How to Treat Eczema Skin Condition

• Eczema is a skin condition that causes redness and itchiness.
• Removing the triggers for flare-ups can help prevent eczema skin irritation from repeating
• Keeping the skin moist and fighting the itchiness are both important ways to treat the eczema skin condition
• Light therapy is sometimes used to fight this chronic skin condition

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a skin condition normally affecting young children. The condition causes skin redness and extreme itchiness. Because the cause of the condition is not known, no method for curing it has been developed either. The good news is that only about one-third of children carry the problem into adulthood. For those people and for the adults who also develop the eczema skin condition, there are some effective treatment methods available.

Preventing Outbreaks

Eczema skin rashes are not constant. They usually have some type of trigger, such as stress or certain types of foods. Identifying the trigger can be a huge help in treating the condition because by removing that trigger most of the outbreaks can be prevented. And prevention is always preferable to treatment. In some cases, the number of triggers are too numerous to remove completely or the specific trigger cannot be identified and/or removed so the only option is try other methods.

Moisturizing

One thing dermatologists have noticed about eczema skin care is that skin that is already dry is more likely to have an outbreak. That means a good way to prevent those triggers from working and to minimize the harm they do is by always keeping the skin moist. You can do this by developing a skin care routine of applying a high quality moisturizer on the skin after baths. Using non-drying soap and avoiding hot showers is also advisable. You should consider running a humidifier in the home all year long but especially in the winter when the eczema skin condition tends to be worse.

Itch Relief

The hardest part of dealing with eczema is usually the itchiness which can be so bad for children that they literally cannot sleep. A physician can provide some methods of reducing this eczema symptom. Topical corticosteroid creams can be used on the affected area. In mild cases, over-the-counter products can be used but for children physicians will usually prefer to use a prescription cream. If topical ointments do not help, physicians will generally prescribe some type of oral medication, either an oral corticosteroid or antihistamine. Doctors normally prefer the latter choice because of the potential side effects of long-term use of oral corticosteroids.

You can also help relief some of the suffering associated with itchiness by taking an oatmeal bath in lukewarm water or by applying damp dressings to the affected areas. These dressings can help cool the inflammation and can prevent scratching which can end up leading to an infection.

Other Treatment Methods

For severe cases of eczema skin, phototherapy is sometimes used. In this treatment method, the affected area of the skin is exposed to controlled amounts of ultraviolet radiation through artificial lighting sources. Phototherapy has been proven effective for many eczema patients and is also used to treat a wide range of other skin problems, including acne. However, you have to be aware of the potential risks involved with this treatment, including increasing your risk of skin cancer and damaging your skin. In most cases, the length of time the treatment is needed won’t cause too much of a problem.

Another treatment method is a type of drug that affects the immune system. By keeping the immune system at bay, flare-ups of the eczema skin condition can be reduced. However, they should not be used for a long time because they can impact the benefits provided by the immune system.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.