Thursday, September 4, 2008

How to Treat Your Baby's Eczema?

If you are looking for a way to treat your baby’s eczema, then this article is a must read for you. My baby used to have year-round Eczema on his face, hands, and feet. Trust me, there is nothing worst than your child having dry and itchy skin. So I decided to find natural solutions to fix my baby’s eczema outbreaks besides the ointment that my doctor was prescribing for him. Guest what, I found some! There are some simple steps that you can take to reduce your baby’s eczema and flare-ups. However, before we continue, let’s define eczema.

What is Eczema?
Eczema may look different from person to person, but it is most often characterized as dry, red, and extremely itchy patches on the skin. Some people have more severe Eczema than others. Some people even have weeping or oozing Eczema. But, having Eczema is not a horrible plague. Many people have to deal with Eczema on a daily or seasonal basis. Eczema can occur on just about any part of the body and many substances have been identified as itch "triggers" for those with Eczema. Eczema is something that affects individuals of all ages; from young babies to adults.

What Things Should You Do to Help Your Baby Avoid Eczema Outbreaks?
Anything from changing weather conditioners to dish detergents and clothing fabrics can aggravate your baby’s Eczema. If your child is susceptible to Eczema, avoid dressing him or her in wool or rough fabrics. These fabrics will only irritate their dry, itchy skin.

Also, consider getting your baby an allergy test. Although having one done is sometimes cumbersome and time consuming, but you can discover what foods, animals, carpets, or even trees cause your baby’s Eczema to flare up. I used to love dressing my baby in little polyester Hawaiian shirts and shorts, but after the allergy test I learned that this was triggering my baby’s eczema.

If you can’t afford to have an allergy test done, consider keeping a journal. Keep a log of everything your child eats and wears. Eventually, you will discover certain patterns. That is where self-diagnosis can begin.

What can I do to treat my baby’s Eczema?
There really isn’t a cure for Eczema. However, there are tons of over-the-counter lotions, creams, and baths available. If you really want a high-powered solution, you may even opt to get some prescribed medications. But, there are pros and cons for both options. Here’s some natural and extremely effective remedies for your baby’s eczema that I discovered work best.

All-Natural Creams
The best product that I found for my baby’s Eczema was Beauty 4 Ashes’ eczema creams and oils. It took me awhile to find this stuff; but, boy am I glad that I did. So, let me save you time and money and give you the company’s website address. It is www.discoverb4a.com.

There are virtually no all-natural Eczema products out there. Most prescribed medications for your baby are actually steroids. Unfortunately, steroids can have a harmful affect on your child’s health. As a result, your baby’s skin will age very quickly. Steroids are also pretty toxic and ultimately, your child will grow immune to lower dosages and require more milligrams. My recommendation, avoid prescribed medications.

As for the over-the counter stuff, you get what you pay for. Most over-the-counter products like Cortisone 10, Cortaid, or Calamine Lotion do more harm than good. Moreover, most store products have chemical emulsifiers and preservatives that actually can make your baby’s skin drier, such as Aveeno and Eucerin. They are temporary, ineffective solutions. Your best bet is to buy an all-natural cream or oil that contains Eczema healing essentials and herbs. This is why I recommend Beauty 4 Ashes’ Eczema products for your baby. Their products contain essential oils and herbs that are stronger and safer than any chemical alternative. Plus, their products contain skin healing Aloe Vera and skin penetrating natural oils--- and oils actually moisturize your skin better than lotions because they penetrate the dermis. If you use Beauty 4 Ashes, your baby’s Eczema should get healed within a few weeks

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Know The Different Eczema Types

Eczema is an inflamatory skin condition that can transform soft smooth skin into ruff, hard and itchy skin.

Eczema comes in many forms. Here are some common types of eczema.

STASIS ECZEMA - This type of eczema affects the legs of varicose veins sufferers resulting in possible irritation inflammation and staining.

ATOPIC ECZEMA - This type of eczema is common in babies' aged 2 to 18 months and can be a hereditary allergy. It is a very common type of eczema. In babies, weeping sores can occur if the pimples are scratched, these sores can then spread to the knees and elbows. Apply petroleum Jelly in mild cases. Severe cases require corticosteroid ointments. Your Doctor may prescribe Antihistamines to reduce the itching. It is also advisable to keep the baby cool and only use cotton clothing to avoid further irritation.

