How I was Treated for Eczema
Eczema is basically an inflammation of the skin. It is a characterized by relapsing and very itchy rashes, which usually begin at some point during childhood. Many children with eczema find that the disease clears and often disappears with age.
Eczema is sometimes invisible. When the affected area is scratched, then you can see the red rash appear. Eczema can occur on any part of the body. In infants, eczema usually occurs on the forehead, cheeks, forearms, legs, scalp, and neck. In children and adults, eczema typically occurs on the face, neck, and the insides of the elbows, knees, and ankles. In some people, like me, eczema may swell and ooze. In others, the condition may appear more scaly, dry, and red. Chronic scratching causes the skin to take on a leathery texture because the skin thickens.
I developed eczema as an infant. I had red patches on my cheeks, legs, and arms. However, as I got older and more aware of them, they began to itch and really give me problems. The earliest case I can remember is having eczema between my fingers. At night, it would itch so bad that I’d intertwine my fingers together and scratch and scratch until the itch was gone. By that time, my entire hand would be extremely red and raw. Later, I had a bad case on my knees and inner-side of my elbows. My mom would put chamomile lotion on the areas and cover it with bandages so that I couldn’t scratch them in my sleep. Other times, the areas would become bright red, swollen, and infected from my scratching them so much. Eczema is VERY uncomfortable to have! I itched almost all the time, and it is not easy to refrain from scratching! As I got older, my condition did get better. Some areas healed and new ones formed, but they were smaller and less itchy. I am 23 right now, and I only have one small recurring patch of eczema on the inner-side of my lower leg.
The cause of eczema is unknown, but some researchers believe it is an abnormal response of the body’s immune system. Eczema is not contagious and can not be cured. However, there are treatments and precautions that can be taken to lessen itching.
Some substances can trigger itching. There are different triggers for different people. For some, rough or coarse materials, like wool or carpet for example, coming into contact with the skin causes a flare-up. For others, getting too hot and sweating can cause an outbreak. In my case, when I was playing basketball or softball, I would begin to sweat. That triggered the eczema on the backs of my legs to itch terribly. Stress, soaps, and detergents can also trigger itching.
The National Institutes of Health says that “an estimated 15 million people in the United States have some form of eczema. About 10 percent to 20 percent of all infants have eczema; however, in nearly half of these children, the disease will improve greatly by the time they are between five and 15 years of age. Others will have some form of the disease throughout their lives.”
To reduce flare-ups, I tried to take warm baths, not steamy, hot ones. Hot water causes the skin to dry out even further. I moisturized frequently with aloe and chamomile lotions. Avoiding excessive sweating helped also. Wool clothing was thrown out of my wardrobe as well as a few soaps that tended to leave me itching.
Nonprescription cortisone and ointments as well as oatmeal baths and tar treatments never worked for me. Often when my eczema was bad enough, my dermatologist would prescribe a cortisone and steroid cream for me to apply several times a day to the affected areas. The cream helped slowly reduce redness and oozing. However, the itching always persisted. Sometimes, if my eczema was severely infected, the dermatologist would prescribe a liquid, oral antihistamine which lessened the itch.
Recently, I was introduced to a prescription product called Quadriderm. It is a betamethasone (steroid) and clotrimazole (antifungal) cream. It is used to treat skin infections caused by fungus, such as athlete’s foot, jock itch, and ringworm of the body. This cream completely clears up my eczema in about 2-3 days, applying it twice daily. There are no signs of the affected area at all, and furthermore, it takes away the itch. Once the area disappears, I keep my entire body moisturized to keep the eczema in recluse. This product has worked wonders for me.
I got picked on as a child, and kids at school always said “eww” when they saw the red patches on my skin. The teasing kept me from wearing shorts and tank tops during the hot summer months. Thank goodness it got better in my teen and young adult years. Living with eczema is not easy, but there are things you can do to make it better. Hopefully you will find my suggestions helpful in your endeavors with this painfully itchy condition.
