You have been struggling with eczema for a long time. You feel tired of it, and you want to get rid of it. There are times that your skin condition is good, but there are also times that it’s not. Thus, you need to know how to make it stop from coming back again and again. Right? Let’s understand the details about it.
What does it feel to have eczema?
Eczema is a skin condition that causes red rashes and skin patches on the body. It is very itchy, and sometimes its touch is very irritating. Sometimes it happens on certain parts of the body like the elbow, knee, neck, chest, and some may occur all over the body, such as your back and stomach area. That’s why those parts of the body are called “flexures.” Your flexures can be affected by eczema due to their exposure to irritants or allergens at times.
What causes eczema?
- Heredity is one of the reasons that can cause you to have eczema. This condition sometimes runs in your family. So, if your parents have it, then there’s a big chance that you will get it too.
- Age also affects when eczema might happen. Eczema usually occurs when one is still a baby or during childhood days since this is the point where their immune systems are not yet fully developed. But in most cases, this doesn’t occur in adults because their immune system has already been functioning for quite some time. They don’t need to worry about getting sick quickly, especially with allergy-causing stuff such as dust, pollen, etc. But still, there is an adult who struggles with eczema, and thus, they need to know how to make it stop from happening.
- Skin problems such as Seborrheic dermatitis, male-pattern baldness, psoriasis can also cause eczema on the skin, which is why those with that kind of skin condition have a high chance of getting this condition as well.
- Wearing tight clothes and lack of moisture in the body can also bring you more harm than good since both are some of the causes that trigger eczema. This is why you should always wear a comfortable outfit even if it’s cold outside and constantly be hydrated all the time, especially during winter seasons, where your water intake usually decreases by a lot compared to the summer season.
How does eczema impact patients’ life?
Eczema is something that can make you feel embarrassed and ashamed of yourself. It gives you a lot of discomfort and makes things more complicated on your part. Plus, it affects doing things that make you productive, like during work or at home. Tasks become hard for you to do because of the itchiness that eczema brings to your body. And because of these symptoms, you become tired, exhausted, and very frustrated.
Ways to stop eczema from coming back again?
So, now you know what eczema is all about, how it impacts you, and the possible reasons why it appears on your body. Now let’s start talking about how to make it stop from happening again and again. Here are some of the ways that may help you out:
- Proper moisturizing-Â Moisturizing is one of the essential things that can give your skin moisture, keeping it hydrated for hours. This is important since having dry skin gives a chance for allergy-causing substances, especially dust mites, to appear more frequently on your skin it harder for them to be removed. This is why you need to moisturize your skin twice a day to have more non-flaky and smooth skin.
- Proper food intake-Often, eczema patients also suffer from nutritional deficiencies that cause their skin to dry and itch. They usually lack zinc in their body, making it more difficult for them to get rid of eczema, so they should always eat foods rich in zinc like oysters, beef, lamb, nuts, etc.
- Avoiding triggers –It is also essential to know what triggers your eczema so that you can avoid them in the future. Like if your eczema mainly appears on your feet because you wear shoes most of the time or expose too much water on your feet when taking a bath, then try avoiding both things and let your feet free from shoe-wearing at all times, and always dry your feet when taking a bath.
- Sunscreen-Â Protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays is also very important since you will surely want to go out and enjoy the day no matter what time it is. Suppose you have eczema, then it’s best to stay indoors for most of the time, especially during summer days.
- Stress management-Â Sometimes, stress can trigger eczema, so try managing your stress by doing relaxing activities like yoga or meditation at least once a week. This way, you will feel better about yourself, and it will also lessen the itchiness on your body.
- Wear clothes made from natural fabric –It helps if you wear natural clothes instead of clothes made from textile fabrics since they tend to rub on the affected area, which causes itchiness significantly when the weather season changes. Natural fabric such as cotton gives enough moisture for eczema patients’ skins to get through its rough patches while giving comfortability at the same time without irritating the skin too much.
- Keep warm-Most people who suffer from eczema have a low immune system. Thus, they easily catch colds and other allergies causing substances outside, which can worsen their condition. Cold weathers are the culprit of this since it causes your body temperature to drop, which causes itchiness in eczema-affected areas. So, it would help if you kept yourself warm every time you go out, especially when temperatures are cold outside.
- Alcohol-free moisturizer-Â Some people apply lotions containing alcohol on their skin to help ease the itchiness caused by eczema, but these products have more bad impacts than good ones. You can use a non-alcoholic product, Moisturizer, instead to avoid further worsening your skin problems, which will give you less hassle and make your life better at home without being embarrassed about it.
