Eczema Treatments - What's Available?
Millions of people suffer from eczema, with cases ranging from extreme and debilitation to mild and annoying. Treatments for eczema range from simple lifestyle changes to prescription medications. Some of the most common treatments for eczema are reviewed below.
Perhaps the simplest treatments for eczema involve simple lifestyle changes. The dry, itchy skin of eczema can be greatly alleviated with several small adjustments to your skin care regime.
First, take cooler baths and showers. Hot water can be very drying for the skin, so cooling down your showers will help your skin retain more moisture. Avoid harsh, drying soaps and detergents. Gentle, non-scented moisturizing soaps and mild detergents help the skin avoid dryness and eliminate some of the irritants that can aggravate eczema.
Moisturizing the areas affected by eczema is essential. Moisturize often and liberally. Treat irritated areas with 1% hydrocortisone cream to relive itching and irritation.
There are many more natural, home remedy treatments for eczema that have also had some success in relieving the itching and flaking of eczema. Placing an ice pack on the affected area can relive itching, as do oatmeal baths, like Aveeno. Another home remedy is treating an oozing patch of eczema with milk. Soak a cotton ball or piece of gauze in cold milk and apply to the itchy area. Reapply two to three times and then rinse to alleviate itching.
Humidifying your home is another great solution. By adding more moisture to the air, you’re adding more moisture to your skin. Purchasing a humidifier can help prevent the excess drying or ezcema.
Be especially careful with your laundry products. Harsh detergents and chemical fabric softeners can aggravate eczema. Switch to unscented, mild detergent and fabric softeners that work in the rinse cycle to minimize irritation.
Another popular herbal remedy for eczema is Evening Primrose oil. Taken orally, this herbal remedy seems to alleviate some of the symptoms of eczema, possibly because of its high concentration of an omega-6 essential fatty acid.
There are several simple lifestyle changes and remedies to help alleviate the symptoms of eczema. Incorporating several of these tips into your skin care regime may help guide your eczema into a state of remission.
Claire provides more information on her site about Eczema Treatments that you can research at home.
Claire Bowes
