There are several different types of skin allergies that millions of people all over the world suffer every day and many of them causes one of the types of eczema. If you are one of the many that suffer from types of eczema, then you should know that there is a wealth of support available to you. There are several types of eczema and several different causes. Here we will cover some of the most commonly asked questions about eczema.
What Is Eczema Exactly?
Eczema is a mild to severe skin reaction to an internal “threat” or allergen. There is a wide range in the degree of eczema skin symptoms the different types of eczema cause. Eczema can range from very mild and virtually unnoticeable to very thick, unsightly patches of grey leather like areas on the skin. The patches or areas of skin that are affected try to encapsulate the perceived allergen by sealing it off and surrounding it with more epithelial (skin) cells. This causes the skin to become swollen and red initially. Eczema is not contagious, but since it is believed to be at least partially inherited, it is not uncommon to find members of the same family affected. The symptoms are red itchy skin which can occur on any body part but in babies it is usually the face and neck.
The majority of cases in adults are also the face and neck but it can also affect the hands and forearms as well as the legs. The unreadable itching that comes with Eczema is also aggravated by scratching and may lead to ruptured skin to reddened, irritated, scaling skin or to a leathery thickening of the skin (sometimes called lichenification). Cracking and weeping of the skin may also occur and open sores may become infected. There are also some forms of Eczema that can be caused by substances that come in contact with the skin like soaps, cosmetics, clothing, detergents and even sweat. There are some environmental allergens which are substances that cause allergic reactions that can also cause the onset of Eczema.
What Causes Eczema?
There are different thoughts as to the exact causes of eczema. Eczema clinical trials suggest that there may be a food intolerance or allergy. Which foods cause eczema is still being investigated. Thus far; research indicates that gluten, yeast and milk seem to be likely suspects for the immune response that causes skin eczema symptoms. One of the milk allergy symptoms can be eczema.
Immune System – Although many studies have been done trying to identify the specific causes of Eczema it can still not be conclusively decided the exact causes as there are many different types. But Eczema or atopic dermatitis are generally defects that lead to abnormalities of certain proteins like filaggrin which is important in maintaining a barrier of normal skin. But people who suffer from Eczema generally have symptoms of other allergies as well like hay fever, asthma as well as stress generally which can cause this problem to worsen, but it is assumed that it is the result of abnormal function of the immune system.
Hormones – If you have been diagnosed with Eczema then you will no doubt already know that there are many different manifestations of this skin disease. It can be anything from your scalp to your feet that are affected the worse but the point in finding a cure is to seek first the reason that the problem started in the first place. The causes of Eczema are because your body is out of balance and in the old Chinese medicine they say there is too much heat. Which in normal allopathic medicine we call inflammation but also it is caused by the over production or under production of certain hormones.
Thyroid – For example your Thyroid is a vitally important part of your body because it moves the blood around your body to where it needs it most. If you have an under active Thyroid or Hypothyroidism then it means that your skin is not receiving enough blood supply. If your skin is not receiving enough blood then it will not be able to repair itself quickly enough because you are always shedding dry skin and replacing the skin that you have. Without the waste products from your skin been removed at the correct time will result in itching, swelling, blistering, oozing and scaling of the skin.
Fungus Infection – But there could be other reasons and those reasons could be anything from stress to candidiasis. Candid Albicans is a yeast -like fungus that grows on the skin and is very common in sufferers of Eczema but more importantly it will weaken the immune system which will only make your Eczema worse that it is already. You get this fungus yeast-like infection because of the processed food that you eat, like white sugar, white flour white rice etc. This bad habit usually starts as you grow up and we develop a taste for processed food but the more processing that takes place with food the more nutrients that our body can naturally take from the food are diminished.
Genetics – There is also a strong genetic component in the reasons why you may have Eczema and the probability that some in your family also suffers with this is very high. The first symptoms are usually first seen in babies under 5 years old but this type of Eczema shows that 30% of babies will outgrown this type of Eczema and should be self healed within a year. 1% of the adult population suffers from Eczema and it can happen in any race which only endorses the genetic transference theory and that you will suffer from this problem if you got it from your parents or grandparents.
