Archive for September, 2009

How To Recognize If You Have Eczema?

Posted by admin On September - 20 - 2009Comments Off

Eczema is not called “itch that rashes” for nothing. The reason it is so is that if you feel yourself itch and if you scratch it hard enough it will become a rash. In all cases, the first symptom of eczema is an itch. If you persist in scratching, a rash will be sure to develop. The rash that appears looks like a patch of skin that is different from the skin around it. When it develops, it is very dry to the extent that it is scaly and can come off as hard pieces of skin. It will be red and burning. It also itches which makes you want to scratch it even more.

In the case of adults, the patches are not so much red but are brown, scaly and very thick. In some cases, adults develop bumps or bubbles some with fluid in them – if scratched the fluid oozes out making a mess of the wound. If left to be and consistently scratched, it will develop serious scratches. If you scratch even further, it will start to ooze a kind of secretion – something that happens very much in the case of small children. It will then go on to become very crusty.
The rash can come absolutely anywhere on the body but it usually on the hands and legs. Doctors say that it is because it is these parts of the body that actually are in most contact with external factors that cause eczema.

There is not much to worry about. You really need to consult a doctor when the pain, burning and the redness get worse with the patch spreading despite putting the regular medication. Even if it is not that bad but yet it disturbs you in your regular daily routine, you must get yourself checked up. Understand that eczema is not an urgent case of medical treatment but there are exceptions to the rule.

If the rash is so bad that it breaks down and starts to get infected, become increasingly heated and have red streaks coming off them, it is an emergency. The same case if you have a rising fever when you have a rash that hasn’t gone as yet. Most important of all, if you have a weak immune system (which you should already know), are undergoing treatment for diabetes, AIDS, alcohol addiction or if you are 70 years of age and above, then it is an emergency. See to it that you get immediate medical attention so that the matter does not get worse.

Be sure that you get the right consultation every time something could be wrong. Don’t hesitate to make sure that you are in best of conditions health wise at least where your eczema reactions stand. There is medication that you can carry with you that can work against an eczema outburst when it happens suddenly. After you take the medicine, if it still persists then you must visit a hospital to check it up.

Where Does Eczema Come From?

Posted by admin On September - 20 - 2009Comments Off

There is no real proved reason for the occurrence of eczema. There is research certainly showing that it is lack of an immune system driven and that it is distinctly related to allergies. The same research shows us that it is not the same thing as an allergy. The similarity comes because of the immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies presence. The research done has showed that people who suffer with eczema have the IgE antibodies which are produced as a result of allergies. So far the known reason for Eczema is Allergen.

Commonly named the trigger, eczema is largely caused by the allergen. Regardless of how long the allergen has been in touch with the body, eczema starts reacting to it on first contact and even faster on constant contact with the skin. This allergen largely includes jewelry, gloves, creams, variant weather, dust, stress (mental or emotional), rubbing, scratching, touching certain kinds of food and detergents are from among the common some that make the list. Some of these allergens are very uncontrollable like the weather, dust, pollutants etc.

It could also come from diseases that are known to precede like an allergy, hay fever or asthma. It coiuld also very well come from the genetically inherited diseases. Sometimes, it suddenly flares up because of ill health, excess stress (both physical and mental) and contact with allergens.

Regardless of where this comes from, we must be aware of all these factors so that we can understand why we get these reactions. Staying away from any situation that causes eczema to occur will help bring the occurrences down. That is very difficult especially if the allergen is something that we like. In cases when the allergen is uncontrollable, it is suggested to carry medication for the eczema so that if it and when it flares up, it does not affect you.

An eczema occurrence can make one feel very uncomfortable especially when it happens in the most uncomfortable of situations. And it can also be very awkward too. Sometimes if you know that you have the chance of having to undergo an eczema occurrence because of having to be out all day surrounded by polluted air or even out in the sun which will make you sweat. Sometimes if the eczema seems to persist, then you must consult a physician on the matter and see to it that things don’t get out of hand. There is emergency medication in the form of injections that take care of your eczema outburst that your medicines prescribed can’t take care of. Another suggestion is to consult a doctor for medication that can be taken every day preferably when you start your day regardless of whether you will be exposing yourself to allergen or not. It avoids sudden outbursts and makes life a whole lot easier. It is one of the best ways to avoid an out of the blue eczema attack. Either way, you must have your emergency medication with you.

Get To Know Eczema

Posted by admin On September - 10 - 2009Comments Off

Eczema refers to conditions that make the skin burn and make it look red. It is a common condition with a fifth of the world population being affected by it at some point in their lives. In layman’s terms, it is a rash that keeps coming and going. Children who get it usually see it disappear as they grow older. Among all the forms of Eczema, the most seen of them is atopic dermatitis. This is usually caused due to factors not of the body. The reason known for it so far that it occurs because of the unusual response of the body to external factors. With the other kinds of Eczema, the skin becomes red when it reacts to things that irritate it and it makes on want to scratch and itch where it does. The condition cannot be cured but rather it can only be managed with treatment when it happens and by staying away from the things that cause Eczema.

Eczema, in all its different forms of occurrences, it manifests itself in red patches that itch and that are very dry. When scratched and aggravated, a rash appears at the spot of Eczema. It happens on all parts of the body. More often than not, it occurs on the neck, knees, elbows, ankles and face. Sometimes it looks extremely dry and very red and sometimes it becomes lumps and even starts to ooze at times. If scratched too much, the skin can very easily become as thick as leather –something that is medically called lichenification.

Since the source of Eczema are the things that set it off, let us see what we should stay away from if we have Eczema. These substances differ from person to person. For some people, its food, some sweat, some soap…certain chemicals, dust, fruit etc. Stress and respiratory health problems also can be easy triggers for Eczema.

Eczema is largely found among children but chronic cases are usually in adults and children. The ones with chronic cases in later stages in life usually have it because it is a genetic problem. It will have been passed down from the parents. Asthma and allergic rhinitis are also conditions that go hand in hand with Eczema. If a child is born with excema and it does not go by the time he or she is 15 years age, it remains to stay in some form of the other.

Since it is a incurable disease, it can best be managed and controlled. To do that, there are a few things that you can do. Moisturize your skin well. Avoid the substances that trigger your eczema. Avoid situations that cause you to be stressful. Any substance that is rough and harsh like certain clothing material. Things in nature (environmental triggers of exema) like dust, pollutants etc – keep away from them when you can. Try not to sweat when you can. In case there are not avoidable, have medication at hand.