To find an effective treatment, you must first identify the cause or aggravating factors in your eczema outbreaks. The steps taken to identify the cause of dermatitis are akin to a detective story, in which a few clues may lead to a suspected allergen or irritant. Try to remember anything that changed prior to the reaction. Was there any change in clothing, detergents, personal care items, behaviors, habits, or foods? A specific area of the body may point to a possible offender. For instance, if dermatitis is confined to the eyelids, the culprit may be a recent change in makeup procedures. The preservatives, vehicles, or colorants in eye makeup or eyelid cleansing products should be reviewed. Hair care products, eyelash curlers, or other facial cosmetics may also be the cause.If an allergy to a ring has developed, often, there will be a ring of dermatitis under the ring. If the ring is a gold alloy, allergy to nickel in the ring is possible, but the probable cause is a detergent or other product to which the hands are exposed. An allergen or irritant residue can remain under the ring, where dermatitis eventually develops. To reduce this problem it is best to remove the ring until the hands are thoroughly washed and completely dried. Parents may find that a child has dermatitis around the mouth. If the irritation extends in a complete circle at least one or more inches out from the lips, the culprit may be lip-licking. The child may have a nervous habit of licking the lips and face as far as the tongue will extend. Oral fluids are irritating to skin with constant exposure, and the child needs to be taught that licking causes the problem rather than soothes it. Other causes of lip inflammation include lip makeup, ingestion of oranges, apples, mangoes, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and kiwi. An underappreciated sensitizer is neomycin; a component of the most commonly sold topical antibiotic products (e.g., Mycitracin, Neosporin). These products are only safe for preventing infections in minor injuries. If a person develops an allergic reaction when using them as directed, they must be immediately discontinued. Since the appearance of an allergy to neomycin can cause cross-sensitivities with other aminoglycosides, such as gentamicin, one should choose a topical antibiotic free of neomycin. Patients using veterinary products, such as Bag Balm, as hand softening agents may develop a quinolone sensitivity. In order to avoid this, you should be urged to only use products labeled for human use. Benzocaine is a sensitizer that is found in topical products for itch, burns, dermatitis, canker sores, insect bites, teething, and hemorrhoids. If you develop a sensitivity to these products, an alternate local anesthetics (e.g., pramoxine) should be chosen.

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.