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Eczema is a tricky thing to deal with. It’s tough for the person who has it, demanding their family and friends, and tough on the medical system that tries to help them. Most people don’t know what to do when they or someone they love gets eczema (atopic dermatitis).
The good news is that there are many things you can do to help prevent or manage eczema flares. You can get more sleep, avoid irritants in your home and on your skin, find out what triggers your flare-ups, etc. But did you know that Stress is one of the most common triggers for eczema flares?
Well, we are here to tell you that Stress is just one of “10 tricks to avoid eczema flares.” There are so many things you can do which can help put your flare-ups in remission.
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Avoid Stress
Stress can make your flares worse, and it can even increase your risk of developing eczema in the first place.
How does Stress do this? When you’re stressed out, you tend to produce more cortisol (a hormone), which might suppress your immune system and make you more likely to get an infection like the cold or flu. Studies show that people with atopic dermatitis (eczema) are more likely than others to come down with such conditions. And these illnesses seem to bring on their eczema flare-ups! Also, speaking of infections.
Remember those cuts on our arms we mention earlier? Well, some studies suggest that kids with higher cortisol levels have a greater chance of getting wounds that heal very slowly or not at all.
What can you do to reduce Stress? Some good ways to relax include getting a massage, taking a hot bath with Epsom salts, walking in nature, yoga, and meditation. Make sure you have 10 minutes per day where your only job is to breathe deeply and fully relax. And if nothing else works, try this simple trick: put on some excellent relaxing music and close your eyes, lying down in a dark room.
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Shower Less Often
Keeping the skin moist is essential when someone has eczema. But it’s also important to clean off irritants before they cause a flare-up! If you shower every day using soap and shampoo (unless specially formulated for people with eczema), your skin won’t have a chance to dry out. This can irritate the skin and cause a flare-up.
What if you don’t want to cut down on showers? Well, there are many ways you can reduce soap and shampoo use – for example, you could try bathing just once every three days or so, using only water during that time. You could also wash certain areas of your body that get dirty from work or being outside. Or you could turn the shower down as cold as it will go for 30 seconds at the end of your bath…
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Keep Your House Clean
You might not realize how much dirt particles in the air affect eczema flares until someone tells you this: “You should clean your house more often.”
Well, we’re telling you this because it’s true! Why? Because there could be many things in your home that irritate your skin and make eczema worse…
One of these irritants might be dust mites. These tiny bugs feed on the dead skin cells that fall off our bodies all day long. And it turns out that dust mites love to live in soft furnishings such as pillows, duvets, and mattress covers. Their droppings can get onto our bedding and into the air…and then onto our arms and legs while we sleep! This causes irritation which leads to inflammation – a key player when someone gets eczema. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce dust mites in your house. Try these:
Put all soft furnishings (e.g., pillows, duvets, mattress covers) in the washing machine on a hot wash at least once a week (note that this might not be suitable for some items). Consider buying unique bedding treated with an anti-allergen solution (ask your doctor about this). Make sure you vacuum and dust the floors and furniture regularly (more than once per week); use a damp mop to clean hard floors; open windows to get rid of airborne irritants.
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Go Sleeveless or Short-Sleeved
Some clothes can make eczema worse because they’re made from the wrong material or treated with chemicals that could irritate your skin. For example, you might react to the nickel in certain jewelry; polyester and acrylic clothing, rubber gloves, or adhesives (including those used for name tags). You could also be sensitive to formaldehyde, which is sometimes added as a preservative.
What can you do about this? One way to minimize such reactions is by wearing natural fabrics like cotton and silk instead of synthetic materials like polyester and nylon, which contain chemicals that can irritate. Another idea: wear short-sleeved and sleeveless clothes whenever possible – they tend to let air circulate the skin, which helps it dry up (and reduces sweating…which can also irritate the skin).
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Use a Moisturizer
Many people with eczema feel that moisturizers make their condition worse. And this is understandable: if the skin isn’t dry and cracked, why would they need to use it? The trick, though, is finding a good moisturizer that doesn’t irritate the skin. This can be hard to do by yourself – so you really should see your doctor about what moisturizer might work best for you. Some moisturizers are even specially made just for eczema-prone skin!
6. Keep Pets Out of Your Room
When someone has eczema, one of the last things they probably want to think about is getting rid of their pet…but keeping out of certain rooms could improve your skin. You see, sure, pets bring out allergens from the skin and saliva of other animals – especially cats! These allergens usually float through the house as a fine dust that gets onto our clothes and hair when entering or leaving a room.
