ECZEMA
Eczema is a recurring skin condition which makes the skin extremely dry and itchy. This could cause immense amount of irritation and discomfort to the person suffering from eczema. Certain symptoms of eczema includes drying and itching in skin, flaking of skin, bleeding etc A number of factors like environmental factors, allergies to certain food items etc. could cause eczema.
Babies are the most commonly affected. It usually starts before the first birthday (often when new foods are introduced), but it is not unusual to begin anytime up until kindergarten. Atopic dermatitis is most common in children who have family members with asthma, allergies, or Atopic dermatitis.
Although eczema can develop at any place on the body, it typically appears on the hands, wrists, arms, neck, upper chest, face and backs of knees. The worst symptom for many is the intense itch which leads to the itch/scratch cycle: you itch and you scratch further damaging the skin and thus causing more itching. Emotional stress can provoke it as well as internal and external chemical sensitivities and allergies.
Eczema is harder to manage in children because scratching and rubbing is difficult to control, especially at night while they try to sleep.
In children, the most commonly affected areas are the cheeks, chin, back, stomach, and arms. Areas such as the hands, feet, and creases of the elbows and knees are also commonly affected. In adults, eczema is commonly found on the eyelids, neck, hands and wrists, and behind the elbows and knees.
Eczema is divided into a small number of subgroups based largely on the factors that may be most important in causing eczema in any one individual, but it is important to recognize that the symptoms and appearance of the skin in all these types can be exactly the same. Also, the classification system is far from perfect as it is often difficult or impossible to accurately say what causes eczema to occur in any one person.
Types of eczema
Atopic dermatitis
It is a chronic skin disease characterized by itchy, inflamed skin and is the most common cause of eczema. The condition tends to come and go, depending upon exposures to triggers or causative factors. Factors that may cause Atopic dermatitis (allergens) include environmental factors like molds, pollen, or pollutants; contact irritants like soaps, detergents, nickel (in jewelry), or perfumes; food allergies; or other allergies. Around two-thirds of those who develop the condition do so prior to 1 year of age. When the disease starts in infancy, it is sometimes termed infantile eczema. Atopic dermatitis tends to run in families, and people who develop the condition often have a family history of other allergic conditions such as asthma or hay fever.
Contact eczema
It is a localized reaction that includes redness, itching, and burning in areas where the skin has come into contact with an allergen (an allergy-causing substance to which an individual is sensitized) or with a general irritant such as an acid, a cleaning agent, or other chemical. Other examples of contact eczema include reactions to laundry detergents, soaps, nickel (present in jewelry), cosmetics, fabrics, clothing, and perfume. Due to the vast number of substances with which individuals have contact, it can be difficult to determine the trigger for contact dermatitis. The condition is sometimes referred to as allergic contact eczema (allergic contact dermatitis) if the trigger is an allergen and irritant contact eczema (irritant contact dermatitis) if the trigger is an irritant. Skin reactions to poison ivy and poison sumac are examples of allergic contact eczema. People who have a history of allergies have an increased risk for developing contact eczema.
Seborrhoeic eczema
It is a form of skin inflammation of unknown cause. The signs and symptoms of Seborrhoeic eczema include yellowish, oily, scaly patches of skin on the scalp, face, and occasionally other parts of the body. Dandruff and “cradle cap” in infants are examples of Seborrhoeic eczema. It is commonplace for Seborrhoeic dermatitis to inflame the face at the creases of the cheeks and/or the nasal folds. Seborrhoeic dermatitis is not necessarily associated with itching. This condition tends to run in families. Emotional stress, oily skin, infrequent shampooing, and weather conditions may all increase a person’s risk of developing Seborrhoeic eczema. One type of Seborrhoeic eczema is also common in people with AIDS.
Nummular eczema
It is characterized by coin-shaped patches of irritated skin — most commonly located on the arms, back, buttocks, and lower legs — that may be crusted, scaling, and extremely itchy. This form of eczema is relatively uncommon and occurs most frequently in elderly men. Nummular eczema is usually a chronic condition. A personal or family history of atopic dermatitis, asthma, or allergies increases the risk of developing the condition.
Neurodermatitis
It is also known as lichen simplex chronicus, is a chronic skin inflammation caused by a scratch-itch cycle that begins with a localized itch (such as an insect bite) that becomes intensely irritated when scratched. Women are more commonly affected by neurodermatitis than men, and the condition is most frequent in people 20-50 years of age. This form of eczema results in scaly patches of skin on the head, lower legs, wrists, or forearms. Over time, the skin can become thickened and leathery. Stress can exacerbate the symptoms of neurodermatitis.
Stasis dermatitis
It is a skin irritation on the lower legs, generally related to the circulatory problem known as venous insufficiency, in which the function of the valves within the veins has been compromised. Stasis dermatitis occurs almost exclusively in middle-aged and elderly people, with approximately 6%-7% of the population over 50 years of age being affected by the condition. The risk of developing stasis dermatitis increases with advancing age. Symptoms include itching and/or reddish-brown discoloration of the skin on one or both legs. Progression of the condition can lead to the blistering, oozing skin lesions seen with other forms of eczema, and ulcers may develop in affected areas. The chronic circulatory problems lead to an increase in fluid buildup (edema) in the legs. Stasis dermatitis has also been referred to as varicose eczema.
