Causes and Treatment for Eczema

Skin Therapy
Eczema is a form of dermatitis that’s name is derived from the Greek word meaning, “to boil over.” Eczema is a fairly common condition that affects the outer layer of the skin and about every 1 in 9 people in the U.S. suffer from it. This skin condition appears as a red and dry rash on the skin that itches and can even bleed due to cracking and dryness. The dryness and irritation makes you want to scratch at the infected skin, but scratching can lead to scarring and eventual skin discoloration.

What causes eczema?

Eczema can be caused by a number of different things. First and oddly enough, some skin experts believe that eczema can be caused by growing up in an environment that was too clean. Bacteria and allergens, in small doses, are important to development because they help a child’s immune system develop antibodies against foreign agents. If a child isn’t exposed to these environmental factors then the child is more likely to experience sickness or an allergic reaction later in life.

Other causes for eczema include dust, environmental pollutants, or food allergens that the body reacts negatively towards.

Is there a treatment?

Although there is no cure for eczema because it can be caused by a number of different factors, there are topical treatments that can be applied and can help relieve the effects of eczema on the skin.

These treatments include:

• Corticosteroids- these are typically steroid creams but can also be injections

• Immunomodulators- these suppress the immune system so that you don’t react quite so readily to allergens and pollutants

• Immunosuppressants- work similarly to immunomodulators but they are more potent and have to be monitored by blood tests and by a physician
Skin Cream
• Itch relief- These drugs often come in the form of antihistamines and can reduce the itch during a flare up of eczema. Ice packs and cool water can also reduce itching, and reduced itching equals reduced scratching, which in turn reduces scarring.

• Moisturizers- Sometimes the severity of eczema can be lessened with a skin moisturizer. Moisturizing is one of the most important self-care treatments for those who suffer from eczema.

• Lifestyle- Often times dust mites exist and are trapped within carpets. Switching carpets out for hard flooring and keeping a relatively dust-free home can lessen a person’s exposure to dust mites.

• Light therapy- this therapy involves the use of ultra violet light to help control eczema

• Diet- If you believe that a food allergy is causing your eczema a food allergy test is easy to conduct at home. Make a list of all the possible foods that could potentially be causing your eczema to worsen and slowly take those foods out of your diet one at a time. Give yourself a week in between the removal of each different food to really be able to tell if your eczema clears up or not. Common food allergens that have been known to cause eczema include coffee, soy products, eggs, wheat, peanuts, and sweet corn.

Eczema is most common in children and is usually outgrown by the age of 2. There are however, some cases where eczema can be continued on into adulthood. The symptoms are manifested less frequently in adults however, because adults are more proactive at taking care of their skin than children and young adults are. Consider the severity of your eczema and then use this list to select a treatment for eczema that is going to provide you with the most relief, and as always, speak with your healthcare provider about which treatment is going to be the best option for you.