NUMMULAR ECZEMA - In this type of eczema, circular scaling patches or spots may arise anywhere on the skin. The cause of Nummular Eczema is unknown, however this type of eczema is more common in adults. Application of Corticosteroid ointment on the affected skin may reduce the irritation, but this is not likely to cure the condition. Symptoms can be seen on hands and legs. A common symptom of eczema is itching. The skin will appear rough and red.

HAND ECZEMA - This type of eczema will arise on your skin due to exposure to detergents or washing up liquids. Wear rubber gloves if you want to avoid such contacts. This may lead to burning and cracking of the skin. You can treat it with hand creams and in severe cases corticosteroid ointment.

Eczema has different conditions and forms and it can be mild, moderate or severe. In milder cases of eczema the skin will become red, itchy, warm and dry. You can treat it with cream and lotions. It can change becoming inflamed, cracked, itchy, scaly, crusty or bleeding. Your skin will look worst at this stage. If you are suffering from wet eczema then you might experience bleeding and weeping fluid from the patches. It is also called weeping eczema. People with this type of eczema feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.

Dandruff or adult seborrheic eczema can appear on other parts of the body. It is most commonly seen in adults between the ages 20 and 40.

The other type is varicose eczema that is commonly found in elderly people. In the middle age you may get discoid eczema.

Contact eczema may arise when a person encounters an allergy causing substance. It may appear from the contact of irritants such as an acid, a cleaning detergent or any chemical. The name of the eczema suggests the meaning.

Even though you may have identified the type of the eczema you are facing, it is still best to consult a good doctor to get a professional diagnosis and to begin treatment right away.

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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Home Treatment for Eczema

The term eczema refers to a number of different skin conditions in which the skin is red and irritated and occasionally results in small, fluid-filled bumps that become moist and ooze. The most common cause of eczema is atopic dermatitis, sometimes called infantile eczema although it occurs in infants and older children.

Eczema is a general term encompassing various inflamed skin conditions. One of the most common forms of eczema is atopic dermatitis (or "atopic eczema"). Approximately 10 percent to 20 percent of the world population is affected by this chronic, relapsing, and very itchy rash at some point during childhood. Fortunately, many children with eczema find that the disease clears and often disappears with age.

Eczema also called as dermatitis, is a group of skin disorders. Atopic eczema, allergic contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis, infantile seborrhoeic eczema, adult seborrhoeic eczema, varicose eczema and discoid eczema are different types of eczema. Atopic dermatitis is the most common type of eczema. It mainly occurs among infants and small children. In more than 90% of cases, eczema is found to occur in children below 5 years of age. It is a non contagious disease.

Eczema Causes

The exact cause of eczema is unknown, but it's thought to be linked to an overactive response by the body's immune system to a bacterium that normally lives on the skin or an irritant.

It is a genetic disease. It arises from interplay of multiple genes with external environmental factors. The more atopic genes that are present, the less environmental initiators are required to produce eczema.

Contact with the external trigger (allergen) causes the skin to become inflamed. The duration of the contact is not important. Eczema can develop on first contact (in days to weeks) or over time with repeated contact (in months to years).

Severe forms of eczema are caused by powerful allergic responses to external agents that cannot be eliminated from the environment.

Eczema could be aggravated by irritants like smoke, chemicals, detergents, solvents and so on. Even weather conditions could aggravate the condition. Excessive stress, heat and emotional stress also aggravates the symptoms of eczema.

Eczema Symptoms

Usually the first symptom of eczema is intense itching.
Affected areas usually appear very dry, thickened or scaly. In fair-skinned people, these areas may initially appear reddish and then turn brown. Among darker-skinned people, eczema can affect pigmentation, making the affected area lighter or darker.
The rash appears later. It is patchy and starts out as flaky or scaly dry skin on top of reddened, inflamed skin.

Painful cracks can develop over time.

Self Care at home

Apply an nonprescription steroid cream (hydrocortisone) along with anti-itching lotion (menthol/camphor, such as calamine). The cream must be applied as often as possible without skipping days until the rash is gone.

Clean the area with a hypoallergenic soap every day. Apply lubricating cream or lotion after washing.

