What is eczema?

I thought that it may be a good idea to have a look around the world and see what is new in the world relating to treatment of eczema. The search continues for an eczema cure.

I started by taking a look at the National Eczema Society website who have a very interesting and helpful section on the subject of eczema in Schools. It is most definitely recommended reading and if you click here it will take you to the link.

Following on with the topic of eczema in children the Eczema Canada website has some extremely information, and a practical guide that you can obtain by clicking here

The New York Times has published a section devoted to Atopic eczeama with a most interesting article discussing whether breast feed a baby is any help in the avoidance of eczema in babies and children. Click here

The UK BBC in article published on its website back in 2006 has an article relating to new treatments for eczema that may on the horizon as Scientists at Dundee University have discovered the gene that causes eczema and asthma. The article which is recommended reading may be read here

I would also recommend that Rachel Anderson who has written a book about various natural methods of treating eczema. This may be downloaded here

Those of you who suffer from eczema,  may well suffer from the presence of an unsightly rash. This can be very embarrassing. While there is nothing really to be embarrassed about, as you have a common skin condition, it is difficult not to have that feeling.

If eczema for you is a new condition or perhaps you have suffered for a long time I hope these tips may help you.

1. Understand that you not alone

You will probably feel that you are the only person in the world with eczema, rest assured you are not. You may even know someone with eczema but for them its on a part of the body that they keep covered with clothing. You will not be the only person having to endure the suffering of atopic dermatitis. If you search your local area you may well be able to find support groups either online or to meet up where you can communicate with other sufferers and provide mutual support.

Eczema in babies can also be difficult if its your baby as people tend to look at it. Just try not to worry too much.

2. Don’t hide yourself away

Some eczema sufferers have their outbreaks on parts that are covered up such as the upper thighs. Others however it may be on the elbows, arms, face or hands which all appear bright red and weepy. There is a great temptation to hide away and become a recluse. Try hard not to do that as in the long term it will make dealing with your condition more difficult. If you cut yourself off from the world you are likely also to cause yourself to suffer from depression.

Live your life as normally as you can.

3. Talk about your condition.

Instead of being embarrassed if people look at your eczema condition, perhaps your skin is red or perhaps there are scars from pervious episodes of itching. Eczema on the face is most embarrassing.

Use this as an opportunity to inform others, just say I have eczema, it’s not a contagious disease. You don’t owe anyone an explanation but it often does help. Tell them that you have continuous eczema treatment.

4. Concentrate on getting relief

Just suppose you have this uncontrollable urge to scratch because you are itching so much. In this situation the objective must be to control the itching, not what does so and so think. The last thing you want is to scratch so much you end up with an open wound that can become infected. Don’t forget to do all the things that provide relief including watching your diet and keeping the skin moisturised. Always ensure that you have some eczema cream or ointment if you are out so that you can obtain some immediate relief.

There are many children with eczema and many are babies, too young to understand what is happening to them. Older children however have some understanding. If you are a parent suffering from eczema I am sure your children have many questions for you. Below are a few of those questions and possible answers:-

Question: Did I do anything wrong?

This questions just breaks your heart as although there may be many child eczema sufferers you child may not see them. They only see their friends and classmates with normal skin. It is a natural reaction for them to assume that they have done wrong, but of course they haven’t. You just have to tell your children that they haven’t done anything wrong, they have sensitive skinlike many other chldren and grown ups. This sensitive skin is a medical condition which both children and adults can have. It’s not their fault.

When will it be cured and go away?

This is a difficult question as some children to grow out of eczema whereas some have to suffer the condition throughout their life. You are not able to give them a definitive answer. All you can do is to talk to themn about ways to make life more comfortble for them and stop them scratching. It is a good idea here to use this as an opportunity to talk to your child about proper skincare and how important it is. Also tray to warn them to avoid pets and pet dander and the need to keep their skin moisturised with lotions and creams.

Can my eczema make others sick too?.

Another tear jerker of a question because this one is usually asked for a reason as another child or parent has said something about your childs skin rash and blisters. All you can do here is talk to your child and tell them no, it is not contagious and they can play with other children without any worries.

Can I swim?

One of the ways eczema can be helped is to take short showers or to bathe in lukewarm water. Chloriniated water is not good, neither is bubble baths. Simming however in fresh water or sea water however will do no harm.

Forunately, new research has shown that all-natural treatment methods, such as Eczema Free Forever, are successful. You can learn more at www.EczemaFreeForever.com.

