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Care For Eczema Skin By Avoiding Triggers

Filed Under Eczema Treatment, Care for Eczema Skin, Eczema Prevention | Leave a Comment

I thought we would start the year with a recap of some of the most important ways in taking care of your eczema skin. Another common name of eczema is atopic dermatitis. Eczema is a form of skin disorder and is often the result of an allergy reaction. It is a chronic skin condition which often accompanies other conditions like hay fever or asthma. The most obvious symptom is extremely itchy skin. The more you scratch, the worse your skin becomes. You end up with red, swelling and blotchy skin.

Even babies can get eczema. However, eczema can also suddenly appear in an adult. Fortunately, it is a skin condition that is not contagious. Although it appears that there is no cure according to conventional western medicine, there are many alternative ways to deal with the problem.

Start to monitor your diet. Find out if you have food related allergies. An effective treatment to your eczema may be as simple as avoiding a food that sets off itching in your skin. Common food allergens include milk, shellfish and preservatives.

Allergens can also come from the environment. There may be a host of things that can irritate your skin. Take note of the detergents you wash with, cleansers for the home, body soap and lotions. Gasoline and solvents used in household repairs and such can be particularly harsh. In addition, simple hand washing can also cause skin irritation. Consider wearing gloves when you must work with water such as washing dishes or even washing your baby. You also need to ensure that these plastic or vinyl gloves are long enough so that water does not splash inside them trapping moisture which can trigger eczema. For prolonged glove use, wear cotton gloves under the plastic or vinyl gloves.

The best material over your body is cotton. It is natural, breathable and soft whereas synthetic materials or even wool may irritate the skin.

Limit the length and frequency of your baths. You want to avoid your skin drying out. Always pat yourself dry with a soft towel as rubbing can cause problems. The application of moisturizer immediately after a bath or shower will help seal moisture from the bath to your skin.

When it comes to moisturizers, the more expensive ones are not always better. Avoid lotions with perfumes or additives.

The best is to avoid scratching the affected areas. If you break the skin, this could court a secondary bacterial infection in addition to the eczema.