So if you can look at your body as a plant that may be dying in your garden and you want a way to solve the problem you will know that it may be short of something that it needs to regain its health. The plant will be effected by bugs and insects the same way you will be by the toxins that you take in and the best way to deal with that is to start reducing the amount of toxins that you take in. This will immediately have an effect on your liver which is the main cleaner of your body because if it has no toxins to deal with it can get busy with other important work like removing excess fat etc.
There are three ways that toxins get into your body:
- through the digestive system (eaten)
- through the respiratory system (breathed in)
- and through the skin (absorbed).
If you are aware of this you will start to be able to watch what goes into your system and you will be able to solve the problem. But this solution will not happen over night as it is what you take in every day that has caused the problem and in order to get the balance of your body where you want it to be you have to start changing the toxins that you allow into your body.
How Many Types Of Eczema Are There?
The exact number of types that exist is not nearly as important as the specific types and their definitions. Here are some of the most common:
- Asteatotic Eczema - Occurs most often in the elderly. Areas of the skin involved are the shin area and sometimes the hands or body. The skin becomes dry and cracked. If the cracked skin continues to split a fissure is formed that may cause bleeding and infection to set in. Fortunately with proper care the eczema can be easily remedied.
- Atopic Dermatitis - Most prevalent form of eczema. It is diagnosed in both children and adults; however more often it is found in children (particularly those with allergy induced asthma). Skin symptoms include a dry rash that causes intense itching. Scratching the rash makes it become thickened and hard. The rash can appear anywhere on the skin including the hands, feet, face or body. It is very important that once the the rash is discovered to treat it immediately to relieve the itchiness and thus stop the scratching.
- Contact Dermatitis - Eczema caused by an irritation of the skin (by an external source). The external source can be an irritant or an allergen. Common irritants would include any caustic solutions such as bleach, strong detergents and soaps, or other cleaners. Allergic contact dermatitis is caused by allergens such as poison oak, poison ivy, poison sumac, latex, rubber, some metals and creams, ointments and cosmetics. Sensitive individuals may find other allergens that cause problems.
- Dyshidrotic Eczema - Also referred to as vesicular eczema and most often involves the hands. It has been known to develop on the feet in some cases. Raised bumps appear under the skin of the fingers and then develop into a rash. Studies show vesicular eczema is hereditary and is exacerbated by stress of any kind.
- Nummular Eczema - Characterized by small round patches of red scaly skin. Winter and dry skin make this eczema worsen.
- Seborrheic Dermatitis - Eczema that causes pink or yellow patches of oily scales to form on the face, scalp and ears. When this condition affects infants it is often referred to as “cradle cap”. Adults with the condition may mistake its appearance for ordinary dandruff (dry scalp).
Eczema Treatment Options
- Glycerin Oil – There is no permanent solution to solve all Eczema problems but there are many home remedies that have proven to be successful from Glycerin oil to a three day apple diet.
- NSAID (Non steroidal anti anti-inflammatory drug) - But most Eczema treatment options can usually give you relief by the application of certain oils on the affected areas which can be anything from the scalp to the feet. The best that doctors can offer is a NSAID such as cortisone which will help to reduce the itching and swelling but will not actually solve the problem.
- Negate Stress – The importance of stress or psychological causes of this disease cannot be over emphasized and it can certainly have a major effect in relieving of these symptoms by trying to deal with it by solving these problems first.
If you suffer from one of these types of eczema; your doctor may recommend you try to determine if there are any foods making your eczema flare up. You can help determine which foods cause eczema to worsen by eliminating a food group (such as dairy) from your diet for a one week period to see if your symptoms improve.I f you see no difference; then you can move on to the next group. Keep a diary to help you narrow down which foods make your eczema skin symptoms to worsen for you. Your physician can offer medical advice to you for managing the types of eczema affecting your skin.