Dietary treatment of atopic eczema

Eczema is a skin condition that is linked to the immune system and certain other things like diet, stress and climatic conditions. Yet the main triggers are often thought to be dietary. Eggs, soy, nuts, glutens, processed foods and milk are some common triggers that may cause eczema to flare up. A healthy food that is rich in fruits and vegetables should be consumed by people who are suffering from eczema. Eczema treatment with diet control will have a positive effect on the body.
Since the eczema break-out triggers are different for every individual, it is essential to keep note on all the food products that trigger the condition. The two biggest culprits are sugary food and dairy products. It will take a  month at a time to identify the foods that trigger the condition. It may even take several weeks or months to identify all them. Once the identified, it has to be removed completely from the diet.  Keeping a watch on each and every food that is eaten will help to identify what causes the flareup and eliminate them.
Dairy milk is a trigger for many individuals because of the process called homogenisation. Organic milk are not homogenised and can be used by patients suffering from eczema because the enzymes present in organic milk balances the lactose present in it which is the main source of the cause of the flare up  Avoiding raw milk other than Mothers to children under the age of 2 will also help prevent any eczema break outs. But it is very important to make sure that the child gets enough calcium from some other food source. Baby eczema is such a problem and can cause such distress to both the baby and the Mother and I would advise great care be taken with the feeding of the baby. If in doubt please seek expert advice and particularly that of eczema sufferers themselves.
Processed sugars sometimes may create problem to people because they contribute to the overgrowth of yeast in the body and the immune system will react with a eczema break-out. This problem can be reduced by taking a probiotic supplement and eating foods that contain live micro-organisms that will reduce the yeast in the body and helps improve digestion.
Apples, carrots, spirulina and dark green leafy vegetables are considered to have various health benefits for the skin. The vitamins present in carrot helps in the cell degeneration. Pectin and other antioxidants present in the apples prevent cell damage to the skin. If these diets are included in the daily meal, the eczema flare ups will be reduced considerably.  Spirulina is a sea protein which helps to protect the cells from inflammation and keeps it healthy. Dark green leafy vegetables are also very good for eczema sufferers. Foods that are rich in vitamins that are essential to the skin should be included in the daily diet. They include nuts, fish and foods rich in vitamin C.
Supplements like cod liver oil, mineral supplements and multivitamin supplements are very essential to reduce the damages caused by eczema. These supplements should be taken along with a healthy diet. Also drinking plenty of water cleanses the skin from inside out.
Gluten is found to be an eczema trigger which should be avoided to prevent flare-ups. Avoid overcooking of foods which removes or kills the vitamins and enzymes present in them. Majority of the diet should contain raw foods only.
Eczema treatment with diet control proves to be one of the effective methods in controlling eczema. All these however whilst may be of considerable help must be applied with care and if other treatments are being used with the help of your Physician then please do not stop them or at least seek advice

Healthy bacteria
Bacteria is a relatively a common name. But the interesting question is, what comes to minds once the name is when he or she hears of the name? With a relatively high degree of certainty, an overwhelming number of the answers will be that bacteria are harmful, bacteria are disease causing organisms and of course all of the negative aspects associated with bacteria.
Would it be correct to say that those are answers given within the narrow understanding of what real bacteria are? To some extend yes and to others no, as a matter of fact hundreds of thousands of bacteria straits are harmful and disease causing. However, the number of healthy bacteria are equally as many as those of harmful bacteria.

Thinking of bacteria as creepy gorge germs is not correct, it is necessary to change to a more informed view and broaden thinking to the existence of healthy bacteria.
The perception of there being healthy bacteria is unconceivable, but the facts are that there are indeed many types and species of bacteria that are healthy and beneficial to our bodies. Mankind co-evolved with intestinal healthy bacteria, and as a matter of fact the human person live in what would considered symbiotic relationship with these healthy bacteria. The gut provides a perfect and a conducive environment for intestinal bacteria; they have a steady supply of nutrition, moisture as well as warmth. Indeed the benefits provided by the healthy bacteria are awesome, they include;
•    Playing a role in secretion pathogenic microbial factor fighters
•    Act as immune booster
•    Some of these healthy bacteria are as source of vital nutrients such as short chain fatty acids and vitamin K
•    Some of them play a crucial role in mineral absorption; these are magnesium, calcium and indeed iron
•    Healthy intestinal bacteria boost the health of the colon
•    Lastly, these healthy bacteria in the gut help in minimizing the amount of carcinogenic and toxic materials as well as substances in the gut.
Recent studies have shown that prebiotics and probiotics bacteria may in a way help in keeping the immune system healthy through maintaining the healthy bacteria in the gut. In essence they help to mitigate symptoms and signs of irritable bowel syndrome as well as lactose intolerance, and a crucial role in curbing diarrhea duration. Examples of these bacteria are; Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) as well as saccharomyces boulardii that are closely linked with prevention of antibiotic related diarrhea, L. casei DN-114 001 and L. casei Shirota mitigate the incidences of Clostridium difficile- related diarrhea.
Are you thinking of having a whole-food diet for our dinner or breakfast?  Will this diet be full of fruits, nuts and vegetables that are indeed fiber rich? If the answer is yes, then there are high probability that you will benefit from a wide range of healthy bacteria is definitely very high. Many of this food are rich of healthy bacteria and this forms a formidable reason as to why you nutritionist will just give you that piece of advice to take this types of food. Other types of foods that provide healthy bacteria include yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha.
Next time you think of bacteria, just think of these healthy bacteria and their benefits.  They can definitely help people who are susceptible to atopic eczema. They may even avoid or minimise the use of eczema cream and even help eczema in babies. Ensuring you have some good bacteria in your gut may not be the eczema cure but it can certainly help.

