Could That Itch Be Eczema?

Eczema is characterized by a rash, dryness of skin, itching, and redness of skin (Rouse). The symptoms of eczema occur due to the overproduction of damaging inflammatory skin cells and continue to worsen as a result of certain factors in the environment.

The cause of eczema can be traced to environmental factors. Foods, shampoos, soaps, laundry detergents, synthetic fabrics, stress, and temperature changes are capable of irritating already existing eczema and may even be the cause of a new eczema condition. Although eczema is a chronic skin condition, there are various forms of treatment and interventions available to help control eczema. Eczema is a hereditary condition and thus is not contagious to others.

A general picture of eczema can encompass different stages. Some people may have only a small patch of affected skin while others may have larger patches all over the body. An individual may experience one mild eczema outbreak while others experience chronic severe incidences of eczema. In some cases after an eczema outbreak the skin remains more reactive than it was prior to the outbreak. The eczema-affected skin is very sensitive and the individual must be aware of the trigger factors and try to avoid them.

Wonder Cure Or Bigger Problem

Parents risk harming their children because of misinformation about the best treatments for eczema, experts said today.
While some parents turn to herbal lotions of unknown quality to treat their youngsters' skin, others are shunning prescribed steroid creams because of misconceptions about the side effects, a meeting of dermatologists was told.
Dr Sue Lewis-Jones, a specialist in paediatric dermatology from Dundee, said a network of nurses focusing on the management of childhood eczema and other skin problems was urgently needed.
She said that a lack of money and focus on the speciality was to blame for the small number of nurses working in this area.
"These nurses can help parents manage their children's condition, keep an eye on their progress and lead to fewer admissions to hospital. "But there is no money for it.
"It is an obvious thing to do and it would ultimately save the NHS money," Dr Lewis-Jones said.
The consultant dermatologist, speaking at the British Skin Foundation meeting in central London, also highlighted concerns about parents opting for herbal Chinese remedies to treat their children.
She said there were examples of companies springing up promising "wonder cures" for eczema and psoriasis.
"There are lots of reputable companies and there is no reason why some remedies shouldn't work because most medicines originally came from plants.
"But the problem is that we don't know what part of the plant is having the effect and there is less known about the side effects. "With modern medicines much more is known about the side effects.
"Some people out there just want to make money and will dishonestly promote small pots of cream that cost £30 each," Dr Lewis-Jones said. She said that these creams often contained hidden steroids which produced the desired effect and led patients to believe the treatments were working.
But this led to the danger that young children could be exposed to very strong steroids normally only given to adults.
Dr Lewis-Jones said she knew of a case where a parent had used a very strong steroid called Dermovate which was bought from Hong Kong to treat her 12-year-old's psoriasis.
Although the product was clearly labelled, the mother used the cream on her child for 18 months without knowing the dangers of such heavy steroid use.
The girl went on to develop Cushing's Syndrome which leads to weight gain, thinning of the bones and blood pressure problems and is caused by too many steroids.
The condition can cause patients to collapse and die and the child had spent three weeks in hospital while she was treated. But Dr Lewis-Jones said under-treatment was a much more serious concern for children with skin conditions.
She said research had shown that three-quarters of parents were worried about using steroid creams on their children and a quarter stopped using them all together.
They were apparently concerned about products would thinning the skin with some even believing they would lead to muscle development such as that seen in bodybuilders who abuse steroids. "The thing about eczema is that we can get it under control and are not going to have to use steroids for very long.
"There is also widespread ignorance of the public and health professionals about the use of steroids but they are a life-saver for people with eczema," Dr Lewis Jones said.
One in three-children under the age of three-and-a-half suffers from eczema. Psoriasis is also very common, affecting 1.2 million people in the UK.
Dr Colin Holden, trustee of the British Skin Foundation, said: "The number of people suffering from skin disease is increasing every day. "It's vital we keep investing money in life-changing research."

