The Eczema Question

As I was searching online the other day I noticed that in the US October is Eczema Awareness Month. So I thought that this might just be a good opportunity to talk a little bit about it.

First off, yes there are many types of eczema and I haven't covered every single one of them here but I've tried to mention most of them below.

Atopic Dermatitis - This is the most common type of eczema and it affects both adults and children and tends to run in families. Speaking from experience the itching can be so bad it keeps you up at night and it can literally invade every moment of your day. It can include red irritated and inflamed dry skin. And because you often can't help scratching, the skin can become broken and even more irritated and prone to infection.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis - This is your bodies allergic response to a specific irritant and can develop over many exposures to a specific irritant.  

Irritant Contact Dermatitis -This type is usually caused by frequent contact with a specific irritant.

Infant Seborrheic (aka cradle cap) - This affects babies under one year of age and usually does not provide any discomfort to the baby (although it usually looks as if it does). It generally clears up on it's own.

Adult Seborrheic - This is usually found in the scalp but it can spread down the neck, ears, face and chest. It's believed to be caused by yeast growth.

Vericose - As the name implies this affects the lower legs and is generally caused by poor circulation.

Dyshidrotic - Appears as extremely itchy small blisters on hands and feet and this type also tends to run in families.

Neurodermitis - This is not wide spread and is usually confined to one or two spots that generally do not go away on their own.

Here are a few tips that I do to find relief.

Maintaining a skin barrier is super important so a good sensitive skin moisturizer should be one of the first things in in your eczema arsenal.

Reduce bathing and showering times and avoid hot water (this is a hard one for me).  It's also important to remember to always add moisturizer while skin is still damp. Never rub irritated skin but gently pat it dry. The less friction the better.

Look for products with fewer ingredients, made for sensitive skin and remember that price doesn't always determine a products quality. 

Some specialty creams like calendula or other eczema itch relief creams can prove very helpful for sudden itchy patches.

Additional allergy medication is also sometimes needed to help get relief from itching especially at night.

Always avoid harsh products like soaps or detergents that will only further irritate already irritated skin.

Wear soft clothing like cotton, bamboo, and silk without irritating seams or tags.  There are times seaming in clothing has never before bothered me until I've had an eczema flare up. 

I also personally find that sticking to low inflammatory foods (think berries, leafy greens, tomatoes)  and avoiding high inflammatory foods (like sugar, dairy, processed foods) really does help me.

I've included some excellent eczema resources below if you would like more information.

In Canada - The Eczema Society of Canada  eczemahelp.ca

In the US - National Eczema Association nationaleczema.org

In the UK - National Eczema Society eczema.org

Sources:

health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation,  nationaleczema.org/

eczema.org/ , eczemahelp.ca/