For a holistic view on eczema with great success at alleviating the symptoms look at what Rachel Anderson says.

Detoxification Helps Cure Eczema

Eczema or atopic eczema as it is sometimes called can be nasty to say the least, but the good news is that it is not untreatable. There are many lotions and creams that can be bought but natural treatment is the ideal way.  All those pills and creams may not help and this can be very frustrating. The problem is these very same pills and eczema creams may just be adding to aggravate the condition.  Chemical build up in the system does not help eczema. It is one of the negative effects of all the chemicals we put in our bodies. Flushing out these unwanted toxic chemicals will help to improve the condition almost immediately. Detoxification is one of the natural ways of curing eczema.

Detoxification to help cure eczema removes dangerous toxins from the body. This makes one less prone to eczema outbreaks and other disorders resulting from toxin collection in the system.

To understand the process of detoxification of eczema, one must understand what causes the condition in the first place.  Toxins, which are chemicals, collect in the body due to either internal process of the body or from external sources such as the air we inhale or the foods we consume.  Toxins that are created internally are known as endotoxins and the external ones are called exotoxins.

The body naturally eliminates these toxins by natural process. However living an unhealthy lifestyle or in a very polluted area can result in toxin build up. These chemicals gather in the system at a much faster rate that the body can eliminate. These toxins accumulate in the body over time leading to serious health issues. Some of the ailments include insomnia, fatigue, ulcers, stomach upsets, indigestion, asthma, allergic reactions, mood swings and inability to concentrate.
Although eczema is not caused by the toxins, the condition is aggravated by the undesired chemical build up. One is more prone to eczema outbursts by the toxins in the body making them the root of the skin condition.  As the body continues to collect more and more of these toxins, the sufferer is likely to continue having flare-ups making the situation worse.
Detoxification will help to eliminate the chemicals that have gathered and which the body cannot remove.  In addition to cleansing the body, detoxification helps in healing eczema by making the patient less inclined to have out breaks. Detoxification helps in decreasing the break outs and leading to a much better situation than before.

Detoxifying the body enables the body to function in a much better way. In this way, further treatments to cure eczema will certainly help to get a much better result. What this means is that, detoxification helps the body to react better with other medications following the detox procedure. This happens because detoxification aids eczema by making the body work more efficiently. The medications consumed to cure eczema, will be digested and circulated in the blood stream in a much more efficient way than before detoxification.  Creams and lotions that are absorbed through the skin will also be able to do so without the toxin obstructions.

Eating the right food helps in flushing out toxins from our bodies.  Fresh fruits juices and some herbs help in detoxification which helps to cure eczema. The diet really depends on the individual so it’s best to seek help from a dietician who may prescribe the best course of action in relation to eating habits.

For information of a holistic way of treating eczema with amazing results please take a look here. Rachel Anderson has been very succesful in managing this condition.

Eczema Cure – Simple and Easy Ways

When you are suffering from eczema, you are already aware of how uncomfortable it is and how it is hard to control once it hastaken hold and your skin is very sore, red and itchy. If you do not want to suffer from the discomforts brought about by eczema, then you should keep these tips for eczema cure.

Eczema is a word that comes from Greek words meaning ‘to boil over.’ It is a condition wherein the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin becomes inflamed. This term actually applies to various skin conditions that are persistently occurring like itchiness, dryness, skin edema, blistering, cracking and other similar conditions. Studies say that the causes of eczema are unclean environment and allergic reactions.

