ECZEMA IS A COMMON MALADY

Eczema, a general term describing conditions affecting the skin, has many specific descriptions depending on appearance and location, frequency of occurance, and cause of occurance. Often, certain conditions will have two or more descriptions depending on what the Doctor thinks the cause is. For example: Xerotic, Asteatosis and Atopic refer to dry skin that usually affects older people making the skin drier and if not treated causes the skin to crack. Nummular Dermatitis or Discoid Eczema found on the arms or legs and consists of patches of reddish discolored skin. Other names are Contact Dermatitis or Allergic Contact Dermatitis occurring when the skin is exposed to allergens usually found in products people use like medications and deodorants and sometimes your own sweat. It usually shows up on the arms and hands. Venous or Stasis Dermatitis affects the lower limbs and the itching causes dark reddish skin. It is usually found on the lower extremities – legs and feet and frequently appears on people with reduced blood circulation. Lichen Simplex Chronicus or Neurodermatitis usually found on the groin, neck and ankles and is usually caused by severe rubbing. Jock itch is probably a form. Seborrhea or Seborrheic Dermatitis appears as scaling or pimpelling around the eyes or on the scalp. In babies it appears as a yellowish rash on the scalp and is curable.

Other specific descriptions exist, but all are a form of Eczema.

Some forms are curable. Others are not. Some are inherited and occur periodically. These cases can usually be controlled. None are considered contagious.

Causes of Eczema can be allergens and irritants found in food, soaps, cleansers, solvents, cosmetics, plants, weeds, animals fibers, chemicals, toxins in the air, over washing, diuretic medications, nutrition deficiencies, radiation, malignancies, neurological disorders, wind, humidity, decreased sweating, dry air, under active thyroid, metals, and inherited factors. Some forms can be caused by and co-exist with other maladies. You name it, it seems, and one could acquire Eczema from it.

Treatments for Eczema are many and may often consist of reduced bathing, using moisturizers, ointments, emollients, humectants, topical steroids, retinoid, ultra violet light, phototherapy, even coal tar (one of the early means of treatment). It is best to let your Doctor determine the best choice for treatment.

Eczema affects people of all ages, even babies. Baby Eczema usually shows up in yellow splotches on the scalp; and reddish cheeks with what looks like pimples or blisters that may secret fluid. Older folks who may not secret as much oil as younger people, and often get dry skin which if not treated can crack, scale and become for rash like. It can be painful. Scratching an itchy area only aggravates the condition.

If you or a loved one are experiencing itches that don’t go away, or red, pink or dark red areas that itch and don’t go away, try not to scratch or rub too vigorously and see your Doctor for proper treatment. Failure to treat can cause infections that lead to even more severe complications.

For detailed information and photo’s Google for the Eczema Guide.

Richard Prosser

Richard Prosser
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/synopsis-of-eczema-terms-causes-and-treatments-408875.html

Eczema is a skin condition that affects the lives of many people, it can be quite distressing as it can affect your physical appearance. Before the condition can be successfully treated, it is important to firstly establish the causes of the condition. Treating the symptoms will do nothing if the underlying causes remain, all problems no matter what they are should be tackled at the root.

Eczema is known as an ‘auto-immune’ response, it’s actually the body’s response to attempt to remove what the body sees as a foreign threat. Research has suggested that there can be a variety of different causes for the condition, including intolerance to certain food-stuffs, or just because of a poor diet. Allergies to certain types of food can adversely affect the immune system, which can ultimately lead to an increase in the frequency of auto-immune reactions, in particular eczema. If you are suffering from allergy-induced eczema, it is highly possible that simply eradicating that food from your diet will be sufficient to stop your suffering!

Many sufferers are completely oblivious as to what causes their condition, although the vast majority of people are willing to seek help in any way they can. With just a small amount of effort you can train yourself to discover which foods make your eczema worse and which make it better, you can discover this using trial and error testing. If you can find out what makes your eczema bad then perhaps you can reduce the need for any medical intervention.

At one time, it was proposed that eczema may stem from deep emotional triggers such as stress and depression. Although these conditions certainly make the symptoms of eczema worse, now scientists think that these have no direct link to eczema. Eczema can also for a variety of completely unrelated reasons. For more info see http://www.eczemacuretreatment.com/causes-prevention/eczema_ear_piercing.html

Many children who suffer from this condition get upset because the other children might avoid them. I myself suffer from psoriasis, which is very similar to eczema, I remember at school everyone asked me if it was contagious. Well contrary to popular belief, eczema is not contagious, so there’s no reason to avoid any sufferers!

There are a wide range of factors which can contribute to the severity of a sufferer’s eczema. Firstly, the habitat and environment in which the sufferer lives can have a marked impact on the severity of their condition. People that live in dryer, warmer climates tend to suffer from more severe symptoms. Diet can also affect the symptoms experienced by eczema sufferers. It is common to find sufferers with low levels of amino acids and fatty acids in their diets, which can contribute towards restricting skin growth and repair. The use of fragranced grooming products can irritate the skin and can cause the skin to dry out, this can ultimately cause the eczema to itch. To reverse these factors, it is important to ensure the environment is as humid as possible, the sufferer should eat a healthy balanced diet, and also avoid using perfumed products until the condition has been fully resolved.

It is also possible for eczema to stem from a bacterial infection, which can cause a reaction within the immune system which can trigger the condition. It is therefore important to consult your doctor regularly to help to identify the cause of your symptoms, and to treat them at source to avoid the spread of your eczema.

Amanda Fain
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-causes-of-eczema-129148.html