Eczema Treatment Gets FDA Approval

More than 15 million Americans are diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, commonly referred to as eczema. There's a new therapy available by prescription.
While many products to treat eczema are currently available, the FDA has recently cleared a new approach in managing the signs and symptoms of eczema called Mimyx cream.
Unlike current prescription therapies, Mimyx is safe enough to be used on patients of any age and there is no limit on the duration of use.
The chronic inflammatory disease that affects 90 percent of patients within the first five years of their lives, is characterized by red, dry, itchy skin that rashes.
This uncomfortable and unpleasant condition largely affects children but can also affect adults and often leads to sleep interruption due to the severity of the itch.

Consumer Reports States Possible Risks in Common Eczema Treatments

In the December 2005 release of the Consumer Reports Magazine Medical Guide, a leading independent ratings publication, 12 drugs are cited to have “known or suspected serious risks” that patients were not warned about. According to the magazine a Consumer Reports investigation found that tens of millions of people may unknowingly have been exposed to the rare but serious side effects of a dozen relatively common prescription-drug types.

For eczema sufferers, common topical immunosuppressants like Elidel and Protopic, make the offenders list. A natural alternative eczema treatment that protects your health is a wiser choice.

Keeping Your Skin Hydrated

If your relationship with moisturizer is the slap-it-on-in-the-morning kind, it's time for a new approach! Lotions can work wonders on everything from skin to hair -- if you know how to use them, and which ones to use! Here, 10 easy ways to use moisturizer to its best effect:
1. Don't stop at just one. Certainly you don't need six bottles of lotion in your cabinet, but two or three -- one for face, one for eyes, one for body -- are perfectly reasonable.
2. Pick the right product based on your skin. On hearty areas, such as the back, arms, and legs, a thicker cream with oil in it is usually the best choice. For more delicate places, like your face and decollete, a lighter, oil-free moisturizer is best.
3. Use special eye cream. The eye area is fragile, and benefits from gentle, treatment-oriented ingredients (such as vitamin K and green tea), which are often not found in body lotions. What's more, many lotions made for the body are too heavy for the eye area, and can cause makeup to run and tiny cysts to form.
4. Apply when damp. Your skin will drink in moisturizer best if it's applied while your skin is still damp. That goes for face and body!
5. Avoid heavy fragrances on your face. Fragrance ingredients can be highly allergenic, meaning they're likely to cause irritation. Best to skip fragranced face products, and save the scent for your body.
6. Try a treatment body lotion. Drugstores are filled with bump-minimizing, shave-minimizing, and itch-relieving moisturizers. Pick one depending on your skin's condition.
7. Swear by SPF. Your face needs sunscreen all year. The easiest way to get your daily dose? By applying a facial lotion containing SPF 15 or above.
8. Break the moisturizer rules. No one said it's just for your skin! When you're in a pinch, plain old moisturizer works wonders as a hair defrizzer and shine-enhancer.
9. Use lotion as fragrance. Instead of spritzing on a bunch of perfume, experiment with the lotion version of your favorite fragrance. It gives a more subtle effect and lasts longer.
10. Don't overlook old standbys. Dermatologists love lotions from Lac-Hydrin, Cetaphil, and Lubriderm for a reason: They work. What's more, they're generally inexpensive.

Healing Dry Skin With Hot Peppers

Millions of Americans suffer from chronic inflammatory skin conditions such as Eczema and Psoriasis. And even more of us face the onslaught of chronic dry winter hands. While these skin disorders have become a multi-billion dollar industry -- no drug, or natural remedy has ever been able to conquer their painful symptoms until the release of “PepperCare,” (www.peppercare.com) a natural hot pepper based skin cream guaranteed by the manufacturer to relieve most chronic dry itchy skin conditions within days.

Although PepperCare contains hot pepper extract, when applied to the skin – it doesn’t burn. In fact, one application of PepperCare begins to equalize most dry skin conditions overnight leaving the skin’s surface noticeably soothed and renewed.This incredible skin cream contains 13 active plant based ingredients along with the hot pepper extract, and each is proven to repair damaged skin while preventing further destruction caused by chronic inflammation and dryness.

