• Over half of eczema patients are intensely worried about having another eczema flare-up.
• 25% of those with eczema explain that at some point they were teased, mocked, ostracize, or bullied due to their condition—either children at school or adults at their workplace.
• 51% of people with eczema experience constant or regular depression over their condition.
• Nearly 15% of those with eczema relate that they were discriminated against and overlooked for promotions or advancements due to their eczema.
• Regarding their relationship with their doctors and medical professionals, two-thirds of people with eczema relate that they have never talked about the social or emotional component of their struggle with eczema.
• 86% of people who experience a sudden spike in their eczema will intentionally avoid an everyday activity due to the increase.
• During an eczema flare-up, 43% of people are nervous about appearing in public.
• Those who have eczema will take an average of 2 ½ days off from work or from school because of an eczema flare-up.

If you have eczema, there are people that know, that care, and that understand. My personal journey through eczema has produced a greater understanding of the serious impact it can have upon people. I encourage you to seek support, pursue treatment, and live life to the fullest.

Credit goes to the International Study of Life with Atopic Eczema for some of the facts and figures in this article.

Treat them like normal.

Eczema is not a deadly disease. It is not contagious. It’s simply a condition of the skin that can be painful, frustrating, and embarrassing. You should treat them as a normal person, because they are a normal person. People with eczema can lead a normal life. Thus, treat them as you would anyone else. Don’t be overly timid around them. Don’t avoid them. Don’t speak with them as if they have a deadly disease. Obviously, be sensitive and kind. Above all, don’t avoid them or shun them. That only exacerbates a potentially sensitive self-image.

Befriend them.

Some people who have eczema may be extremely embarrassed about their condition. In fact, simply showing up at work or school in the morning could be a very challenging feat. Show them that you care. Become their friend. You will find that they may be able to help you just as much as you can help them.

Empathize.

If you have eczema yourself, you are in a great position to empathize with them. It helps to have someone to confide in about a difficult condition. You may want to share with them tips and tricks that worked for you, or simply listen to the challenges that they face—challenges that you can relate to.

People with eczema are not handicapped. Understanding them and appreciating them as normal human beings, and helping them realize that they can function normally, will go a long way in improving their quality of life, despite the fact that they have eczema.

Eczema can be more than it appears to be.

Those who experience eczema are far more likely to develop other problems such as hay fever and asthma. The long-term effects of those diseases can have a more profound effect on one’s health than eczema can.

Eczema is more than just a skin problem.

Eczema can lead to problems that are more than skin deep. Many people who face eczema become severely depressed over their condition. As mentioned, people become so self conscious over the condition, that in their mind they cannot live a normal life. They are paralyzed by fear—the fear of rejection, the fear of failure, the fear of a life deprived of social joys. They are driven into themselves, simply because of their eczema.

Eczema is often misunderstood by doctors.

When eczema patients do turn to their doctors for help, they are often very disappointed. Studies have demonstrated that doctors often fail to see past the symptoms of the disease, looking to the emotional impact that the patient is having. As most people know, one’s mind has a profound impact upon one’s health. Doctor’s, because their profession is focused upon medicine, simply prescribe the proper medication, without carefully instructing the patient on the importance of the regimen, the impact of lifestyle changes, and sensitivity to the social fear that eczema patients can have.

It’s easy to tell someone with eczema, “Come on, you’re ok. We won’t reject you.” But for the person suffering from eczema, it’s really hard to do. There is no pat answer, no magic formula, and so far there is no treatment. But there is hope. Careful monitoring of the condition and diligent adherence to the treatments will go a long way in improving one’s eczema.

How it Works

Daylight or sources of light with certain wavelengths can make the skin healthier. Here’s how. UV radiation, part of the wavelengths of light, actually suppresses the immune system’s ordinary reaction to conditions like eczema. When the immune response is inhibited, it reduces the inflammation of the skin, one of the major symptoms of eczema. In addition, the light rays can kill bacteria, which is also a risk with eczema.

Limitations

Light therapy is especially effective with the application of a special formula called psoralen. This naturally-occuring compound has the ability to absorb UV rays, causing the skin to receive the fullest amount of UV radiation when used in light treatment regimens.

Risks

While UV radiation has some great qualities, it also has some not-so-great qualities. Specifically, UV radiation can cause skin cancer over prolonged or intensive uses. While light treatment may be a great option for some, the risks tend to outweigh he advantages, and it is not a very popular treatment currently.