Apply a mixture of 1 teaspoon camphor and 1 teaspoon sandalwood paste on the rashes. Apply nutmeg paste to the affected areas. Put natural vitamin E on the affected skin, it will relieve you of itching. Zinc taken orally and applied directly on the affected skin is effective. Both shark cartilage and lotion of blueberry leaves reduce inflammation. Use pine tar soap to wash the affected skin. Drink tomato juice daily, it will cure the symptoms in a few days.

Sunbathing early in the month is very beneficial. A light mudpack applied over the sites of the eczema is also helpful. In cases of acute eczema, cold compress or cold wet fomentations are beneficial.

Mash almond leaves in water and apply on the area, it will also help in the treatment of eczema.

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Skin Treatment And Prevent from Eczema

There are things in life that one cannot escape from. For some of us, eczema seems to be on that list. This skin problem can be caused by many things such as allergy to food or cloth, an imbalance of fatty acids and even stress.

My two daughters are already an example of eczema victims who get it because of different reasons. My eldest daughter gets it when she is stressed out. If there’s an upcoming exam that she knows she’s not well-prepared with, I can almost guarantee you that her anxiety will extend to her skin and a flare-up will soon be our problem again. My second daughter gets her eczema from food. You can expect a flare up extending to the skin on the face after a few hours of eating just a leg of chicken.

This is the reason why I have done my best to research on the natural remedies for eczema. Most doctors have recommended steroids and medicines that have their own side effects if taken too often for a certain period of time. Sometimes, the flare ups will respond to these treatments but there are times that these are not enough. Secondly, these prescribed drugs can be very expensive! If you are rich then good for you but for me, the side effects still matter especially when the price is already too high as it is. Here are some natural stuff you can do for both healing and preventing eczema.

1. When the blisters and redness are too much to bear, you can put a bit of milk on ice so that it cools for about a few minutes. Then soak a gauze or cotton pad into the very cold milk and place it on the affected areas. Leave it on for about 2 minutes and repeat the cycle over collectively for ten minutes.

2. Sea salt can also be scrubbed on the blisters and affected areas to promote better blood circulation and faster healing. I know it may sound painful but there are some who swear that this is very effective and relieving because it encourages the skin to secrete its natural oils. You just need to put together a couple of cups of fine sea salt, a quarter cup of olive oil or jojoba oil and a few drops of your favorite essential oil such as lavender (optional). Simply wet the affected area with warm water then gently scrub the salt mixture in a circular motion on the skin. Let it stay on the skin for a few moments and savor the tingling sensation before washing it off with plain warm water again.

3. Licorice root can also be used by putting it on the blisters and red skin. This herb can reduce the swelling and the itch.

4. Another concoction you can apply to the problem area is an equal combination of almond oil, rosehip seed oil and sesame oil.

5. Cod liver oil is a great help to balance the problem with fatty acids and can be taken a teaspoon a day.

6. Primrose oil taken 250 to 300 mg a day can help reduce the inflammation because it also known as a good herb to balance the problem of fatty acids.

7. Taking 50mg of grape seed extract thrice daily can help remove lessen the itch because of its antihistamine properties.

8. Licorice root can also be soaked in around ten ounces of water. Let it stand for a quarter of an hour before taking it orally thrice daily. Just take it moderately because it can result to high blood pressure.

9. Burdock Root Extract can also made into tea and can bring relief. Adults are advised to take it twice a day for a week and children may drink it one daily for the same period of time.

10. Lavender essential oil can also be used either as replacement for soap or an ingredient for a mist spray. Simply put three drops of its essential oil into the bath water and use this to clean the skin especially of children. As a spray, you can mix ten to twenty drops of the oil into 2 ounces of purified water.

11. Oatmeal can also be a great scrub and replacement to soap. Simply powderize oatmeal in a blender. Gather the pulverized oatmeal into a cotton handkerchief or gauze before dipping it in the water and gently scrubbing it all over the skin. Oatmeal is a great moisturizer.

12. The simplest way to prevent eczema is to drink plenty of water daily to ensure skin moisture.

13. It is also advisable to chart what you eat and discover what foods result to a break out on your skin. Some go as far as consulting with a dietician depending on the severity of their cases.

14. Always keep your beddings clean because dustmites are also a significant cause of eczema.

15. Make sure that your clothes and the textile that frequently rub your skin (hanky, beddings,etc.) are not synthetic fabrics because most patients of eczema are allergic to these.

