Product that Heals Eczema or Dermatitis without Side Effects
Eczema and dermatitis information and how to treat this skin disease.
(PRWEB) March 18, 2005 -- What is eczema and products on the market that help!
What is eczema? Eczema—also known as dermatitis—is a red, itchy rash on the upper layers of the skin. Its not contagious. Once you have eczema, its likely to reappear again and again throughout your life. There are many types of eczema. The most common are contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and chronic dermatitis. Most dermatitis rashes look about the same. They usually itch, most are red, and many have blisters, swelling, oozing, scabbing, and scaling.
Contact dermatitis occurs when you touch something that causes a reaction. The reaction can be either an irritation or an allergic reaction. Just about anything—including water—can cause irritation. But the most common culprits include chemicals in cosmetics, fragrances, certain metals, and clothes (wool).
Atopic dermatitis is a hereditary condition. Its most common in babies and children and in people with a family history of allergies or asthma. Like contact dermatitis, irritants such as chemicals, fragrances and wool can trigger symptoms. Exposure to tobacco smoke, emotional stress and changes in temperature can also make atopic dermatitis worse.
The first step to treating eczema is to eliminate contact with what might be causing it. For example, if a new laundry detergent causes a rash, switch to a different detergent. If eczema is triggered by stress, stress reduction techniques such as yoga and meditation may help minimize the outbreak. Frequent bathing and rubbing your skin with a towel can make the eczema worse. Try bathing less frequently and gently patting yourself dry afterward. Use mild, unscented soaps such as Oil of Olay or Freederm soap or a waterless cleanser like Cetaphil. Keeping the skin well hydrated and moisturized is also very important.
Scratching can break the skin and lead to infections, so try to resist the urge to scratch. Also, keep fingernails short. Longer nails may have more dirt under them, increasing the risk of infection if you do break the skin.
Various drug treatments for dermatitis are available, including herbal remedies and over-the-counter antihistamines and creams. Also, prescription treatments are available for rashes that become infected.
Whats the difference between eczema and atopic dermatitis?
Eczema is a general term encompassing various inflamed skin conditions. One of the most common forms of eczema is atopic dermatitis (or "atopic eczema"). Approximately 10 percent to 20 percent of the world population is affected by this chronic, relapsing, and very itchy rash at some point during childhood. Fortunately, many children with eczema find that the disease clears and often disappears with age.
In general, atopic dermatitis will come and go, often based on external factors. Although its cause is unknown, the condition appears to be an abnormal response of the bodys immune system. In people with eczema, the inflammatory response to irritating substances overacts, causing itching and scratching. Eczema is not contagious and, like many diseases, currently cannot be cured. However, for most patients the condition may be managed well with treatment and avoidance of triggers.
What does eczema look and feel like?
Although eczema may look different from person to person, it is most often characterized by dry, red, extremely itchy patches on the skin. Eczema is sometimes referred to as "the itch that rashes," since the itch, when scratched, results in the appearance of the rash.
Eczema can occur on just about any part of the body; however, in infants, eczema typically occurs on the forehead, cheeks, forearms, legs, scalp, and neck. In children and adults, eczema typically occurs on the face, neck, and the insides of the elbows, knees, and ankles. In some people, eczema may "bubble up" and ooze. In others, the condition may appear more scaly, dry, and red. Chronic scratching causes the skin to take on a leathery texture because the skin thickens (lichenification).
Please click here to see more pictures of people affected by eczema.
What makes patients with eczema itch?
Many substances have been identified as itch "triggers" in patients with eczema, and triggers are not the same for every person. Many times it is difficult to identify the exact trigger that causes a flare-up. For some, it seems that rough or coarse materials coming into contact with the skin causes itchiness. For others, feeling too hot and/or sweating will cause an outbreak. Other people find that certain soaps, detergents, disinfectants, contact with juices from fresh fruits and meats, dust mites, and animal saliva and danders may trigger itching. Upper respiratory infections (caused by viruses) may also be triggers. Stress can also sometimes aggravate an existing flare-up.
Who gets eczema?
Eczema occurs in both children and adults, but usually appears during infancy. Although there is no known cause for the disease, it often affects people with a family history of allergies.
Those who are genetically predisposed and then exposed to environmental triggers may develop eczema. Many people who have eczema also suffer from allergic rhinitis and asthma, or have family members who do.
How common is eczema?
The National Institutes of Health estimates that 15 million people in the United States have some form of eczema. About 10 percent to 20 percent of all infants have eczema; however, in nearly half of these children, the disease will improve greatly by the time they are between five and 15 years of age. Others will have some form of the disease throughout their lives.
How can eczema be prevented?
