{"id":2523,"date":"2018-10-01T08:32:23","date_gmt":"2018-10-01T08:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=2523"},"modified":"2021-03-19T19:02:52","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T19:02:52","slug":"16-eczema-symptoms-and-how-to-prevent-them-from-worsening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/16-eczema-symptoms-and-how-to-prevent-them-from-worsening\/","title":{"rendered":"16 Eczema Symptoms and How to Prevent Them From Worsening"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Eczema is a condition that affects the skin, it doesn\u2019t flare up on any particular part of the body, however, it does usually start on the arms and legs. One of the most common types of eczema is atopic dermatitis, where sufferers get inflamed patches of skin throughout their body. Some flare-ups of eczema tend to be a lot more severe than others. Eczema is also sometimes referred to as dermatitis, which just basically means an inflammation of the skin.<\/p>\n

According to studies eczema first develops early on in childhood development, affecting kids under the age of five years old. Research further goes on to state that 1 in 5 children have some degree of eczema, specifically atopic eczema and stats prove that these figures are rising year in and year out. The stress of modern life can be a contributing factor.<\/p>\n

These are the 16 eczema symptoms, their treatments and how not to worsen them.<\/p>\n

1. Dry Skin<\/h3>\n

One of the results of not having enough oil glands in your skin tends to make it extremely dry. Once your skin dries it can lead to a flare-up of eczema<\/a>. In order to avoid and prevent this, one of the best things is to avoid cold and dry temperatures. The fact that you have eczema it means you already have quite dry skin, and you need to make sure you don\u2019t worsen this. Cold weather and places with low-humidity add more dryness to your skin. It sucks out any moisture that your glands may have left making your highly sensitive skin itchy.<\/p>\n

Seasonal changes also cause the skin to dry up, when the seasons change from spring or summer to winter or fall, the climate changes from humid and moist to dry and arid can cause your skin to dry up more. Now it isn\u2019t possible to change the weather and you don\u2019t want to have to relocate during colder months, so the best way is to keep your skin moisturized. <\/p>\n

\"\"2. Red and Inflamed Skin<\/h3>\n

Eczema causes inflammation<\/a> of the skin, this tends to be red patches formed throughout the entire body or some parts of the body. Due to the fact that the skin is inflamed, as in, it is burning from within, it comes as no surprise that redness and swelling will follow. One natural anti-inflammatory properties come in the form honey, it has to be pure and unprocessed.<\/p>\n

You can smooth your inflamed skin by taking some honey and rubbing it gently on the infected parts of your skin. It is recommended that your skin is clean, you can do this by taking a cotton cloth and damping it with lukewarm water and cleaning your skin, both the infected parts and the non-affected parts. Once it is clean, apply the honey and leave it your skin for between 20 and 30 minutes, then rinse it off with lukewarm water. Avoid acidic treatments such as lime and lemon, these may prove to be quite harsh on your skin. <\/p>\n

\"\"3. Itchiness<\/h3>\n

When you have eczema, your skin dries up and becomes inflamed as well as red. The redness is usually because of scratching, which is as a result of itchiness<\/a>. Eczema outbreaks are itchy and painful with most sufferers feeling the need to constantly scratch and rub their skin to try an alleviate the pain. The itchiness tends to get rather intense with many sufferers feeling like ripping out their skin. One of the things that can make itching worse is hot showers and the humidity of the steam thereof.<\/p>\n

Now a hot steamy long shower or a bath may sound like the perfect remedy to your problem, however, this may worsen the itchiness and aggravate the skin even further. Dermatologists advise that hot water makes things worse as it dries the skin and can cause further inflammation and leave you with burns. Ensure you use some oil moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated and moist. <\/p>\n

\"\"4. Bleeding Caused by Scratching<\/h3>\n

An important aspect worth constantly mentioning is just how itchy the skin gets during an eczema outbreak. It really is no joke, and most sufferers are willing to do just about anything to not have to scratch. However, scratching is inevitable, so you may want to do a few things to stop yourself from making things worse.<\/p>\n

A great tip would be to cut your nails short during an outbreak. This will stop you from intense scratching which often times gets so severe some sufferers have reported scratching until their skin bleeds. Which of itself makes things even worse, bleeding skin can cause infection<\/a>, and further skin irritation. If you do find that your skin is bleeding a result of intense scratching ensure that you take a clean cotton cloth, dip it into warm water and disinfect the open wound. Stop the blood immediately and avoid it spreading to other parts of the healthy skin. <\/p>\n

\"\"5. Weeping Blisters<\/h3>\n

Over and above all the symptoms already stated, eczema causes weeping blisters. This is because of your skin\u2019s lack of moisture. Your skin is essentially fighting to increase its natural oils, but due to the condition, it fails to do so. One of the side effects of this is weeping blisters<\/a>. Not only are these gross, they can also cause infection. You want to try avoiding scratching and opening up these blisters.<\/p>\n

A great way to avoid doing so is using wet wraps, there are specific wet wraps for eczema relief wet wraps have a way of providing your skin with much-needed moisture in a non-invasive and rather therapeutic way. These can come in body bands, which are strips that you can wrap around infected parts of your skin. They are easy to use, especially around the arms and legs, as they can easily be wrapped and remain there without falling off. <\/p>\n

\"\"6. Skin Infections<\/h3>\n

We have already touched on the fact that other symptoms of eczema can lead to skin infections. Furthermore, to getting a skin infection, caused by bleeding or open wounds on eczema infected patches of skin, there are more consequences to an infection during an eczema outbreak. Bacterial and viral infections can worsen your eczema flare up, therefore scratching is reprimanded.<\/p>\n

These infections which can sip into the skin are caused by viruses such as herpes simplex which can cause even more skin outbreaks such as rashes, pustule bumps and lumps<\/a>. As a result, you find yourself having more skin issues to deal with than the initial outbreak of eczema. Furthermore, infections also cause fatigue, weakness of the nervous systems and exhaustion. Not only are you dealing with a ridiculously painful and irritating number of skin conditions but you are also feeling tired and unable to function. A great way to avoid infections is not scratching.<\/p>\n

\"\"7. Patchy Skin<\/h3>\n

When eczema flares up it doesn\u2019t cover your entire skin, instead it creates round patches around the affected skin. As a result, you find yourself with patches all over your skin. Although there is very little that can be done about the patches until the eczema outbreak heals, there are things that can worsen the patches, make them bigger, inflame them further and stagnate their healing.<\/p>\n

One particular thing that you need to stay clear of are soaps and bubble baths and can enhance the size of infected skin patches as they dry out skin. You also need to ensure that your skin patches are moisturized at all times as they tend to expand more as the skin dries up. A great way to avoid dry skin patches is to use milk<\/a>, simply put it in a bowl, you can warm it up a little bit, dunk a cotton cloth into the bowl and start rubbing the milk on all the dry eczema patches on your skin.\"\"<\/p>\n

8. Stressing<\/h3>\n

Having a skin condition that causes you to want to rip off and peel off your own skin is definitely not ideal. Stress<\/a> levels amongst people suffering from eczema tend to be quite high, and high-stress levels don\u2019t help heal your skin quicker, in fact, it may contribute to making it worse. This is because the more stressed out you become about your skin, the more likely you are to scratch that itch, and not just scratch but do so violently. It is, therefore, in your best interest to keep calm and avoid stressful situations that may just overwhelm you.<\/p>\n

A great way to minimize your stress levels is to practice and engage in behavioral therapy that helps you to place your focus on relaxing techniques, rather than on the burning, inflamed patches of skin that may cause you to literally lose your mind. Try and look up some relaxing music online or relaxation hypnosis videos, they will help you to settle down in order to avoid stress. \"\"<\/p>\n

9. Allergic Reactions To Food<\/h3>\n

The fact that research has proved that certain foods are a trigger for eczema should come as no surprise. People who are especially allergic to numerous food types tend to get affected by a number of skin conditions, one of which being atopic dermatitis eczema. It has been reported that one in two children who have eczema also suffer from a food allergy. Some sufferers have reported that within less than ten minutes after eating a particular kind of food their skin started showing symptoms of redness and itchiness.<\/p>\n

Allergic reactions to foods such as soya, fish<\/a>, eggs, and wheat have been linked to eczema outbreaks. It would be best to not make any changes to your diet without first consulting a doctor. They will be able to better recommend the best course of action, one where you don\u2019t self-diagnose foods which could result in you causing yourself a nutritional deficiency. \"\"<\/p>\n

10. Intense Sweating<\/h3>\n

Sometimes when you sweat, eczema may cause this to be a little more intense. This because when you sweat, your skin stores up all the sweat, especially if you don\u2019t shower or take a bath right after. It may be in your best interest to avoid activities that may cause excessive sweating. Activities such as heavy-exercise yoga<\/a> or an intense jog or gym workout may actually cause more problems for your skin, even though they are completely healthy for the rest of your body.<\/p>\n

It may be a little hard for you to stay away from your workout regimen, especially considering that eczema meds such prednisone tends to suppress your immune system, making it hard for you to burn fat, which may lead to drastic weight gain. If you must break several sweats in order to keep in shape and keep the rest of your body healthy, then you may want to wear loose clothing that won\u2019t stick to your skin. \"\"<\/p>\n

11. Chemical Reactions to Products<\/h3>\n

Eczema causes rather sensitive skin which is easily irritable. As such, your skin may have negative reactions to specific chemicals<\/a> that are often found in bath soaps, shampoo, hair dye, or bubble bath agents. This is usually because most hygiene items have ingredients that may prove to be too harsh for your skin to handle, causing your skin to dry out by divesting your skin of its already rather scarce natural oils.<\/p>\n

In order to not avoid bathing altogether, because you know, it\u2019s just not an acceptable thing to do, you may want to invest in some products that are strong in natural and mineral moistening agents. One of the first things you want to look out for when buying personal hygiene products is fragrances. Fragrances tend to be quite irritating to skin, as they tend to contain spirit like agents which may cause further flare-ups. Use sunscreens that are high in titanium and zinc oxides.<\/p>\n

\"\"12. Skin Lumps<\/h3>\n

Over and above redness, itchiness, inflammation and dry skin, sometimes eczema sufferers tend to develop skin lumps. Lumps are usually not a standard symptom, however, they can be triggered and made worse by environmental allergens such as pollen<\/a>, dust, and mold. This is because the skin can get affected due to the various environmental bacteria found in these natural allergens. Causing the skin to flare up with skin lumps and other skin conditions. In order to identify what allergens are affecting your skin, you may want to consult a doctor who can do a test to find out.<\/p>\n

This may mean making changes to your natural environment to defuse the impact of these allergens on your skin. This may entail vacuuming your carpets regularly, removing them and putting in hardwood and also purchase some hypoallergenic bed sheets and pillowcases. You may also want to consider using a fumigator once or twice a month to sterilize your environment from any allergens. \"\"<\/p>\n

13. Peeling and Flaky Skin<\/h3>\n

Scientifically referred to as desquamation<\/a>, skin peeling is when you lose the outer layer of the skin. Eczema can cause flaky or peeling skin, which can be seriously painful. Sometimes the skin peels affect parts of the skin, while sometimes it occurs through all the affected parts of the skin. Due to the fact that some of the original symptoms of eczema are itchiness, inflammation, and dryness, skin peeling tends to be a side effect.<\/p>\n

One of the things you want to make sure you are doing is not inflaming your skin further, we have mentioned a number of activities and products to stay clear of. If the other symptoms can subside quickly enough then peeling may not become a problem. However, if it does, your best guard is to keep your skin hydrated, this may include drinking a good amount of water and moisturizing your skin regularly. Avoid products that steal moisture from your skin. \"\"<\/p>\n

14. High Skin Sensitivity<\/h3>\n

The fact you have eczema means that your skin is highly sensitive<\/a> by default, however, when your eczema is really flaring up, your skin is EXTRA sensitive and anything can trigger a severe outbreak. As already mentioned, products with certain chemical ingredients can cause problems for your skin. However, further to products, clothes are also a huge factor in causing your skin to be extra sensitive and as such extra irritable. You may have noticed that throughout the article there is a constant reference to using a cotton cloth.<\/p>\n

This is due to the fact that wool and synthetic fabrics tend to be quite problematic for people with eczema, especially during a flare-up. Wool is specifically known to be itchy, and one thing you don\u2019t need is to be adding something else itchy on your body. Also, synthetic fabrics tend to be quite harsh on the skin which may also cause your skin to react sensitively.<\/p>\n

\"\"15. Swelling<\/h3>\n

Swelling<\/a> is a side effect of excessive scratching on your skin. Since your skin is already irritated by the inflammation, continuous scratching causes all the blood and bodily fluid to clot up in one area, which results in swelling. Fluid build-up is especially not something you want to have when you have an eczema flare-up. Mainly because those fluids tend to get rather itchy and scratching may cause the swell bump to pop, releasing all the fluids. Which may result in infections rushing to infect your skin.<\/p>\n

An effective way to rid your skin of swelling is taking cool baths, the cold in the water will restore the natural flow of your body\u2019s fluids, which will cause the swelling to abate. The cold water will also hydrate your skin and may temporarily reduce inflammation. You may also want to seek out specific creams and ointments that help with swelling. \"\"<\/p>\n

16. Skin Scales<\/h3>\n

Skin scales<\/a> occur as a result of extremely dry skin, which can be the case in some severe eczema cases. They almost start to resemble scabs, which you may have to pull off. You may also notice yellow and white patches on your skin that seem to be flaking off, these tend to get rather red and extremely itchy. You may also notice that you have hair loss or that no hair is growing on the parts of your skin with scales.<\/p>\n

One thing you want to avoid is leaving the skin as it, especially in eczema cases, this is because the skin doesn\u2019t often heal itself, and scaling can cause further skin irritation. Skin scales tend to occur only in severe cases of eczema especially the type caused by allergic reactions. This means taking some careful care to stay away from infectious allergens and also treating scales with an ointment. \r\n

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