What is Eczema?
Eczema is more common than you may think. Many people have it and are looking for treatment solutions that help to manage and reduce symptoms. It’s a skin condition and type of dermatitis and skin problem that causes dryness, redness, and itchiness. As you may assume, it can be extremely frustrating and irritating when it’s at its peak. Many elements may cause your skin to overreact and flare up, such as stress, skincare products, detergents, and animals, to name a few. Knowing what will trigger your eczema is a considerable advantage. It is vital to stay away from known triggers that can be detrimental to your skin.
It’s good to point out that psoriasis is often confused with eczema. Although they have some similarities, they are different skin conditions. You can read more about the difference between the two conditions here.
While eczema doesn’t spread from person to person, it can spread to various parts of the body (for example, the face, cheeks, and the neck, wrist, knees, and elbows). Scratching the skin can make eczema worse. The challenging part is that eczema can cause you to want to itch and scratch your skin, but this can lead to more problems. Therefore, you need to find an eczema treatment that works for you.
Symptoms & Types of Eczema
You may be wondering if what you’re dealing with is eczema or not. Be on the lookout for a few of the most common symptoms so you can address them accordingly. We recommend to visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis.
The appearance of eczema can vary from mild forms, when skin looks dry and flaky, to severe forms, when skin can be extremely irritated and red. The most severe types of eczema can make your skin crack and ooze. Other times, it will feel itchy, and scratching leads to a red rash or leathery skin.The other tricky part is that there are a few different types of eczema, which can make it harder to get under control since they vary in symptoms and treatment options. How long your eczema lasts depends on the type of eczema and its response to treatment. A couple of the most common types of eczema include:
Atopic eczema is the most common type of eczema, and is an allergic disorder which is usually hereditary. This is typical for people whose other family members may have other health issues like asthma and hay fever. In most cases, it comes in the form of a rash that leads to intense itching, especially in the 'hot' areas of the body such as behind the knees, elbows, neck, chest, and inner thighs.
Contact dermatitis is another form of eczema, which is triggered when someone comes in to contact with a substance they are allergic to or sensitive to. Common irritants include chemical based soaps, detergents, and washing cleaners. This is one of the easier forms of eczema to treat, as the individual can stop using the products they know to cause irritation or allergic reaction.
Seborrhoeic dermatitis is another common type of eczema, which appears as red, scaly, itchy, and inflamed skin. It is also common amongst babies, which is known as cradle cap. This particular type of eczema is often associated with dandruff, peeling, or flaking of the scalp.
Dyshidrotic eczema is a condition in which tiny, fluid-filled blisters appear on the fingers, toes, palms, and soles of the feet.
Dyshidrotic eczema is most common in younger adults, typically between the ages of 20 and 40. People can have a single flare-up of dyshidrotic eczema, but it’s more common for it to come and go over long periods of time.
Xerotic eczema is commonly found inindividuals with extreme cases of dry skin,also known as winter's itch. During the winterperiod, patients suffering from erotic eczemacan experience heightened symptoms, witheczema usually affecting the core area,legs, and arms.
What Causes Eczema?
Several factors cause eczema, including:
- Your immune system: If you have eczema, your immune system overreacts to small irritants or allergens in your environment. When you contact a trigger, your immune system assumes that these small irritants are foreign invaders, like bacteria or viruses, that can harm your body. As a result, the triggers activate your body’s natural defense system. Your immune system’s defense is to create inflammation. Inflammation causes symptoms of eczema on your skin.
- Your genes: You’re more likely to have eczema if there’s a history of eczema or dermatitis in your family. You’re also at a higher risk if there’s a history of asthma, hay fever and/or allergies.
- Your environment: There’s a lot in your environment that can irritate your skin. Some examples include exposure to smoke, air pollutants, harsh soaps, fabrics such as wool, and some skin care products. Low humidity (dry air) can cause your skin to become dry and itchy. Heat and high humidity can cause sweating and that can make your itchiness even worse.
- Emotional triggers: Stress can affect the health of your skin, which can cause a flare-up of eczema symptoms.