For an eczema cure, the goal is to prevent further inflammation, itching and possible worsening of this condition. There are several treatment methods that you can have and these usually involve the use of medications and/or  lifestyle modifications. For the medications, the first thing that you have to do before taking anything is to check out with your physician. There will be proper tests that need to be done before a particular medicine is given to you, along with the dosage and the frequency. Common medications are corticosteroids which decrease the inflammation. For severe itching, antihistamines like diphenhydramine will be given to you. Just like with other medications that you take, you have to comply with what the doctor tells you so that the treatment will be successful.

Another eczema cure that may help to prevent further flare-ups is to keep your skin hydrated. You can do this by drinking plenty of water a day – about 8 to 10 glasses or more depending on how active you are. You can also use eczema creams and ointments that have low water but high oil content to avoid drying. When you take a bath, it is recommended that you use lukewarm water and apply emollient creams just after such that the moisture on your skin is sealed. With these eczema cures, you are able to maintain the hydration of your skin which relieves the itching and inflammation as well as avoiding worsening of your condition.

There are studies saying that one of the triggers of eczema is a possible food allergy. An important eczema cure then is to avoid the particular food allergen so that the symptoms will be minimized. Diet is also a very important factor in eczema treatment and  it is important that you always watch what you eat. Other than avoiding the particular food allergen that triggers your eczema, you should also eliminate unhealthy foods from your diet such as processed foods, carbonated beverages as well as foods that have high fat, salt and sugar content. What you should eat then are the healthy ones, especially the ones that make the skin and immune system healthier. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be a part of your daily intake, as well as the right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. If this is a sudden shift of dietary intake for you, you have to make the changes gradually so that our body can properly adjust.

Eczema cannot be treated suddenly and it is hardly avoidable if the cause is an allergic reaction. However, if you are obsercant and watch out carefully for the triggers  further attacks should be minimized.

Finally Rachel Anderson has a wonderful way of approaching eczema. If you are a sufferer or know someone who is then please look here.

Dishydrotic eczema

Dishydrotic eczema is just one of the ten types of eczema that is known to us, which causes continuous blisters on the hands and feet. Dishydrotic eczema is one of very uncommon types of eczema. It starts over the sides of the fingers as itchy red bumps and then develops into a rash. The hands may be  itchy and have scaly patches on it. The condition may become severe and cause reddish, cracked and very painful. It may even worsen because of the blisters weeping. This condition may occur to any individual in their life time, but some people are more prone to this attack.

Dishydrotic eczema can also be found occurring with babies and young children where it can be found behind the sears or in the creases of the arm and leg. It is believed that you are most likely to suffer if a a parent has suffered from it thus it is hereditary. It is also believd that bottle fed babies are more likely to be sufferers than breast fed babies.
Who can get Dishydrotic eczema?

It has been found that sufferers of this unpleasant complaint are just as likely to be either men or women. It is more common in warmer climates and sweating is thought to be a cause. Other causes are known to be stress, allergies such as  hayfever sufferers and you work with certain compounds such as chromium cobalt and nickel.

Diagnosis

A doctor will often be able to diagnose this condition just by looking at the skin. Its symptoms however could be confused with a fungal infection such as Athletes foot and Doctors will often carry out a skin biopsy.

If the Doctor thinks it could be an allergy then he may also wish to carrry out a test for allergies, usually with a patch.

Treatment

Ointments and creams are recommended such as Vaseline and some Doctors may recommend Zinc Oxide Ointment. Creams such as Lucerin and Lubriderm may also be useful. Personally I have always preferred creams to ointments. Always apply after getting the affected area wet and in any event 2 or 3 times daily.

The Doctor may also prescribe Cortisone in the form of a cream or in tablet form for severe symptoms. Coal tar and Ultaviolet light therapy may also be prescribed for severe attacks.

Complications

It is important to try to avoid scratching when the skin is itchy as this will worsen the condition. Medication to help reduce itching may be prescribed such as Benydryl and Claritin.

Other complications can be bacterial skin infections which need treating if they occur.

Expectations

There is no definitive cure but the symptoms may go away for long periods only for an episode to recur at some time.

Rachel Anderson takes a holisitc approach to eczema management which may be found by clicking here.

Eczema Can Take It’s Toll

As a person who suffers from eczema I can tell you this condition is something that most who suffer with would agree they could live without. Eczema is a skin condition where the skin has dry itchy patches of skin or rashes that frequently occur. In the most severe cases it can be embarrassing and affect your social life and your self esteem.Eczema is considered an allergic disease.

Eczema is seen very commonly with asthmatic patients and is thought to be cause by unusually clean environments. It has been suggested that eczema occurs from reaction to secretions from household dust mites. The reaction varies from person to person depending on how bad their allergy is. Stress can also be a significant trigger for an eczema outbreak.

