What you should know about eczema

What you should know about eczema

What is Eczema? Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a serious skin problem that can plague anyone from babies to fully grown adults. Eczema can last for weeks or months, depending on when the symptoms and causes of the eczema are accurately diagnosed and treatment is sought. Eczema usually occurs in people with 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 that your skin itches before eczema forms. Typically, eczema presents as patches of itchy, dry, thickened skin on the hands, neck, face, and legs. However, eczema can also often occur in other places, such as the inner folds of the knee and elbow joints. If the eczema is scratched, it may reach a stage where the affected person 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 triggers for eczema can be due to food, soap, cleaning products, or the skin care products we use. Residual detergent in clothing can also irritate skin, so a second rinse cycle is recommended. Eczema can also be caused by allergic reactions to dust mites, pet fur, pollen, cow's milk, eggs, 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. If you live in a cold and dry climate or a very humid tropical climate like Singapore, the seasons and weather conditions can wreak havoc on sensitive skin and also cause eczema.

One of the many and very important ways to treat eczema is through a healthy diet. Start eating fruits and vegetables. Your diet must include foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon and walnuts. You can also start taking supplements since you don't get all the nutrients you need from your daily diet. Dietary supplement with vitamins A, D and E that moisturize the skin and protect it from free radicals. Avoiding processed foods, snacks are made without essential nutrients, milk and other dairy products from cows, nuts, soy and artificial sweeteners. It is very important to completely eliminate foods that you are allergic to. It is necessary to practice keeping a diary to list foods that make eczema worse.

Inspired by Phoebe D.