What is eczema and how can we treat it?
Dr Elizabeth Kershaw-Yates, a GP from The Online Clinic, offers her top tips on dealing with eczema
Eczema can range from being a slight inconvenience to being incredibly painful and incapacitating. It has many different forms and names, but one thing they all have in common is dry, itchy skin, often red in colour and being incredibly uncomfortable.
Top Tips for Dealing with Eczema
- Steer clear of soap
One of the first things you can do to help clear up your skin is get rid of soap. It can cause further irritation, and so it’s best to simply abandon it altogether and give your skin time to heal. Try switching from soap to an emollient (moisturiser), this should help to soothe the skin and help the healing process.
- Use a natural remedy
For a quick way to soothe your eczema, you could try this homemade remedy. Grab an old pair of tights and fill it with porridge oats. Then, soak it in the bath with you to use as a substitute for bath oils and soaps. This is a great remedy to use for children as their skin can be more sensitive.
- Keep an eye on your environment
Environmental factors can trigger the disease – but it can be hard to know what the exact cause of the irritation is. Dietary factors, washing powders and perfumed moisturisers can all trigger eczema flare ups so keep track of how these things are affecting your skin and avoid the products which do not react well.
If you are worried about your eczema – know that with small adjustments in lifestyle and the continuous use of emollients, most patients can lead a normal life. Children usually grow out of eczema – even the most severe form. If you are suffering from an eczema flare up, make sure you stop using soap and try natural, homemade remedies to soothe and calm your skin. Keep an eye out for what environmental factors could be causing your reaction and steer clear of these. Finally, the most important thing to do is to keep moisturising and applying emollients to rehydrate the skin.