Eczema Treatments

Eczema is a chronic inflammation of the outer layer of the skin called the epidermis. This term denotes a wide range of skin condition symptoms including dryness, flaking, crusting, oozing, bleeding, blistering and swelling. Eczema is also known as dermatitis. The exact cause of eczema is not known, but is assumed to be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. It's been suggested that the cause of eczema may be exposure to allergens such as house dust and mites.

The treatment of eczema focuses on caring for the skin and managing other symptoms using corticosteroids and other medications. Corticosteroids are the first choice of treatment for suppressing the immune response of the body that triggers eczema symptoms. Prolonged use of corticosteroids can leave the patient vulnerable to infections such as yeast and fungal infections. Topical steroid use may cause skin damage.

Topical immune-suppressants such as Tacrolimus 0.1 percent are also choices for minimizing the symptoms of eczema. Topical immune-suppressants show more effectiveness in some individuals. Prolonged use of these substances may cause skin cancer and lymph node enlargement. In case of severe symptoms, oral and parenteral immune-suppressants may be used.

The use of antihistamine reduces the itching associated with eczema. It is important to control itching, because scratching the skin can result in skin damage over time. Cooling the skin with cold water or air also provides significant relief from itching.

Moisturizers are used to prevent dryness of the skin and reduce eczema symptoms. Detergents and hard soaps must be avoided in order to prevent the dryness of the skin. Special gloves designed for keeping the skin moist also can be useful in preventing the sever dryness of the skin. Regular bathing is recommended to rehydrate the skin.

Light therapy is often useful in controlling eczema. A deep penetrating ultra violet radiation is the most effective, but UV radiation has the potential risk of causing skin cancer. Psoralen is a substance that makes skin more sensitive to UV radiation, and a combination of psoralen and UV light is the most effective light therapy method to control eczema.