Understanding Stress

Stress is the body’s natural reaction to intense circumstances. In fact, stress is a good thing—when it’s necessary. Unfortunately, in our fast-paced, high-pressure lifestyles, too much stress has produced too much of those ‘good things’ that are not always necessary—things like increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, interruption of the digestive process, increase in muscle tension, and faster breathing rate. Those qualities are great when you’re in a dangerous situation where quick action is necessary. When sustained on a day-to-day basis, however, they produce harmful bodily effects.

• Fatigue
• Digestive complications
• Headaches
• Addictive behavior
• Dangerous high blood pressure (possibly leading to a stroke)
• Reduced ability to fight infection
• Irritability, mood swings, and erratic behavior

Most significantly, stress is directly linked to higher occurrences of eczema. It is in your best interest, and general wellbeing to fight stress.

Ways to Fight Stress

• Get enough sleep. Experts recommend eight hours, and it’s best to try to get this amount of sleep each night. While you sleep, your skin heals and the rest of your body has a time to restore itself.
• Take a break. And not just the two-week vacation next June. Take a two-minute break from the lawn your mowing, from the report you’re writing, or from the housework you’re doing. Take a minute to just stop and calm down.
• Find a hobby. Getting a diversion is a great way to relax. And, no, watching TV isn’t the kind of hobby we’re talking about here. Something constructive, profitable, and relaxing—but something that keeps your mind and body active—is important for reducing stress.
• Eat right and drink plenty of water. Your diet drastically affects stress levels. The healthier you are able to eat, the lower your stress levels should be.
• Exercise regularly. One of the best ways of reducing stress is to engage in regular exercise. Taking 20-30 minutes each day to do something physical, ideally a workout regimen, brisk walk, or a jog, is a perfect way to eliminate the pent-up stress that you may develop throughout an intense day.

Hopefully, you will find, as I did, that a reduced-stress lifestyle is a reduced-eczema lifestyle, too.

Corticosteroids

The body is a natural producer of corticosteroids. The adrenal cortex, located on top of the kidneys, is the body’s manufacturing center for these hormones known as steroids. They have the ability to affect the immune system, along with other body systems. Because of their effect, they are synthetically produced to elevate the body’s response in certain situations.

Topical Steroids

Most doctors will prescribe a mild form of topical steroid medication to help treat eczema. Usually, this includes something like hydrocortisone. Hydrocortisone is a weak steroid, commonly applied topically to the affected area.

Oral Steroids

The more powerful forms of steroid medication are taken orally. Usually, they are prescribed only in very severe cases of eczema. Doctors prescribe mild steroids first, and move on to the powerful forms of oral and injected steroids if those are ineffective.

Injected Steroids

While most of the prescribed forms of corticosteroids are applied topically, some are ingested. These include triamcinolone. Usually, these are prescribed for a short duration only to produce quick results in order to treat other symptoms. These powerful drugs have too many negative side effects to make them valuable for long-term use.

Risks of Steroids

Steroids are not without side effects. The most common side effect of steroid treatment is a weakening and fragility of the skin. The absorption of topically applied steroids also causes negative results on the body’s adrenal gland and other systems. Contact with the eye can result in severe eye damage, including cataracts.

• Balneum. Another helpful bath oil is Balneum, which contains soya oil, another type of oil that spread across the outer layer of skin, keeping the moisture locked in. Again, any type of moisture-enhancing bath oil should be combined with another moisturizing lotion.

• Diprobase. Diprobase contains a collection of paraffin, antibacterials, and cetostearyl alcohol, all of which keep the skin soft and moist. Because it tends to soften the skin, it gives the surface of the skin greater ability to absorb other medications used in the treatment of eczema.

• Epaderm. Epaderm is an oily, waxy substance gives additional flexibility and moisture-retaining quality to the skin. Since Epaderm contains no additives or coloring, it is safe to use by nearly anyone. It may also be mixed with bathwater to enhance moisturizing in the bath.

• Exederm. Exederm is a mild, gentle collection of skin cleansers and moisturizers. The gentle formula with no additives has given many people relief from acne.

• Oilatum. This brand of bath formula for both adults and children contains a form of liquid paraffin, oil which keeps moisture close to the skin. Regular use of this in conjunction with your bath or shower should be an improvement to skin moisture levels, but should also be used with another lotion or moisturizing cream.

