What is Eczema?
Eczema is an irritable condition where red, itchy inflammation and rashes occurs on the skin. This can be due to many factors, such as the body’s immune system responding extensively to an irritant or genetic history of allergies.
Symptoms of Eczema
There are many symptoms of eczema, but primarily they appear in the form of rashes around the body. These areas include the neck’s nape, elbows or knees’ creases, around the eyes and even parts of the face and body. In addition, the rashes can be excruciatingly itchy, lead to extremely withered skin, and in some cases result in skin infections.
Treatment of Eczema
Currently, there is no known cure for eczema, and any form of eczema treatment is primarily for addressing the symptoms, reducing the itchiness and preventing the rashes from spreading even further. Let’s explore some of the ways you can take to treat the symptoms of eczema.
Take Care of Personal Hygiene
This is one of the most important steps you can take to minimise the spread of eczema. If you need to wash your hands or some parts of your body, use a cleanser that is non-soapy. Wherever possible, try to bathe at least two to three times a day. Ensure that the water is lukewarm and you use a mild soap, instead of a strong one. After bathing, use a towel to gently pat your skin dry or if possible, use an air dryer, rather than vigorously rubbing your skin with a towel.
Apart from regular baths, you should moisturise your skin regularly with a moisturiser to “lock in” moisture. This is especially crucial around 3 minutes following your bath. In addition, wear clothes that are made of cotton or soft fabrics, and loose fitting. Also minimise activities that cause rapid perspiration or situations with constant alterations in temperature. And notwithstanding, avoid scratching your skin repeatedly, but if you really need to, then ensure that your fingernails are short to prevent breaking of the skin.
Use Medications
Doctors can prescribe various kinds of medications to alleviate the symptoms of eczema. The kind of medication prescribed will depend largely on the severity of the condition. Generally, you can apply topical anti-inflammatory medication such as corticosteroid creams and ointments on your skin. This medication can minimise common symptoms of eczema, including inflamed skin and itchiness. However, if these medications are not effective in treating the symptoms, you can then seek a doctor’s prescription to obtain systemic corticosteroids, which can be injected into your body or taken orally, for short intervals of time.
If you would like to learn more about eczema, its causes, symptoms and possible treatments, then we recommend that you check out Suu Balm. They even have a wide range of products to treat the symptoms of eczema from body wash, scalp moisturizers, facial cleansers and moisturizers, to even skin care products for kids.