Eczema Affects More Than Half of Americans ... - Health and Fitness

Posted by Diana on May 23rd, 2012 04:31 AM | Eczema??

Many Americans suffer from a skin condition that causes itching, redness, cracking, and oozing of clear liquid. This condition is atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema. This skin disease affects a range of ages, for unknown reasons. Even though it can occur at any age, onset normally starts during infancy or childhood. Many people who experience eczema as children can go into remission and not experience symptoms until much later in life, many children have a clear patch until puberty when the presence of hormones makes the condition flare up again.

Although eczema is hereditary, the link between genes and eczema is still completely unclear. Many other things affect eczema including environment and emotional health. Very dry air is not good for eczema; therefore winter and cold air causes extreme cracking. This being said, extreme sun exposure can irritate the condition. Stress is something that can cause flare-ups in someone who has been in remission.

Many things can be done to treat eczema. You can start by making changes in your everyday life. If you begin to pay attention you will realize than certain fabrics (wool and synthetic) can cause your eczema to worsen. Many times food can be related to eczema, start tracking what you eat and how your eczema changes. Continual wetting of the skin or use of cosmetics or perfumes can dry the skin and cause cracking. Scratching when these symptoms occur, only make eczema worse. When constant scratching happens the outer layer of dead skin cells is scrapped off, exposing the new sensitive layer. If this isn?t kept under control skin infection can ensue.

Eczema as we know occurs at different stages of life; at each point the eczema is likely to affect certain areas. In most cases of infants with eczema the children experience irritation on the backside of the knee, inside of elbows, and neck. Many times a rash will also develop on around the lips, which become very cracked and dried related to excessive licking. Adults can develop eczema for the first time or experience the rash for a second or third time in their life. Most often when adults experience eczema it shows up on the bottom of feet, hands, and on occasion under the eye.

Treatment for eczema is normally a prescribed corticosteroid cream, over the counter ointment is available but many times a prescribed cream is necessary. In extreme cases an oral corticosteroid is prescribed but only for a short time.

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