Averting Eczema Flare-Ups

Averting Eczema Flare-Ups

Eczema is one human affliction that has not been totally solved by modern science. To be precise, there is still no exact cure for the illness. Thankfully, medical experts have found ways to manage the disease, including ways to avert its intermittent flare-ups.

 The following guidelines had been recommended by dermatologists to help reduce the discomfort of the itchiness and the rashes. Aside from doing the needed lifestyle modifications, victims of eczema can help reduce the frequency and severity of the flare-ups of the disease by abiding these guidelines.

Moisturizing

Applying moisturizers when needed is one way to combat the dryness and the itchy feeling of the skin caused by eczema. It seals the skin’s own moisture, thus preventing dryness and cracking.

Apply moisturizers right after bathing. In bathing, try not to irritate the afflicted skin areas.

Avoid skin irritants

Every eczema victim has a particular outside irritant or irritants. There’s a whole line-up of materials that can irritate the skin – laundry detergents, soaps, perfumes, cleaners, wool, animal fur, petroleum products, long contact with water, paints…the list is long.

Know what irritates your skin and limit your contact with it.

Sweating and overheating

Sweating and overheating are two most common triggers of the scratch/itch cycle. It can help if you dress up in loose-fitting cotton clothes. Wool and other synthetic fibers can heat you up and they can also feel rough to the touch.

A sudden rise in temperature can make you sweat and sudden drops in humidity can dry the skin. Both conditions can trigger flare-ups.

Clothes

It pays to thoroughly wash new clothes before you wear them. In washing, do a double rinse on all your laundry, old and new. Lingering detergents on the clothes (and fabric preservatives for new clothes) can trigger allergies.

Use only fragrance-free, neutral pH detergents. Some fabric softeners can be harsh on human skin.

Remove the tags on new clothes. They can rub and irritate the skin.

Cold compress

When the afflicted skin area acts up and becomes itchy, a cold compress can help curb the urge to scratch. Scratching can make the condition worse in the event that the skin is punctured or abraded allowing the entry of bacteria and germs.

Keeping fingernails short can also help. To preclude of accidentally or unconsciously scratching yourself while asleep, having short fingernails is a must. Wearing cotton gloves also helps.

Stress

In today’s fast-paced world, eliminating stress is not only good for eczema prevention, it can do wonders on your whole body system, too. Stress had been known to trigger allergies, and consequently, can trigger eczema as well.

There is a wide array of literature out there on reducing, if not totally eliminating stress from your lifestyle.

Environmental triggers (for Atopic dermatitis)

For Atopic dermatitis victims, limit your exposures to environmental triggers. These include pollen, mites, molds, animal dander (fur) and others.

Atopic dermatitis (or atopic eczema) happens to people who have a predisposition to such allergies as hay fever or asthma, or even food allergies. If possible, discover your allergy or allergies for you to avoid them.

Suffering from eczema may be harsh on you, but managing the disease is your only way to combat it at the moment. Following these guidelines will greatly reduce your ordeal.

Atopic Dermatitis Eczema – Some Myths And Facts

Atopic Dermatitis Eczema – Some Myths And Facts

Eczema, a skin disease marked with skin irritations, itchiness and rashes, has several types, the most common of which is sometimes called atopic dermatitis. Most therapies for atopic dermatitis eczema are more of disease management since it has no specific cure.

These therapies, even if recommended by dermatologists, are mostly to reduce flare-ups of the disease. However, they do help cut down the need for more medication and help improve response to treatment.

Unfortunately, doctors find that patients and caregivers do not necessarily follow the guidelines given. Often, the reasons given were mostly misconceptions about skin care and on eczema itself.

The following are some of the prevailing myths about the disease and the real score about them.

Minimize bathing (myth)

People always associate bathing with drying of the skin. Therefore, common sense tells them to keep the activity to a minimum.

Dermatologists tell us that people with atopic dermatitis have excessively dry skin. Hydrating the skin would need taking short daily baths in warm (not hot) water, using mild or non-irritating soap.

This daily bathing hydrates the skin, which can reduce flare-ups. For severe cases, patients should even take 3 short baths daily. After some initial discomforts (open skin sores are painful when touched by water), patients tend to get relief.

Moisturizers give moisture to the skin (myth)

Many people believed that moisturizers add moisture to the skin and can be applied at any convenient time.

Dermatologists advise eczema sufferers to apply moisturizers within 3 minutes right after bathing to lock in the moisture in the skin. The patients are also advised to continue applying moisturizers throughout the day in dry areas of the body.

For the record, moisturizers do not add moisture to the skin. They actually seal in the bath water and preventing its evaporation, the reason why it is effective when applied within 3 minutes after bathing.

Presently, there are now new creams available called barrier repair moisturizers. Generally, they are to be applied twice daily to flare-prone skin and can be used along with traditional moisturizers.

They do not only reduce water loss, they also help rebuild the skin. Patients report that they also help calm the burning and the itching.

Avoiding allergens prevents flare-ups (myth)

Patients complain that if they can identify their allergens, their miseries with eczema would vanish. The rule of thumb would be to simply avoid it.

Dermatologists, however, declare that avoiding the allergens (substances that makes patients allergic) cannot exactly control atopic dermatitis. The real chance is to manage the disease with a multi-faceted approach.

This would include proper skin care, correct usage of medication, and avoiding the allergens. A trigger that irritates the skin need not be the allergen itself.

Detergents, smoke, soaps, skin care products with alcohol, rough-textured clothing are just some atopic dermatitis flare-up triggers. They vary from one person to another. What is important is to know the trigger material.

Skin care

Doctors stress that skin care is one good starting point in managing atopic dermatitis eczema. With guidelines from a dermatologist, a patient can discover the possible relief of his malady with confidence and less stress.

Kick Eczema With These Home Remedies

Mastering to care for your own Eczema and wage war against it without needing Doctors or specialists can be the one thing that finally tips the scales in your favor. Many people experience no relief through various medical help, so maybe you can find relief through the tips I have compiled below.


Home Remedy 1- Diet
The regular person's diet includes a fair degree of acid. Scientists have proven that that acid can be very bad for Eczema. You have two solutions-systematically cut down on acidic foods, which is harder than it sounds, or take some kelp supplements. Kelp is very high in alkali, and will help to neutralize some of the acid. This can be very successful, as can visiting a diet expert and having them compile a few meal plans for you.


Home Remedy 2-Vitamin E
Vitamin E has outstanding effects on areas affected with Eczema. The main benefit is that it can significantly reduce the itching and discomfort you can feel in your worst Eczema prone areas. The way it works is by neutralizing the microbes in the area-these microbes are thought to be to blame for the irritation which causes the itching. Natural Vitamin E is much more efficient than the synthetic kind, so be cautious when buying.


Home Remedy 3- Blueberry Extract
Blueberry leaves have a natural acid in them, which acts a wholly natural anti inflammatory. If you use and apply this regularly, it can really help you in the long term. Blueberry leaf extract can be found in your local health store.


Home Remedy 4- Moisturize
Moisturizing can be a real godsend for some Eczema sufferers, but many people just don't make an effort with it. If you get into a regular moisturization regime, you can really cut the effect the condition can have on your life. It's best to moisturize as often as possible, twice a day if doable, and it's also best to do it after bathing or showering. Apply the moisturizer when your skin is still slightly damp, and you will be helping to seal that all important moisturizer inside your skin.


Eczema is never good news, but most people don't understand they can make a real difference to it if they take some action! Hopefully you will use these tips and find some real freedom.