Dry, itchy skin can be very irritating and frustrating. Many people battle eczema on a daily basis without even realizing that it is the cause for their skin irritation. Eczema often shows up as dry patches that appear on the skin. Those patches can feel very scaly and itch profusely. When you scratch the skin irritation it can create a burning sensation and intensify the itch that you feel. It’s best to avoid scratching the area as much as possible, but it can sometimes be all consuming, ensuring that you aren’t able to avoid scratching the itch. Some people scratch the areas so much that they actually begin to bleed which can then create an area that can become infected.
Soothing the irritation isn’t always easy to do. Many over-the-counter treatments that are available do not fully treat the condition. One bright side is eczema is an extremely easy condition to be diagnosed. A dermatologist can look at the areas that are affected and let you know if eczema is to blame for the irritation or if there is something else to blame. There are prescriptions available to treat the condition, but there are other things that can be done to decrease the symptoms of eczema that you can try before resorting to prescription medications.
Understand What Causes Eczema Flare Ups
In order to properly treat eczema, it’s important to know that there are many different factors that can exacerbate the condition. Knowing what the factors are allows you to change things in your life to minimize the symptoms you experience.
- Stress plays a huge factor in the severity of eczema. The more stressed you are, the more intense the itch can feel. It’s best to limit the amount of stress you have in your life as much as possible. Exercise and meditation can be great ways to minimize your stress and could minimize your eczema symptoms.
- Certain fabrics can also irritate the skin and cause eczema to feel intensified. Avoid wearing clothing made from wool or synthetic fabrics to reduce the likelihood of skin irritation. The fibers in these fabrics can often be rough and rub against the skin, which causes the irritation.
- Environmental factors can also affect the symptoms of eczema. Extremely cold conditions cause the skin to feel dry naturally. During the cold winters, it’s important to try to keep your skin as hydrated as possible to minimize the irritation you feel. Hot temperatures can cause sweating to occur. When the sweat dries, it too can irritate the skin. It’s best to shower directly after sweating when you have eczema.
- Your diet can also affect the intensity of your eczema. Eating foods that are overly processed, wheat, dairy and even certain spices have been proven to cause eczema flare ups. Many people choose to eliminate these foods from their diet to try to control their eczema symptoms. If your symptoms improve you can then slowly reintroduce the foods one by one into your diet to determine which ones your body has sensitivity to so that you can avoid them in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
With so much information being provided to you there may still be a few questions that need to be answered. Here are answers to a few questions that people often have about eczema that can hopefully help you learn more information about the condition.
Q: Is eczema contagious?
A: Eczema is not contagious. You didn’t catch eczema from someone, and someone cannot catch it from you. Eczema is hereditary though. If someone in your family has eczema, the chances of you having it are increased. It can also be passed on to your future children.
Q: What is an eczema flare up?
A: The intensity of the eczema that you feel can vary. When the eczema is at its worst, it’s called an eczema flare up. The symptoms often intensify and become even more uncomfortable than they typically are. Keeping a journal that tracks your flare ups can help you determine what factors may be causing the flare ups to occur. This allows you to minimize your future exposure to these factors so that you can control the symptoms of eczema as much as possible.