Dyshidrotic eczema
It is an irritation of the skin on the palms of hands and soles of the feet characterized by clear, deep blisters that itch and burn. The cause of dyshidrotic eczema is unknown. Dyshidrotic eczema is also known as vesicular palmoplantar dermatitis, dyshidrosis, or pompholyx. This form of eczema occurs in up to 20% of people with hand eczema and is more common during the spring and summer months and in warmer climates. Males and females are equally affected, and the condition can occur in people of any age.
Causes
Skin infection by yeast called Pityrosporum is thought to play a part in seborrhoeic eczema.
Others: a miscellaneous group including eczema of the legs caused by varicose veins and pompholyx an intensely itchy form located on the hands and composed of small or (sometimes) large blisters.
Grades of eczema
A useful way to classify eczema is based on the degree of activity and the duration the eczema has been active.
Acute
Acute in medical language means of rapid onset. Often conditions that come on over a short period of time are also quite vigorous in their activity, although strictly speaking acute should not be taken to be another word for severe. Acute eczema therefore would be an area that recently flared up and would be red, probably also have blisters and possibly some oozing or crusts.
Chronic
Chronic properly means long-standing. Once the initial phase of activity has died down a bit of skin that has been eczematous for a while is dry, scaly, thickened and cracked.
Infected
At any stage of eczema it can become infected. This wont always be obviously different from acute eczema unless there are pus-filled blisters. With experience one can usually discern the golden crust of infection and pick up the other clues that suggest infection.
Preventive measures
Skin care
– Bathe only with a mild soap, such as Dove, Basis or Oil of Olay. Use a small amount of soap when bathing. Keep the water temperature cool or warm, not hot.
– Moisturizers help keep your skin soft and flexible. They prevent skin cracks. A plain moisturizer is best.
– Try not to scratch the irritated area on your skin even if it itches.
– Too much heat and sweat can make your skin more irritated and itchy.
– Eczema can flare up when you are under stress. Learn how to recognize and cope with stress.
– Wear soft cotton clothes
– Do not wear wool, polyester or nylon clothing
– Double rinse clothes to remove detergent residue
– Do not use fabric softeners
– Use PVC gloves for wet work
– Use cotton gloves for housework and under PVC gloves
– Do not use or spray perfume
DIET
– Diet plays a very important role in curing eczema. Certain food items may trigger eczema in some people so it is very important to analyze what causes such triggers and eliminate such foods from your diet.
– Make sure that you eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Include foods rich in fibers and whole grain foods for quick recovery. Avoid white flour and eat more brown foods like brown bread, brown rice etc.
– Excessive tea and coffee is not good for this condition because of its caffeine content. So avoid such beverages and include few cups of green tea to your daily diet.
– Certain studies have revealed that omega-3 fatty acids help cure eczema.
Adequate amounts of cold water fishes like salmon, tuna, herring etc. should be consumed few times a week as these are rich source of omega-3 fatty
– Keep away from cigarettes and alcohol while undergoing treatment for eczema.
– Few foods like peanuts, shellfish, soy products etc. worsen this condition.
– Keep away from foods rich in sugars and fats as much as you can.
– Keep your cholesterol levels in control
– Milk could also deteriorate this condition in some people because a number of ways are followed to process milk. Some techniques may not suit certain patients and some may remain unaffected by the same processes. So make sure that you have good quality organic milk.
Homeopathic symptoms and treatment
Homeopathic remedies are prescribed by symptoms rather than conditions, as each case of a particular illness can manifest differently in different people. There are many symptoms which can be effectively treated by homeopathyfew symptoms are given below.If your symptoms are matching to any of the symptoms given below, it can be cured mail the disease and symptom number at drraishyam@gmail.com to know your medicine.
1. Eczema with thick, cracked skin , prone to indigestion, sensitive and sentimental, love to eat (craving pickles, vinegar, and other sour things). Itching is worse from warmth and sun exposure. For children and young people inclined to grow fat; for the extremes of life. Old people with morning diarrhea, suddenly become constipated,or alternate diarrhea and constipation; pulse hard and rapid. Sensitive to the cold < after taking cold. Child is fretful, peevish, cannot bear to be touched or looked at; sulky, and does not wish to speak or be spoken to; angry at every little attention. Great sadness, with weeping. Loathing life. Anxious lachrymose mood, the slightest thing effects her; abject despair, suicide by drowning. Irresistible desire to talk in rhymes or repeat verses.
2. Anxious, restless, and compulsively neat and orderly. The skin is dry, itches, and burns intensely. Scratching can make the itching worse, and applying heat will bring relief. Indigestion with burning pain and a general feeling of chilliness. Great Prostration, with rapid sinking of the vital forces; fainting. The greater the suffering the greater the anguish, restlessness and fear of death. Mentally restless, but physically too weak to move.
