We all know that there is an unimaginable number of skin complaints and irritiations. What may (or may not) surprise you is that statistics show the amount people suffering in one form or another is increasing at an alarming rate every year. The same applies to allergies. An allergy used to be considered quite unusual, but now it seems almost everybody has an allergy to something. There has been a great deal of speculation as to why this is the case but in general, modern diet and lifestyle, coupled with the various effects of polution are believed to be the main cause.
One of the most common skin complaints is of course Eczema. Often, cases involve nothing more than red and inflamed skin, but they can get far worse and may result in bleeding from the skin. Traditionally, eczema treatments involve the use of anti-itching drugs, often antihistamines, which can reduce the itch during a flare up of eczema, and the reduced scratching in turn reduces damage & irritation to the skin. The problem with Eczema is that the skin loses its natural moisture. This must be replaced and the best way to do this is to apply moisturizing creams or lotions. E45 is one of the most comon creams available without prescription.Any Eczema patient will tell you how important it is to keep the skin moisturized and to cease using any product that has the opposite effect. Moistening agents are called emollients and the rule for their use is to match the thicker ointments to the driest, flakiest skin. This rule of thumb means that for dry flaky skin, only thicker ointments can be safely used. Hydrocortisone and Desonide Corticosteroids are two creams or ointments that have a good success rate at controlling moderate or lower cases of Eczema but cannot offer a long term treatment.These Corticosteroids can only be used sparingly though as the skin may become worse after long term exposure. It is now known that a person's health and food consumption can be a contributing factor of Eczema and to its subsequent treatment and control. This could be the breakthrough many Eczema victims have been waiting for once they have identified which foods are causing the flare-ups. Dietary elements reported to trigger eczema by sufferers include dairy products and coffee, Soya, eggs, nuts, wheat and sweetcorn; although food allergies may vary from person to person.Other methods of treating Eczema also come in the form of Chinese Traditional Medicine and alternative therapy. Patients should inform their doctor, allergy consultant or dermatologist if they are pursuing one of these treatment routes. There are a number of different treatment options possible with these two non-conventional therapies but still no guarantees. The use of antibiotics for the treatment of Eczema has also been applied owing to the fact that open skin would allow the entry of harmful bacteria.One area can easily infect another area if the Eczema victim is unable to prevent themselves from scratching damaged areas of skin. For skin that is already sensitive, this is not a good thing as any further infection will just cause more problems unless a course of antibiotics is given. Light therapy using ultraviolet light can also help to treat eczema and although UVA is mostly used, UVB and Narrow Band UVB can also be useful. This treatment may have a limited application owing to the destructive nature that UVA Ultraviolet light has on the skin by causing skin cancer. While this is not a complete list of eczema treatments, it does give a reasonably good idea as to the range of therapies used.If you suffer from a skin complaint and feel it may be eczema then the first thing to do is see your doctor. They should be able to confirm your suspicions and they may also be able to refer you to a good allergy specialist or dermatologist to help cure your eczema. However, it may be that if your condition is at a low level you can control it with over-the-counter eczema products.