Eczema

Eczema is a common allergy that affects the skin. It is an inflammation of the skin that causes itching and discomfort. Eczema can be triggered by stress, houe dust, animal fur, creams, sweating, pollen, food allergies and environmental conditions. It most commonly occurs in children who suffer from contact eczema, which is caused when an allergen comes into contact with the skin and atopic people, who are genetically pre-dispositioned to suffer from skin allergies.

Eczema can be a frusturating illness, as it can reappear at any stage. Eczema can flare from illness, physical or mental stress and exposure to skin irritants. It causes painful itching and burning as dry, flaky skin appears over red, inflamed areas. It is hard to avoid the human inclination to scratch or rub theses rashes, which of course just leads to a harsher rash, and renders prior treatments and medications to be useless.

Symptoms


· Usually the first symptom of eczema is itchy skin

· Patches of dry scaly skin

· Inflammed, red, cracked skin

· Tiny red pimples

· Blisters or cracks in skin

· In sever cases, bleeding

· Disturbed sleep patterns

· Weeping sores, with a thin, watery and crusty yellow discharge


How can I cure Eczema?

Diet: Food allergies and dehydration appear to be major causes of eczema. A common culprit to a breakout of eczema is Gluten, it is important to elimate foods that contain gluten (wheat, oats, rye ad barley) aswell as any foods that you may be allergic to , from your diet for 6 six weeks. To avoid dehydration, men should drink 13 glasses of water a day, while women should drink 9. You should also reduce your caffeine and alcohol intake as both dehydrate the skin.

Eat lots of cold-water fish such as herring, salmon and mackerel or add 1 tsp of fish oil into your food twice a day (ideal for children). The type of fats that are found in fish oil decrease infammation and moisten the skin. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit. Fruit such as pears, cranberries, blueberries, bananas and watermelon all have a cool, watery property while vegetables contain high amounts of beta-carotene, which is particularly benefical to skin.

Acupuncture:

Acupuncture can help cure eczema by inserting a dozen neddles into certain meridian points. This treatment will take about 25-40 minutes and you will usually recieve treatment once or twice a week for several weeks up to several months.

Herbs:

There are a wide range of herbal teas, pills, paste and oils available that have a nourishing, cleansing effect on the skin. Traditional Chinese Medicine in particular have a range of recipes that treat mild- chronic eczema in a completely clean, organic way.

Homeopathy

Moisturise: Keep skin well moisturised, using products that are designed for use on sensitive, dry skin. Try an oil based cream and avoid unperfumed products that aim to put moisture temporarily back into the skin, maiking it feel superciially more comofrtable. A high potency Vitamin-E cream can work well.

Sulphur: Use Sulphur to treat intensely itchy, dry, scaly and readily affected skin. It can be ideal to apply to burning areas that are troublesome if you are to warm in bed. It is a classic remedy for inflamed skin that reacts badly to bathing or showering and is aggravated by heat in any form.

Petroleum: To treat rough, dry skin that heals slowly, use petroleum. Use petroleum on skin that tends to itch and burn in folds of skin (for instance behind the ears or around the nose), and where itchiness is so maddening that the skin becomes broken and bleeding as a result of excessive scratching.

Graphites: Use graphite on areas that weep a sticky yellow fluid after scratching, and where a thick, honey-coloured crust develops when the weeping patches dry out.

Once your skin is healed from Eczema - The next steps

Now, make sure you keep the previously affected area as clean, dry and protected as possible for the first few weeks. Stay on your fish, fruit and veg diet and watch the area carefully for signs of increased warmness, redness or pain.

Enjoy your heatlhy skin.

 

To help give temporary relief to the symptoms of eczema and itchy skin, try Martin and Pleasance Urtica Urens Cream, a part of their Herbal Creams Range.

 

 

 

The information provided is of a general nature and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you think you may suffer from any allergy or disease that requires attention, you should discuss it with your family doctor/ health professional.