What Brings About Eczema And How To Prevent It From Happening
People that have a great deal of allergies often have eczema as well. Eczema is a condition of the skin where areas start to itch and then a rash develops. You usually find red flaking skin on the face, neck, legs and arms and especially in the creases of the elbow and the knee. The itch is so serious it is hard to resist but if you do scratch you run the risk of causing sores that can become infected.
Although people that are afflicted with eczema always have the condition it might not make itself known all the time. There may be periods of time where there are no scaly dry patches as all. There are certain things that may trigger a flair up. Usually the area starts to itch then the skin in the area gets dry and flaking, then red and inflamed. It often feels so itchy that you may feel your skin is on fire.
The condition can affect any age but in most cases it rears its head during the early years of the life of a child. It usually shows up before the age of 5. Unfortunately those that have it run a high risk of passing it on to their children.
It is a fact that people that have allergies often also have this kind of dermatitis. It is like a having a reaction to something you are allergic to. Those that cannot touch the sap of a pine tree may come down with an episode if they decorate a real Christmas tree. Things you touch that cause a reaction are called external triggers.
There are many external triggers out there in the world. This includes things like laundry detergent, dish washing liquids, soap, the metal in jewelry, hot or dry weather, types of clothing, bacteria, sweating, and stress. These things can make the skin itch and then break out in the rash. Some of the triggers can be taken out of the everyday life of some sufferers but there are other things that cannot be controlled like stress and weather conditions.
Itching at the dry skin makes it infect and this might cause a whole new problem only relieved by taking an antibiotic. The area that is scratched can actually scar the body in some cases and they can become rough and crusty and even leak a liquid. When it gets infected the area turns a nasty yellow or brown and blisters with pus will appear. Hard scaly skin will crack and eventually bleed. This condition can cause a person to loose sleep and they may have to put on mittens in order to keep them from touching the affected areas while sleeping.
Sometimes just changing laundry detergents can do the trick to get rid of the problem. Hot baths or showers should be avoided because the hot water will dry the skin whereas warm water will not. Mild soap should be used and preferably a hypoallergenic soap. Use moisturizing lotion that does not have any fragrance to keep the moisture in the skin. Do not wear wool or other materials that feel scratchy next to your skin.
Over the counter hydrocortisone creams will stop some of the itching and should be put on the areas as many times as the directions say it is safe to do so. You can take Benadryl but remember that this might make you very sleepy so do not drive. Trying to keep stress at bay sometimes helps the disorder. Once you get a patch of affected skin it sometimes takes a good week or two to get rid of it and sometimes it will spread. Your doctor can give you a prescription for a steroid cream or other antihistamine that might help better than over the counter applications. People that have uncontrollable eczema can be treated with ultra violet light or stinky coal tar.
Once the itching starts the rash is not far behind so it is best to try and prevent the condition from occurring. Keep the skin as dry as you can which means wash off any sweat that accumulates as soon as possible. Dry off well after showering and stay away from anything that might cause an allergic reaction. Although food allergies in adults are not what get the condition going it is suspected that might be a problem with young children. Milk and nut allergies may bring on the condition as does eggs and wheat. Other synthetic fibers besides wool can cause a reaction like nylon or polyester. Any rubber or latex can start the problem up. Double rinsing clothing and bed sheets can help prevent an episode because the detergent you use could be the culprit. Adults and children with the problem should never use bubble bath or put anything with a fragrance on the skin. A little bit of prevention may stop eczema from ever starting.
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