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November/December 2010 Alternative Health
Itching to Ease Eczema

By Geoff Graham

Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition with symptoms that include dry, itching and reddened skin patches. There is no cure, but the condition can be managed. Traditional treatment options include emollients (moisturizers), topical steroids (medicated creams) and oral antihistamines.

Most people with eczema find that their symptoms are worsened by common aspects of daily living, such as weather, household chemicals and stress. The following suggestions may help you to better manage your eczema and reduce the incidence of flare-ups.

Symptoms of Eczema

• Moderate to severely itching skin (this symptom separates eczema from other skin rashes).
• Recurring rash with dry, red, patchy or cracked skin. In infants and toddlers, the rash usually appears on the face, elbows or knees. In older children and adults, the rash appears less often on the face, and more commonly on the hands, neck, inner elbows, backs of the knees and ankles.
• Skin weeping watery fluid.
• Rough, leathery, thick skin.

Kids and Eczema

Eczema affects all ages — it usually appears in early childhood (in babies between two to six months old) and disappears around age six years old. In fact, more than half of all eczema sufferers show signs within their first 12 months of life and 20 percent of people develop eczema before the age of five. Most children grow out of the condition, but a small percentage may experience severe eczema into adulthood. The condition not only affect the individual sufferer, but also their family and friends.

Reduce Skin Irritation

People with eczema have hypersensitive skin. Irritants like heat or detergents can easily trigger a bout of eczema. Suggestions to avoid irritants include:

• Avoid overheating the skin. Wear several layers of clothing that you can remove instead of one heavy layer, and don’t put too many blankets on your bed. Avoid duvets.
• Don’t use perfumed bubble bath or medicated bath products.
• Don’t wash your hair in the bath.
• Wear soft, smooth materials next to your skin, preferably 100 percent cotton. Avoid scratchy materials like pure wool, polyester or acrylic. A cotton and synthetic mix material works for some people with eczema. Remove labels from clothing.
• Some laundry detergents or fabric conditioners can lead to skin irritation. Rinse clothes thoroughly after washing.
• Always wear protective gloves when using any type of chemical or detergent. You might want to use cotton gloves inside the rubber or PVC gloves.
• Avoid chlorinated pools. If you do swim in a chlorinated pool, slather your skin before with an oil-based product to protect the skin.

Test Products

• Remember that even hypoallergenic cosmetics can irritate your skin. Whenever possible, keep your face free of make-up.
• Avoid perfumes, fragranced skin lotions and strongly scented shampoos.
• When using a new cosmetic, try testing it first on a small, inconspicuous area of skin such as your forearm. If you experience a reaction, don’t use the product.

Avoid Allergens

In some cases, eczema is thought to be an allergic reaction to environmental triggers. Some people with resistant eczema find it helpful to reduce exposure to a wide range of known allergens including house dust mites, molds and grass pollens. In other cases, some people have received great results from desensitizing their bodies from these know allergens.

Daily Tips

Other tips to manage your eczema include:

• Keep your fingernails short — longer nails are more likely to injure your skin when you scratch.
• A well-ventilated house reduces the risk of mold and damp.
• If the water in your area is hard (full of minerals) or alkaline, consider installing a water-softening device.
• Swim in the ocean in warm weather whenever you can. Seawater is known to reduce the symptoms of eczema.
• Limiting your sun exposure can help relieve eczema symptoms. Sun exposure can cause overheating, which can aggravate eczema.

Eczema is not an easy condition to manage, but some natural remedies and treatments may help. Natural products with ingredients such as aloe vera, calendula, manuka honey and emu oil can soothe the skin.

Geoff Graham is the president of Grahams Natural Alternatives, which he founded to create products to help ease his son’s eczema condition. Visit www.itchy.net.au.