Eczema: Tips on Caring for Your Skin

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

What is eczema? Eczema is a skin disorder characterized by itching and inflammation.  The inflamed skin may be dry, swollen, and crusty, or it may ooze fluids.  There are several forms of eczema, which can be grouped into two major divisions.  Eczematous dermatitis is caused by outside agents, such as the irritant effect of detergents on the skin.  Endogenous or constitutional eczema has no obvious cause.  Endogenous eczema is subdivided into five types which are atopic, pompholyx, seborrhoeic, discoid and varicose eczema.

Atopic eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, tends to run in families.  Most cases begin during infancy and are outgrown by three or four years of age.  Some continue through adulthood, flaring up occasionally, most especially when the victim is upset, angry, or worried.

Pompholyx is a pattern of eczema seen on the hands and feet.  It usually develops in people in their twenties and thirties.  Seborrhoeic eczema occurs as scaly plaques on the face and scalp.  In discoid eczema the patches are shaped like a coin and well defined.  Varicose eczema is due to poor circulation in the legs.  Like discoid eczema, it mostly occurs in older people.

There are a lot of treatments for eczema but it would also depend on the cause and it usually includes the use of corticosteroid ointments or creams.  You should also take care of your skin to prevent this disorder from developing.  Here are some of the tips:

•    You should limit your contact with the things that can irritate your skin. – There are a lot of things that may perhaps irritate your skin.  Some of these things consist of soap, household disinfectants, detergents, aftershave creams, turpentine, gas and other solvents. You should also try to stay away from things that would make you break out with eczema.

•    You should wear gloves to protect your hands. – You can try wearing vinyl or plastic gloves to protect your hands for those activities that would require you to have your hands in water or to have your hands wet.  In addition to that, you should also wear gloves when your hand will be open to the elements that would irritate your skin.

•    You should take good care of your skin. – When taking a bath or showering, use only mild soaps for instance Dove, Basis or Oil of Olay.  Do not use soaps that would irritate your skin.  If the soap that you are using now makes your skin itchy, then try changing it.  There is a big possibility that the soap that you are using is too strong for your skin.

•    Use your prescribed medicine – The medicine that would be used for eczema is typically a steroid medicine that you rub on your skin.