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A little care to cure Eczema: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention

Introduction

Eczema

Eczema is a group of conditions that make the skin to become irritated and inflamed. The most common form is atopic eczema or dermatitis. Atopic eczema has the tendency to develop into other allergic conditions like hay fever and asthma. This disorder usually affects about 10-20 percent of the infants and some 3 percent adults. Most of the children who have this condition outgrow the disease when they are ten-years-old. Some of them however continue to experience it throughout their life. In most of the patients, the symptoms can be easily controlled by consulting an experienced doctor and using appropriate treatment measures.

Causes

Though the exact causes of the disease is not yet known, it is believed to be linked with overactive response of the body’s immune system to some irritants. This causes the symptoms of this skin condition. Apart from that, eczema is usually found in people with a history of asthma and other allergic diseases. Some people suffer from flare-ups on the rashes that are itchy when they come in contact with conditions or substances that they are allergic to. Some people easily get irritated when they come in contact with coarse or rough materials. They could make the skin feel very itchy. For many others, the feeling of too cold or hot, exposure to various household items like detergents, soap, animal dander etc can also cause the outbreak. Colds or upper respiratory problems may be a trigger for the condition. Stress can worsen the condition. Most of the people suffering from eczema control the symptoms by using certain medications and avoiding the irritants. The disease is not contagious and will not spread from one person to another.

Symptoms

Whichever body part is affected by eczema, you will feel itchy most of the time. Some people may even feel itchy before the skin rashes appear. The rashes commonly occur on different areas like the knees, face, feet and hands. Sometimes it can affect other areas too. The areas affected by this condition appear dry, scaly and thickened. In fair-colored people the affected areas become reddish first and then turn brown. In dark colored people the condition can affect the pigmentation and make the area look darker or lighter. In kids, the rashes can be itchy and may produce a crusting or oozy condition mostly on the scalp and face. In some areas patches are visible.

Diagnosis

The disease can be easily diagnosed by your health care professional, dermatologist or the pediatrician. Most of the people usually suffer from some kind of allergies. So the doctors perform some tests to determine the kinds of triggers or irritants. Even children with this condition are tested for different kinds of allergies.

The doctor closely examines the skin for lesions and their distribution over the body. He will also ask about the times when the symptoms appear to be more. He may also probe for bacterial infections on the skin and other problems that may occur along with eczema.

The fact is that there are no particular laboratory tests to confirm or deny the presence of eczema. The patient may have to visit the doctor more than one or two times to confirm the type of eczema. In some cases, the professional may ask for a blood test to know the levels of lgE in the blood. Other tests include the analysis of smears to rule out other conditions.

Treatment

Treatment is usually done to give the patients some relief from the itching sensation. The condition also makes the skin look very itchy and dry. Some medicated lotions and creams are used for keeping the skin moist. Topical medications are applied when the skin is moist, immediately after bathing to enable the skin to absorb and retain the moisture. Cold compresses are also used for relieving the itchiness.

Over-the-counter products like hydrocorticone cream 1percent, ointments and creams with corticosteroids are prescribed to soothe the inflammation. Oral corticosteroids are prescribed for severe cases. Antibiotics are also used for killing the bacteria causing the infection.

Other treatments to reduce the itching include antihistamines, photo-therapy, tar treatments and cyclosporine drug for people who do not respond to other treatments. Protpic and Elidel are two FDA approved drugs for treating mild to moderate eczema. These drugs should however not be used for treating kids below two years.

Prevention

By following some tips you can easily prevent the eczema breakouts. Try to moisturize the affected areas frequently. Avoid all kinds of sudden changes in humidity and temperature, overheating, sweating etc. Try to reduce stress and avoid materials that are scratchy like wool. Do not use detergents, harsh soaps and solvents. Try to avoid food materials that can trigger the outbreak.

FAQs

Is eczema contagious?

Eczema is not contagious and does not spread from one person to another. Since the skin looks unattractive, most of the people feel that it can be contagious and move away from the sufferer. But this is not so.

Can eczema be cured with corticosteroids?

The use of topical corticosteroids alone may not be able to cure the condition. They only help to reduce the symptoms and get relief. They should also be used as per the prescriptions of your health care professional.

Tags: Eczema, atopic eczema, corticosteroids, creams, lotions, contagious disease, skin condition, dry skin

Via: Webmd

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