16. Also try being conscious of your reaction to stress. Stress has been proven to cause eczema flare ups and finding ways to control pressure just might help lessen your skin problems. You may try meditating for relaxation daily. It may be hard so if you need help doing this, you can try getting some meditation cds that use brainwave technology. There are also many free ebooks on how to control stress from self-improvement gifts.com that you might want to check out.

There are many solutions that nature herself has produced for the things like eczema and it may be worthwhile to check on them instead of spending so much money of drugs that can also have side effects in the first place.

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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Eczema in Baby and how to manage it

Having a baby is one of the most joyous experiences a parent could have that is why it is only but natural that we do the necessary things to protect and take care of them. On the other hand, some things could not be avoided since they are very delicate and sensitive even to those things that may at first, seem harmless and gentle.

That is why there have been many cases of eczema in infants that greatly affects their mood and their health sometimes making them irritable, itchy, and leave their skin dry and scaly. Here are some facts and tips that you should remember in order to help your infant manage eczema to make the skin heal and once again be nurtured and make the skin smooth just like before.

Tips To Remember

One of the best treatments that you could do to manage eczema in infants is to use a topical steroid cream or ointment that would greatly reduce irritation, itchiness, and dry skin. This works best especially when you use these topical steroid creams or ointments the first sign that you spot eczema in infants and it is the most effective when it comes to taming the symptoms that spoils the mood of your infant.

What you could do is talk with your doctor about the skin condition and you could see what would be the best formulation for your baby. The reason why it is advised that you talk with your doctor is because not only we are dealing with baby’s health but also topical steroid lotions and creams vary in different strengths and your doctor could prescribe what is the best formulation or strength for your baby.

Also, what you could do to reduce the symptoms of eczema in infants is to avoid fabrics that you know could trigger the appearance and itchiness of the symptoms. You may also want to use gentle detergents when it comes to washing your baby’s clothes and other fabrics that may be present in his or her crib most of the time. This way, even if your baby is sleeping or always in contact with these fabrics, your baby will not be irritated and the symptoms of eczema like itching, redness, and drying will be greatly avoided.

Just remember these tips and surely, your baby’s skin would soon be smooth once again and your baby’s mood will improve. Talk to your doctor and see what would be the best medication that you could use for your baby’s eczema.

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Homemade Eczema Remedies

Doing Your Homework—The Best Homemade Eczema Treatment

If you suffer from any variation of eczema, you know how painful and irritating the symptoms can be. The red, itchy rash and the dry, leathery skin are not only uncomfortable, but they are an eyesore as well.

Fortunately, there are many treatment options for eczema. A doctor would be able to prescribe medication or lotion for eczema. However, many people dismiss homemade eczema treatments and tips before they give them a try. Consider homemade eczema treatment before anything else—their effectiveness might surprise you.

How To Treat Eczema At Home

Homemade eczema treatments are often the most effective. There are many things you can do at home to treat eczema. Antihistamines are extremely effective at reducing inflammation and itching. Skin wraps and lotions that can be purchased at the drug store are also very effective.

Other homemade eczema treatments are more out there; yet, many people attest to their effectiveness. Some people recommend bathing in green tea, while others claim that spreading Crisco over the affected area can help to soothe eczema. Coconut oil is also said to be beneficial for eczema.

Food For Health

Certain foods and drinks are said to be helpful in curing eczema. Many people make their own homemade eczema treatment by combing these foods in a blender. One common mixture incorporates spinach, celery, parsley, and wheat grass. Some people claim that consuming a tablespoon of corn oil daily at breakfast and dinner can help to reduce both eczema and other skin disorders.

Tips For Preventing Eczema At Home

One aspect of homemade eczema treatment is prevention. There are several steps you can take on a day-to-day basis that will prevent the development of eczema. One major thing you can do is to select mild soaps and lotions for your home. You would be surprised at the difference that milder detergents and hand soaps can make for your skin! On that note, make sure to avoid chemicals as well.

Another thing you can do is to avoid scratching yourself when you itch; instead, gently rub the itchy spot with the inside of your hand. After bathing, gently pat your skin dry, and seal in moisture with an oil or cream while your skin is still moist.

See What You Can Do!

If you think you might have eczema, don’t go to the doctor just yet! There are plenty of homemade eczema treatments that are effective, and giving them a try can save you money on your doctor’s bill. Before going to your doctor, see what you can do on your own!

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