What is eczema? Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a serious skin problem that can affect anyone from babies to mature adults. Eczema can last for weeks or months, depending on how soon the symptoms and causes of eczema are accurately diagnosed and treatment sought. Eczema usually occurs in people with a personal or family history of atopy, such as allergic asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, or food allergies.
What are the symptoms of eczema? Most of the time, one of the first symptoms of eczema is itchy skin before eczema starts to form. Eczema usually manifests as patches of dry, thickened, itchy skin on the hands, neck, face, and legs. However, eczema can also commonly occur in other places, such as the inner creases of the knee and elbow joints. If scratched, eczema can progress to the stage where the patient develops a yellowish to light brown crust or pus-filled sores. This is an indication of infection.
What are the causes of eczema? Some common eczema triggers can be caused by food, soap, detergent, or the skin care products we use. Residual detergent on clothes can also irritate the skin, so a second rinse cycle is recommended. Also, eczema can be caused by an allergic reaction to house dust mites, pet fur, pollen from cow’s milk, eggs, tree nuts, soy, or wheat. However, allergies are not always the cause of eczema. There are many other factors, including over-washing the affected area and wearing rough clothing that rubs against the skin. Whether you live in a cold, dry climate or a very humid tropical climate like Singapore, the seasons and weather conditions can wreak havoc on sensitive skin and cause eczema flare-ups as well.
One of the many and very important ways to consider to treat eczema is to eat healthy. Start eating fruits and vegetables. Your diet should contain foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids such as salmon and walnuts. You can also start taking supplements as you will not be getting all the necessary nutrients from your daily diet. Supplements containing Vitamins A, D and E that help keep the skin hydrated and protect from free radicals. While avoiding processed foods, snack foods that don’t contain vital nutrients, milk and other dairy products produced from cows, nuts, soy, and artificial sweeteners. It is very important to completely eliminate the foods to which you are allergic. Keeping a diary to list foods that make eczema worse should be practiced.
