Eczema Cures

 

Eczema is a dry skin condition which affects around 15 million people in the USA. It can affect different persons to different degrees and, whilst relatively common in young children, it can affect people at any age. The good news is that it is not contagious! Typically, a sufferer will have skin which is not only dry, but is also itchy and red. In some cases, bleeding and crusting may occur.

Fortunately, there are many different ways to treat eczema available today and there are in fact eczema cures available which involve both conventional and natural methods of treatment.

If you find yourself suffering from this condition, the first thing to do is to use your best efforts to prevent it from getting worse by scratching. Since the skin may well be itchy, there is no doubt that the temptation to scratch may be great! The problem with this is that whilst it may provide some temporary relief, it actually causes the skin to bleed and split thereby making it more vulnerable to infection. Therefore creams and lotions should be applied to the affected area to keep it moist. The best time to apply it is probably after bathing so as to ensure that the moisture from the bath is still locked into the skin

Another option is to apply a cold compress. If this does not work you could try some non-prescription corticosteroid creams and ointments which are designed to reduce inflammation.

If the non-prescription eczema creams and ointments do not provide effective relief, there are essentially two principle types of eczema cures open to a sufferer -  natural remedies and conventional (medical) remedies.

Conventional (Medical) Remedies:
Conventional excema treatment includes creams and lotions which are prescribed by your doctor. You may be advised by your doctor that some side effects are possible and, to prevent or minimise this, you should limit the length of treatment time as well as the locations where this will be applied. It is possible that instead of topical medication, your doctor may instead prescribe oral corticosteroids. However, if you suffer from severe itching it is possible that the creams mentioned previously will not be effective and you may need to be prescribed sedative antihistamines which are available in both prescription and over the counter format. As drowsiness is a common side effect, it is generally advised to take this in the evening so you will be able to get a good night’s sleep. Perhaps a last resort is a drug called cyclosporine A. This is a drug which is designed to modify the body’s immune response – although serious side effects are possible. For persons suffering from atopic dermatitis (a form of eczema), there are two topical medications to choose from which have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These are tacrolimus and pimecrolimus which belong to a class of drugs called calcineurin inhibitors which work by modulating the immune response. Encouragingly, there do not appear to be side effects with the drugs used in atopic dermatitis treatment.

Natural Eczema Treatment:
Natural eczema cures include probiotics. Yakult is a good example of a probiotic which may be consumed in liquid form. Probiotics help suppress the growth of harmful bacteria inside our bodies and help to prevent eczema from occurring. There are a number of ointments and lotions which are made from natural ingredients such as the herbal extracts of chamomile, licorice, and witch hazel. You should always check with your doctor before using any herbal remedy as certain herbs may in fact cause dermatitis. Primrose oil and fish oils are also natural products which can help to treat and prevent eczema.

Conclusion:
Eczema can occur at any age but the good news is that there are a number of treatments available to sufferers. Perhaps the best advice to give to a sufferer might be to start out with the over the counter creams, lotions, and natural remedies. If none of these work, you should probably approach your doctor in order that something stronger may be prescribed.