What is Eczema? Eczema is an inflammatory condition of the skin. There are various types of eczema (sometimes referred to as dermatitis) and the skin symptoms are variable. The symptoms are usually characterised by groups of vesicular (blistering) lesions with a variable degree of discharge and scaling.

In some cases dryness and scaling predominate with little inflammation; in more acute cases there may be considerable inflammation and blistering.

The word eczema comes from the Greek to boil over. It commonly itches and in time the itching may produce thickening of the skin (Lichenification), and also as a result of scratching secondary infection may be introduced. Some types of eczema ‘weep' fluid; this type of wet eczema may cause the clothes to adhere to the skin.

Eczema is a distressing condition and it is estimated that one in five people may have some degree of eczema.

What Causes Eczema?

The cause of eczema is not fully understood, but certainly there appears to be a hereditary aspect to it (atopic eczema) with many patients having relatives who also suffer from the disorder. There is also often an allergic component to eczema, and sufferers or their family members may also complain of asthma and hayfever (atopic illness).

Conventional Treatment for Eczema

The most frequently prescribed medications for treatment of eczema are hydrocortisone preparations, also known as topical steroids. Betnovate and Eumovate are two common hydrocortisone creams. They do work well in the short term, causing a marked decrease in skin inflammation and itching, but increasingly patients are not happy with their side effects. