Definition:

Eczema refers to skin irritation and inflammation, causing symptoms of an itchy, red, and dry rash on different parts of the body, including the face, inside elbows, behind the knees, and hands and feet.

• Eczema most commonly starts before five years of age and may extend into adolescence and adulthood. It is usually a chronic condition that may get better or worse over time. Other conditions associated with this disorder are asthma and hay fever.
• The symptoms may include dry, itchy skin, worse at night, turning into raw swollen sensitive, oozing skin from scratching. Other lesions may include thick red or grayish patches on hands, feet, ankles, wrists, face, and scalp 
• Medical help should be sought if the symptoms are not responsive to home remedies, are affecting sleep and daily activities, or complications such as skin infection are present.
• Risk factors include a family history of eczema, allergies, or asthma.
• Causes include environmental irritants, allergens, and food allergies.

Treatment:

Prevention/Environment/Lifestyle/Diet

• Avoid environmental triggers, including exposure to allergens such as pollens and animals
• Avoid suspected food allergies
• Moisturize skin at least twice a day with fragrant and dye-free moisturizers such as petroleum jelly, virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, creams containing ceramide, or other greasy products.  
• Take shorter baths and showers, and use warm water instead of hot water. After each shower or bath, gently pat the skin dry and cover the body with moisturizer. Ceramide creams can be applied after a bath.
• The American Academy of Dermatology recommends considering a bleach bath to help decrease bacteria on the skin and thus prevent flares. Add 1/2 cup (118 milliliters) of household bleach, not concentrated bleach, to a 40-gallon (151-liter) US- Standard-sized bathtub filled with warm water. Soak for 10 minutes, from the neck down or just the affected areas of skin, excluding the face and head, no more than twice a week.
• Use a humidifier at night
• Reduce exposure to dust mites if sensitive; avoid rugs in bedrooms, wet mop floors, use mattress covers, and launder bedclothes weekly in hot water.
• Use 100% soft natural fibers such as white cotton clothing whenever possible and avoid fabrics and dyes that may be a trigger. Avoid fabric softeners and other chemicals in laundry detergent, use liquid detergent, and consider an extra rinse cycle.
• Moderate amounts of sunshine may be helpful.
• Infants at high risk, who cannot breast-feed, should use a hydrolyzed formula.
• Use stress-reduction techniques if needed

Diagnosis & Treatment Considerations

• Identify and treat allergies, including food allergies. Egg is the most common food allergy. In children, consider eliminating dairy, eggs, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and wheat. In adults, pollen-related foods (fruit, nuts, vegetables) are more common. Other considerations would be artificial colors, benzoates, berries, citrus, currants, fish, legumes, sulfites, tomatoes, and occasionally beef, chicken, and pork.
• Identify and treat any gut issues
• Appropriate supplements and medications may be used if needed.
• Other treatment modalities, such as wet dressings, light therapy (phototherapy), etc., may prove useful.

Other Treatments

• Specific medications and supplements, tailored to each patient, can help in the treatment of this condition.

Please contact us for an appointment to discuss appropriate evaluation and treatment.