As always, if you have an allergic reaction to something, it’s best to take preventative measures. So it would help if you tried limiting how often your pet enters your bedroom (and keep their fur off your bed covers). And be sure to wash your hands after stroking them…or even before going into a room where they’ve been.
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Get More Sleep
Ever notice that when you’re tired, you get angry quickly? Or anxious? Or forgetful? Or emotional? Well, it turns out that a lack of sleep can cause these kinds of symptoms. And studies have shown that people with eczema often experience a lot of fatigue, which means their skin might not heal properly, and the condition could worsen over time.
Again, going to bed earlier and getting more sleep will help you avoid Stress – and all the physical reactions. It will also give your skin a better chance to recover from any inflammation or itching, which might make up for any additional damage done while you sleep (e.g., scratching).
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Work Out
One final way to improve your overall well-being is through exercise. This doesn’t mean you have to start jogging every morning before breakfast! A simple stroll or some yoga might be more your speed. But physical activity releases endorphins in the body, which reduces stress and helps you feel better overall.
And if you do participate in some strenuous exercise, wear loose-fitting clothes made from natural fabrics to prevent any skin irritation. You should also keep your skin well-moisturized while you’re exercising – especially if it gets sweaty! And always shower after finishing up.
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Rinse with Cold Water
Hot water can dry out the skin, so try to avoid bathing in it. Instead, use lukewarm or even cold water when you’re taking a shower (and be sure to moisturize afterward).
This might sound like a terrible idea, so why do it? One study found that people who rinsed off with cold water after exercise had fewer inflammatory symptoms than those who used hot water. This could be because inflammation tends to peak about 20 minutes after we finish exercising. Using cold water seems to lower this (this is also what makes ice baths helpful for athletes and weekend warriors).
Of course, if you have any signs of infection on your skin – such as pus-filled blisters – you should avoid the cold water and see your doctor.
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Eat More Leafy Greens
Some people notice a connection between their diet and their eczema symptoms, which seems stronger in children than adults. Many parents have said that removing certain foods from their child’s diet dramatically improved their condition! But what can you do if you want to test this for yourself?
One way is by eating more leafy greens – particularly cabbage, kale, spinach, or broccoli. These vegetables are rich in a nutrient called luteolin which has anti-inflammatory properties. Your body uses these nutrients to help reduce swelling throughout the body – including on irritated skin! Plus, your immune system also benefits from an increase in these types of foods.
So, there you have it: 10 top tricks for getting your eczema under control! Remember, it’s always best to work with a medical professional who can diagnose and treat you properly, but these are some basic guidelines that might help you feel better. So, let’s know how do skin doctors treat eczema:
- In cases of mild eczema, skin doctors recommend using a topical steroid medication on affected areas, which can reduce inflammation and alleviate symptoms. I also often prescribe moisturizers to keep skin hydrated, especially dry or easily irritated by shaving or clothing.
- Skin doctors typically recommend taking antihistamine medication for more severe cases of eczema if a patient is still experiencing symptoms after trying a topical treatment plan. Antihistamines can help with itching and swelling and other allergy-like reactions that might occur in some people (e.g., hay fever). Again though, I always tell patients to talk to their doctor first before starting any new medication.
- Some patients have also reported success with fish oil supplements or probiotics taken orally, which may help reduce inflammation in the skin and intestines.
- Another option is to use natural remedies for eczema, such as aloe vera gel, tea tree oil, oatmeal bath products, or hypoallergenic laundry detergents. However, there isn’t much scientific evidence that these treatments are helpful, so it’s always best to talk with your doctor before trying something new!
- My final suggestion for treating eczema is to try an alternative medicine approach called homeopathy. Homeopathy doctors treat eczema by the root cause.
Homeopathic treatment for eczema:
Eczema is a skin disorder where small and very itchy blisters appear on the skin. Homeopathy treats eczema in its initial stage itself when they are not severe. Homeopathic medicines treat the root cause and give relief from eczema symptoms. Usually, they can provide fast relief from itching and do not have any side effects like steroids and other conventional medicines.
While treating with homeopathic treatment, we use individualized medicine based on the patient’s complete case history and physical examination. A skin doctor will evaluate the various factors responsible for causing the complaint so that skin doctors can prescribe appropriate medication depending upon these factors. The points mentioned above are a few issues that help us define the right homeopathic medicine for any disease condition, including skin disorders like eczema.
So, doctor’s reply to skin plaques treatment is always the first thing that should be done for lesions on the face and plaques on legs. If you have dry skin conditions, it becomes more critical that you consult your doctor because it’s not good to treat yourself without professional advice or medicines.
If you want to know how dermatologists or skin doctors help treat eczema, you can book an appointment through OHO Homeopathy!