In the worse cases of eczema symptoms can include, itchy patches of skin, rashes, blistering, oozing, redness, bleeding, and skin edema or in simpler terms swelling.

Scratching an open sore on your eczema can create a scar or skin discoloration in the healing processed that will take time to go back to normal and in some cases is permanent. Many people with the disease in its worse are embarrassed to go out in public in fear people will treat them badly and stare. This takes a toll on one’s mentality and often leads to depression especially in adolescence.

As far as treatment goes it is a trial and error process to see what works best for your symptoms. There are corticosteroids that are injected or orally taken are best for severe cases of eczema proving to significantly lessen the symptoms of eczema. Though these can bring great improvement to those suffering, there are much like in any other treatment some possible side effects that may not be worth the beneficial value of this treatment. Another simple treatment that can cause some relief are moisturizers which help with the dryness and itching. It’s best to find a moisturizer that is unscented and hasn’t got an oily texture. In some extreme case when eczema does not respond to other treatments immunosuppressant drugs are prescribed. These weaken the immune system and can provide dramatic improvement to symptoms but can take a major toll on ones body. If these are prescribed you will have to be closely monitored by your doctor and have many blood tests to make sure you do not get sick. All treatments for eczema are to treat the symptoms of eczema and give patients relief. There is no known cure for eczema.Drinking plenty of water can have some benefits to your comfort as well.
Eczema can have a variety of triggers such as a food allergy or even environmentally like previously stated. It is important that if you have severe cases of eczema outbreak that you take note to anything you may have changed such as laundry detergent, a new good, or a new place and discuss this with your doctor.

Though Eczema can not be cured it can be treated even in its most severe state.

Rachel Anderson takes a holistic approach to the management of eczema and has achieved a great deal of success with eczema sufferers who have followed her programme. For further details click here.

Home Cure for Eczema

There are various causes for eczema. These are allergies, varicose veins, faulty body metabolism, changes in weather, nutritional deficiencies, and the body’s failure to excrete all the toxic substances it takes in. For those who don’t have an idea about what eczema is, here is a quick description. It refers to a chronic skin inflammation that results in the formation of vesicles or pustules on the skin. Early during infancy, this skin condition is already present, and in fact it looks more serious during this stage than in adulthood. Appearing on the upper and lower extremities, face, neck, upper chest, and back of the knees, it causes atopic dermatitis. This means that persons who have eczema suffer from itchiness, redness, and dryness of the skin. While it seems like a serious problem, it is not a contagious disease.

Since eczema is a chronic condition, persons suffering from it must find ways on how to ease the symptoms. Here are a few home cure for eczema.

Exposure to sunlight

According to some patients,  getting a tan or sunburn does wonders. This method helps kills bacteria in the skin. When the skin heals after a sunburn, the condition of the skin improves. However, this technique may predispose you to skin cancer so this isn’t highly recommendable.

Cold Compress

Cold compress, on the other hand, has been proven useful as a home remedy for eczema. Depending on the severity of the problem, this can be applied two times a day.

Herbal compounds

Some herbs and herbal plants may also help ease the symptoms of eczema. A mixture of sandalwood and camphor in equal parts is an example. Simply apply the paste on affected parts, and the itchiness is lessened. Another good combination is turmeric powder and bitter neem leaves. Likewise, take equal parts of them, and make them into a paste. Rub them in affected areas to alleviate discomfort. Mashed almond leaves, spearmint leaf juice, lemon juice, nutmeg rubbed against a smooth stone are also effective home cure for eczema. Coconut oil can also give you this benefit, and apart from relieving eczema symptoms, it makes you maintain a soft skin.

Glycerin Soap

While it is recommended that you avoid harsh chemicals and soap, glycerin soap has proven effective as a home cure for eczema. A tablespoon of chlorine in a basin of water is also helpful. Make use of these whenever you take a bath, then apply the pastes mentioned above to affected areas.

Most patients have attested that these methods are effective home cure for eczema. The preparation is quick, and most importantly, most materials are easy to find. Herbs are naturally found in the environment, and they pose less risks to health. In addition, they are more cost-effective, since commercial ointments are expensive and often have side effects. If you tried these methods and none of them are effective for you, then maybe it’s time to consult your dermatologist. But as far as most patients have affirmed, one way or another, there is really a home cure for eczema that works for you.

Please also take a look at what Rachel Anderson has to offer by clicking here. She has experienced a great deal of success in eczema management by approaching the subject in a holistic way and applying a natural solution to the management of eczema. Her simple programme is very effctive and you should recieve the desired relief from your eczema symptoms.