Eczema Flare Up Triggers
Eczema affects each person diagnosed with the condition differently. What causes your symptoms to flare up might not trigger someone else with the condition. Common triggers that cause eczema include:
Who Can Suffer From Eczema?
Eczema is considered a chronic health problems that can affect individuals of all ages but has become common in:
Treating Your Eczema
You can keep your eczema under control better when you get in a proper moisturizing routine daily. It’ll help you to avoid problems that arise with dry skin. It’s best if you moisturize your skin right after a shower or a bath when the skin’s pores are raw and open. Dry skin can cause even more problems so be sure to make moisturizing your skin a top priority.
To take out the guesswork of choosing the right products for your type of eczema, we created value packs. These packs contain complimentary products for managing your eczema.
TIP: For a severe outbreak, apply the natural eczema cream and then wrap a wet bandage around the area to keep it moist.
What you don’t want to do is avoid the situation or your symptoms and live in discomfort. Several complications can occur when eczema is left untreated. These can include neurodermatitis, eye complications, and skin infections. Eye complications and neurodermatitis can cause permanent damage to the body. Instead, it’s in your best interest to find practical and helpful ways to treat your eczema properly.
Natural Ingredients
Topical Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome (TSWS), also known as Topical Steroid Addiction (TSA) or Red Skin Syndrome (RSS), is a debilitating condition that can arise from the use of topical steroids to treat a skin problem, such as eczema. The side effects of TSW include skin thinning, burning, swelling, flaking, pain, fatigue, and insomnia (National Eczema Association, 2022).
At Grahams Natural, we believe in treating eczema with a natural approach instead. Our products are steroid-free and made with all-natural ingredients which make them safe to use. You’ll find that they quickly hydrate your skin, treat the inflammation, and treat the infection. Some ingredients we love:
Grahams specifically uses Manuka honey in a variety of our skincare products as the benefits of manuka honey on the skin are extraordinary as it draws in vital moisture to the skin, providing hydration and nourishment.
Manuka honey contains the enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide which is a known antiseptic with incredible antibacterial properties. The honey has also been found to stimulate the immune system by providing nutrients for rapid tissue repair while reducing inflammation.
Calendula has anti-inflammatory properties and can help calm redness and inflammation and ease skin discomfort.
In addition to being soothing for any type of skin, this means that calendula can provide some relief from conditions like eczema.
Gotu kola has a high level of triterpenoids, specifically triterpenoid saponins which are active ingredients that can inhibit the infiltration of inflammatory cells.
Several studies show that gotu kola extract accelerates the healing process of wounds and burns. Being a powerful antioxidant and a great source of amino acids, vitamins, and fatty acids, together they stimulate the production of collagen, necessary to reconnect the broken tissues generated in an injury.
Colloidal oatmeal has been used for centuries to soothe dry, itchy skin.
Colloidal oatmeal binds to your skin and locks in moisture, giving your skin a chance to rehydrate. It also softens your skin and soothes itching.
Its anti-inflammatory properties make it great for people who have dry skin and eczema-prone skin, because it helps balance your skin's natural pH levels.
Shea butter contains fatty acids. They lubricate the skin and create a barrier that keeps moisture in.
Shea butter's anti-inflammatory properties help soothe skin and relieve itching.
Shea butter contains linoleic acid, which plays a crucial role in protecting skin and reducing eczema symptoms.
Jojoba oil has anti-inflammatory and healing properties. Topical application may help relieve dryness, flaking, itching, and related symptoms.
Jojoba oil has antimicrobial and antifungal properties meaning its use can help fight off several bacterias.
Let's Chat
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Additional Information About Eczema:
National Eczema Association
The National Eczema Association is the driving force for an eczema community fueled by knowledge, strengthened through collective action and propelled by the promise for a better future.
Please note: The primary purpose of this page is to provide information regarding the skin condition eczema and not to provide medical advice or assistance. Content from this article has been sourced from reputable sources including National Eczema Association, The Eczema Association of Australasia Inc and Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy.
Links to these pages will be available throughout the article to benefit the user and do not constitute medical advice or treatment recommendations.