• Sebexol. With a formula that corresponds to the precise pH balance of the skin, Sebexol works wonderfully as a moisturizer and damage-repair solution for the skin. In addition, it functions as an anti-bacterial, ant-fungal, protecting the skin from further infection.

1. Stay moist. Regularly use a quality lotion or emollient all over your body. Increase this practice in the winter or other dry conditions. This should be your first line of defense against eczema. It is by far the most important thing that you can do.
2. Avoid strong scented products, harsh cleansers, and detergents. The less synthetic and powerful chemicals you place on your body, the better. Among some of the things that cause eczema are powerful, strong-scented soaps and detergents.
3. Less bathing. Obviously, you don’t want to go bath-free, but you may be able to go a day without a shower, or maybe one less shower. Or, if you simply can’t do that try a shorter shower or bath, and rather than really lathering up, use less soap or a moisturizing soap. This will keep your skin healthy and moist.
4. Avoid too much sweating. Working out and frequent exercise are a great thing. However, they also have the potential to produce irritation. Be careful of sweating or friction on some areas of your bodies, which may give rise to eczema.
5. Avoid tight clothes and synthetic fabrics. Loose-fitting cotton attire is the best type of clothing for preventing eczema. They allow your skin to breath and keep potential irritants from causing an eczema flare-up.
6. Avoid known eczema-causers. As you encounter fresh flare-ups of eczema, try to find out what kind of factors may be causing more eczema. Check out a list of possibilities to see if any of these are causing your eczema.
7. One of the most powerful ways to fight eczema and maintain great health is to lower the stress levels in your life. A little bit of stress is common and unavoidable. However, there may be some ways that you can reduce the stress in your life.

Water

Ok, so maybe it’s not a food, but it is good for eczema. Water cleanses the body inside, and provides the moisture that your skin craves on the outside.

Virgin Coconut Oil

The “good fats” in coconut oil help keep the skin hydrated and full of essential nutrients. Coconut oil, specifically has a type of acid known as lauric acid, which fights bacteria and viruses, which can have a direct impact on the occurrence of eczema.

Fish and Nuts

Many fish and nuts contain something called omega-3 fatty acids, which can dramatically improve eczema symptoms. The primary benefit of omega-3 acids is their ability to reduce inflammation and enhance skin’s strength and moisture. Some of the foods that contain the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids, are flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, soybeans, shrimp, and snapper.

Grape Juice

One great form of anti-oxidants is found in grape juice. Drink a cup or so at breakfast every morning, and see what impact it has on your eczema.

More fresh and natural foods

Raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts are a great thing for any diet, particularly if you have eczema. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain a higher percentage of the vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy body. Besides, more fresh fruit and vegetables are just a great way to eat.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal can have a soothing affect on eczema. Its primary quality is its ability to assuage the itching sensation that eczema produces. Many commercial products, recognizing the benefit of oatmeal treatment, now market a variety of products that use the natural powers of oatmeal to treat eczema. Aveeno is the best known of these products. Colloidal oatmeal works best—oatmeal that is finely ground and mixed into warm bathwater. Try an oatmeal bath twice weekly for two months and see if it has an effect on your eczema.

Bleach Treatment

Honestly, using bleach on your body is probably a horrifying thought. The stuff stinks, stains clothes, and ruins hair. True. But in a mild form, it demonstrates an ability to subdue the symptoms of eczema. Use carefully! Only a half-cup of bleach to a bath full of warm water is all you need. The bleach contains bacteria-killing properties that may help clean the skin of the bacteria that make eczema worse.

Seawater

Some alternative methods fall in the strange-but-true categories. The seawater method seems to be such a method. However, seawater with its high concentration of salt and other minerals has antiseptic qualities that can fight bacteria and enhance the skin. The more “stuff” in the water, the better, according to some. Thus, the Dead Sea is more than just a scenic vacation spot; it has become a center for alternative treatment seekers.

Sulfur Springs

Most people are aware that sulfur springs and natural hot tubs are popular forms of relaxation and possible healing. While there isn’t as much evidence for the healing qualities of sulfur springs (as much as there is for oatmeal, bleach, and seawater), there have been good reports from those who have tried this treatment.

Chiropractic Care

The health impact of a correctly aligned spine is quite amazing. Though it is not the cure-all, and its impact upon eczema is not entirely clear, there may be some benefit from chiropractic adjustment—even to your skin.