Eczema outbreaks can usually be avoided with some simple precautions. The following suggestions may help to reduce the severity and frequency of flare-ups:
Moisturize frequently
- Avoid sudden changes in temperature or humidity
- Avoid sweating or overheating
- Reduce stress
- Avoid scratchy materials (e.g., wool or other irritants)
- Avoid harsh soaps, detergents, and solvents
- Avoid environmental factors that trigger allergies (e.g., pollens, molds, mites, and animal dander)
- Be aware of any foods that may cause an outbreak and avoid those foods
How can eczema be treated?
While eczema cannot be cured, most cases can be controlled by:
- Making lifestyle modifications to prevent flare-ups
- Seeing a dermatologist for treatment
- Using medication as prescribed
This approach tends to prevent inflammation and itching and keeps eczema from getting worse. Dermatologists recommend that treatment be sought at the onset of signs and symptoms. When therapy begins early, it often reduces severity and duration.
Diagnosis
Effective treatment requires a correct diagnosis; however, it is not always easy to distinguish one type of eczema from another or from similar skin conditions. Dermatologists have the medical training and experience needed to determine if eczema is present — and if present, which type. To diagnose eczema, dermatologists examine the skin and ask about:
- When the skin condition first appeared
- Signs and symptoms, such as long-term pruritus (itching) or recurring dermatitis (inflammation of the skin)
- Certain circumstances that may aggravate the condition, such as excessively dry air or emotional stress
- Family medical history, including questions about close blood relatives who have asthma, hay fever, or eczema
- Personal medical history
- In some cases, a skin biopsy may be performed to rule out other causes.
Allergies are more common in individuals with atopic dermatitis, and allergy testing may be considered when a patient has:
Significant indications of allergies, such as gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea and colic in infants) or hives
Been poorly responsive or unresponsive to treatment
If a food allergy is suspected, testing for allergic reactions to eggs, milk, peanuts, soy, wheat, fish, and tree nuts (e.g., walnuts, cashews) are usually performed as these foods are responsible for 85% of all food allergies. A positive allergy test does not confirm the food allergy. A suspected food allergy must be subjected to a "challenge." A challenge is conducted by having the patient eat the suspected food and observing the patient for a reaction. Even a challenge does not guarantee that the food is the trigger because: 1) another trigger may be present and causing the reaction or 2) the patients reaction may be delayed. Consequently, allergy testing has limited value. However, it is useful for eliminating foods that cause immediate and severe reactions or welts.
Dermatologists may use a patch test" to determine if the patient has allergic contact dermatitis, a type of eczema that develops when the person has an allergic reaction to a substance that contacts the skin. The reaction generally occurs a few hours after the substance contacts the skin and settles down within a few days if the substance does not contact the skin again. A patch test exposes the patients skin to minute amounts of substances that may have caused the reaction. When the test is positive, the dermatologist must determine if the chemical caused the dermatitis and if so, if it is the primary cause or an aggravating factor. Further testing may be necessary.
Treatment
Once eczema is diagnosed, a treatment plan will be made based on:
- Type and severity of the eczema present
- Age, health, and medical history (including presence of other conditions)
- History of previous treatment
The primary goal of treatment is to relieve discomfort by controlling the signs and symptoms. Since eczema is usually dry and itchy, most treatment plans involve applying lotions, creams or ointments to keep the skin as moist as possible. The treatment plan also may require lifestyle modifications and using medication as directed. A topical (applied to the skin) medication may be prescribed to help relieve itching and inflammation. If the skin is infected, a topical or oral antibiotic will be prescribed to kill the bacteria causing the infection. For severe itching, sedative antihistamines are sometimes used. These are available in both prescription and over-the-counter varieties.
Certain types of severe eczema may be treated with phototherapy. Stronger systemic medications, such as corticosteroids, that may be prescribed to treat severe eczema that has been unresponsive to treatment.
Since so many factors affect why a person develops eczema, a treatment plan that works for one person may not effectively control eczema in another person. Sometimes it takes a bit of detective work to find an effective treatment plan.
What can be done for children with eczema?
Children are unique patients because it may be difficult for them to resist scratching their eczema, thereby making the condition worse. Fortunately, for mild to moderate cases, the application of moisturizer on a regular basis can be very helpful. And, in most cases, the eczema will disappear as the child ages. In the meantime, avoid as many eczema triggers as possible. Keep your childs skin moist. After bathing, apply moisturizer within three minutes to retain the moisture in the skin. Avoid sudden temperature changes. Keep your childs bedroom and play areas free of dust mites (a common trigger). Use mild soaps – both on your childs skin and on your childs clothing. Dress your child in breathable, preferably cotton, clothing. The best product we have found on the market without the side effects of elidel and protopic is a product called Freederm HC. The website is http://www.freederm.com .
If these methods fail to help your child, you should seek further advice from a dermatologist. After consultation, an over-the-counter cream, a prescription cream, ointment, antihistamines, or antibiotics may be advised. Regardless, most children will see improvement as time goes by.
# # #
Bookmark -
Del.icio.us |
Digg |
Furl It |
Spurl |
RawSugar |
Simpy |
Shadows |
Blink It |
My Web
|