According to the manufacturer (SiCap Industries), each ingredient is specifically designed to kill bacteria, reduce inflammation and replenish dried out skin layers.“The hot pepper extract is definitely an important part of our formula. Especially for reducing inflammation and ichting, but the Yucca Root powder and Shea Butter are equally important. The formula also contains Grape Seed oil, Rosemary, Calendula and Grapefruit Seed extract. It’s a combination that really works for any chronic dry or itchy skin problem,” says Wayne Perry, president of SiCap Industries.

According to SiCap Industries officials, this unusual herbal cream is designed to kill inflammatory causing bacteria while exfoliating and conditioning the top layers of skin. The result is baby soft skin that looks and feels years younger.“You notice the results within minutes after applying the cream. Once you rub it in you’ll notice a renewed color and it instantly stops any itch. Even those caused by allergic reactions to things like Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac. Along with all the natural skin conditioners, we also add steam distilled Stinging Nettle oil to help fight off the skin's natural allergic reactions. There’s nothing better for fighting and preventing dry winter skin than PepperCare. This stuff works better than anything else out there and we back it up with a 100% money back guarantee,” boasts Perry.

Perry’s company has a reputation for making pepper based products that really work. Their flagship pepper product is “Sinus Buster,” the world’s first hot pepper nasal spray. Not only has this product been thoroughly embraced by the medical community for its’ ability to relieve most chronic sinus and headache conditions, but Sinus Buster has also broken into retail stores across North America. Now with the addition of PepperCare to SiCap’s lineup, the company is determined to corner the market on hot peppers and health."Aside from conditioons like Eczema and Psoriasis, another big market for us is simple dry winter skin. We sell alot of PepperCare to people who spend alot of time outside in the winter like contractors and toll collectors. It's amazing how many people contact us to tell us how well this cream really works. I mean this stuff will prevent dry winter hands just by using a little everyday," adds Perry

LeAnn Rimes Campaigns For Eczema

Country music star LeANN RIMES is campaigning for a cause close to her own heart - helping fellow eczema sufferers.
The CAN'T FIGHT THE MOONLIGHT hitmaker, 23, developed the agonising skin condition as a child and knows how badly it can affect people's confidence.
By the age of six almost her entire body was covered in eczema and the worried youngster would wear long sleeves and trousers all year round to stop others from seeing it.
Rimes' trauma has prompted her to get involved in US campaign Treat Eczema Now, as a role model for fellow sufferers.
She says, "I was diagnosed with eczema when I was two years old and having to cover it up in front of millions really lowered my self-esteem.
"It can be really mentally uncomfortable and challenging. It's such a hard thing to deal with when you're a child.
"I've already heard from several doctors of how kids are coming up saying, 'Oh LeAnn Rimes has this, so it's okay now.'
"That's why I'm doing it. I wish there had been someone like me that was able to speak out about it when I was that age."

Many People Don't Even Realize They Have Eczema

Eczema is a very common skin disorder, but many people do not even realize they have it. Some people may have eczema symptoms for a long time with out realizing that they may have eczema.

The Symptoms of Eczema include itching, redness, dry/flaky skin, and even blisters Usually the first symptom of eczema is intense itching; this itching can be very uncomfortable and individuals may tend to scratch the skin. The itchy feeling is an important symptom in eczema, because scratching and rubbing in response to itching worsen the skin inflammation characteristic of eczema. Scratching should be avoided because it can only make the eczema symptoms worse. The dry skin will become redder in color and may even crack due to scratching. Scratching may also lead to infection. It is a good idea, therefore, to keep fingernails cut short and to keep the hands occupied during the day in order to control the urge to scratch. The urge to scratch symptom becomes a repetitive cycle: the more you scratch, the more it itches.