Eczema: Serious but Treatable

Eczema: Serious but Treatable

What is eczema, and how does this condition affect the skin? Many such questions come up. In fact, eczema is a condition in which the skin becomes red, dry and itchy. It can affect men and women of every age. It affects children in particular. Eczema can have several causes, among them heredity and a disordered response by the body because of allergy.
There are several types of eczema, including contact dermatitis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, dermatitis eczema and stasis eczema. In treating this condition, keeping the skin moist and addressing the causes that trigger allergy are important.

Causes:
Skin that stays very dry
Any kind of allergy (food, fabric, wool, hot water, cold water, detergent) — these are the significant things that can cause the condition
Sometimes an allergy develops from wearing certain clothes, and in the same way an allergy can develop to a particular food. Allergy occurs from very hot or very cold water, and the risk of allergy also increases from chemicals and washing powder.
In small children, the use of warm clothing and hot water causes itching and eczema. Likewise, children who are more affected by cold and who suffer from a sore throat, catarrh and asthma tend to have this problem.

Prevention: 
Use of cotton material
Frequent use of a medicated moisturiser 
Petroleum jelly
Use of gloves for washing clothes and dishes
Minimal use of perfumes and scented soaps

It is essential that the skin be kept moist, that is, moisturised, at all times. The fingers of the hands and feet are mostly the worst affected, so care should be taken and the use of items that trigger allergy should be stopped.
Children who suffer from seasonal colds, flu and a sore throat also tend to develop the eczema caused by fabric allergy. For such children, the use of medicated gels or lotions protects the skin from damage. Vitamin D deficiency also causes itching and dryness of the skin. Appropriate morning and evening sunlight is an excellent means of improving skin conditions as well as boosting immunity, and it is necessary to pay particular attention to this.