- Long-sleeved clothes-Wearing long-sleeved garments will help you avoid scratching as much as possible because it restricts your movements and makes it harder for you to touch the affected areas. If this is not your habit of doing so, try limiting your activities by wearing long-sleeved clothes at least once a week. Then slowly diminish their use when you are finally used to avoiding touching your skin too much, especially during nighttime or when you have free time at home.
- Avoid using hot water-Always make sure that before taking a bath, your tub faucet should be turned off first so there won’t be any chance of having a hot water splash on the eczema-affected area which can cause itchiness. Another way of avoiding this is by using lukewarm to cold water when showering, which will help you ease the itchiness quickly, just like other people do who do not have eczema.
- Stay hydrated-Â One last piece of advice I could give is by drinking lots of fluids every day, which will help your skin stay moisturized for a more extended period. It’s best to drink water rather than other kinds of drinks, which can quickly dehydrate your body and worsen eczema.
- Avoid scratching-Try not to scratch yourself too much because it will only cause more harm than good. Eczema can be very hard to control, especially when its itchiness is unbearable so instead, try putting an ice pack on the affected area or if you have some aloe vera plants at home, just cut a leaf and apply it directly on the itchy part, then wait for few minutes before washing it off with lukewarm water and pat dry. This natural remedy will surely lessen the itchiness and give relief from eczema in no time.
- Exercise regularly-Make it a habit to exercise twice or thrice a week to help your body from having toxins and wastes inside your body. It would help if you kept yourself healthy from the outside to have a healthy body from the inside, which will lead to a better quality of life for your family.
- Acceptance-Â Lastly, never be ashamed of accepting your current state. Accepting it will help you open up to new possibilities that could help you get rid of eczema. It’s also best for other people to take it too to help you lessen eczema problems by giving good advice and even simple encouraging words, which is an essential part of life.
- Prevention-Avoid exposing yourself to places with possible allergens like pollen, dust, etc.; these things tend to irritate our skin, especially when climate season changes. Also, keep away from pets since some animals have fur that contains allergens that cause itchiness.
These are various ways to stop eczema in its tracks. Just remember, prevention is better than cure, so try following these simple steps every day to help yourself live a more enjoyable life inside and outside without being embarrassed by what people may think of it. You can prevent eczema with the help of natural remedies as well. Natural ways to prevent eczema are:
- Aloe Vera:
Aloe vera is one of the most effective natural remedies for eczema. It can help moisturize your skin, soothe itchiness and heal damaged skin caused by eczema.
- Ginger:
Ginger contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties that are effective against both internal inflammation and external inflammation, which helps heal dry, irritated skin due to eczema.
- Olive oil:
Olive oil contains vitamin E that is also good for moisturizing dry skin that can cause eczema flare-ups. It’s best to use olive oil as a moisturizer after a bath so you can keep your skin hydrated and moist all day long.
- Lavender Oil:
Lavender oil works well against inflammation, so it would be better if you put a few drops of lavender oil in lukewarm water then soak yourself with it once or twice every day.
- Tea Tree Oil (TTO):
TTO is effective for reducing inflammation and infection. Dilute TTO with water, then use cotton balls or a clean cloth to apply it on the affected area twice a day to help treat eczema.
- Oatmeal:
Aside from its bland taste, oatmeal can also be used as a home remedy for eczema. It contains anti-inflammatory properties that help heal irritated, dry skin caused by eczema after a bath or shower. It’s best to make oatmeal as a scrub before taking a bath because it will make your skin smooth and moisturized.
Visit dermatologists regularly to help prevent eczema flare-ups. The dermatologist might also prescribe medication to ease your condition and reduce itchiness. The medicines may contain corticosteroids etc. However, you should know that these medications can cause adverse effects like skin atrophy, hyperpigmentation, telangiectasia, acne, or redness that can worsen eczema. If ever you will use these types of prescriptions, go for safe alternative creams. You can consider homeopathic acne treatment. Homeopathic treatment for eczema is one of the safest alternatives for eczema in treating your body from inside to make it healthy. Homeopathy doctors treat eczema with holistic approach. The holistic approach focuses on treating the whole body and the root cause of the disease. They believe that every part of your body should work in harmony to feel better and maintain excellent health. So instead of just treating eczema with steroids, homeopathy doctors try to treat it from the inside out, which is more effective than topical treatment. And most importantly, they don’t have side effects, unlike steroids and other chemical medications specially made for eczema. You can book an appointment with a homeopathy doctor through OHO Homeopathy!