3. Allergic skin eruptions are focused on the lower part of the face, especially around the mouth. The chin may look chapped and feel hot and irritated. The lips are cracked (and usually raw from the person picking them) and the nostrils may be sore. Often inclined toward throat irritation and hoarseness.
4. Patients are chilly with clammy hands and feet, and tend to develop eczema and cracking skin that is worse in the wintertime. Easily fatigued by exertion, and feel anxious and overwhelmed if ill or overworked. Cravings for sweets and eggs, a sluggish metabolism, and a tendency to obesity In children, when it appears on the scalp, with a tendency to spread downwards and over the face. Frequently it appears in patches on the face or scalp, forming thick crusts, which are often white, like chalk deposits. easily tired when walking.
5. Tough or leathery skin with cracks and soreness, long-term history of skin disorders (impetigo, herpes, etc.) The areas behind the ears, around the mouth, or on the hands are often cracked, with a golden oozing discharge that hardens into crusts. Itching is worse from getting warm in bed, and the person will often scratch the irritated places till they bleed. Difficulty concentrating. The nails of the feet and the fingers of the hand may be cracking and callusing; and typically grooved and thickened. worse on exposure to heat, during the night, and in women during their menstruation period. The condition of the patient will greatly improve when cold compresses or rubs are applied onto the affected regions of the body.
6. Very sensitive, chilly people whose eczema is extremely sore and becomes infected easily. The skin, especially on the hands and feet, looks chapped and deeply cracked and is very slow to heal. The person usually feels vulnerable and irritable, with a low resistance to illness and infection.. anxious, Extremely sensitive to cold air, imagines he can feel the air if a door is opened in the next room; must be wrapped up to the face even in hot weather; cannot bear to be uncovered.
7. Pustulous and eczematous eruptions. skin and muscles lax. Profuse perspiration attends nearly every complaint, but does not relieve; may even increase the suffering. Great weakness and trembling from least exertion.
8. When hard, thick, chalky crusts form, which crack and ooze copiously of pus. Itching is more intense at night, when the patient is warmly wrapped up. Sometimes pimples surround the main seat of the disease. eruptions after vaccination. Hypochondriacal and despondent;indifferent to everything and everyone; angry at trifles and perfectly harmless things, but is soon sorry for it.
9. Thick scabs, oozing pus and matting the hair together, a crusta lactea, in fact. Scaly eruptions on flexor surfaces and the bends of joints.Great emaciation; losing flesh while living well ; throat and neck of children emaciate rapidly during summer complaint . Great liability to take cold. Irritability: child cross when spoken to; crying from slightest cause; gets into a passion about trifles, especially when consoled with. Awkward, hasty, drops things from nervous weakness. Marked disposition to weep; sad weeping mood, without cause, but consolation from others <. her troubles.
10. Strong anxiety, felt physically in the stomach. Intensely itching eruptions start as blisters, then ooze and form thick crusts, and scratching can lead to thickened skin. Cold applications often help the itch (although the person is chilly in general). A craving for fat and a tendency to feel better in open air.
11. Blister like eruptions that look red and swollen, itch intensely, and are soothed by hot. The person is restless from discomfort and often is very irritable and anxious. Muscle stiffness, relieved by warmth and motion, is also likely. craves cold milk.
12. Eczema, attended with thickening of the skin and formation of hard, horny scabs,the bad effects of alcoholic beverages; spasmodic hiccough.
13. Skin is extremely dry and tends to crack, especially on the fingertips and palms. Eczema is worse in winter, with deep, sore cracks that often bleed. The person feels a cold sensation after scratching. Itching is worse at night and from getting warm in bed. The skin is easily infected, and may get tough and leathery from chronic irritation.. The general areas of the body that tend to be affected by the eczema include, the genitalia, the areas behind the ears and the bends of the joints, the fingertips are also affected and there may arise eruptions on the palms. Ailments which are worse before and during a thunderstorm. Symptoms appear and disappear rapidly
14. A scaly dirty-looking eruption with itching, worse from the warmth of the bed. Body has a filthy smell even after bathing. The whole body painful, easily sprained and injured. Great sensitiveness to cold air or change of weather.
15. Hard, thick chalky crusts form, which crack and ooze copious pus. Adapted to persons of rheumatic diathesis; bad effects of getting wet, especially after being over-heated
16. Eeczematous eruption on the head and face; the eruption is usually dry and formed of very thick scabs and itches violently; when scratching stops the itching in one place, it goes to another. At other times, these scabs are moist and yellowish in color and very offensive.
17. Intensely burning, itching, inflamed eruptions that is worse from warmth and worse from bathing. Affected areas may be red, with scaling or crusted skin. Eruptions can be either dry or moist, repeatedly used medications and ointments on their eczema without success. The affected areas are also intensely itchy and the patient cannot easily resist the desire to scratch causing a further burning sensation and bleeding eventually.
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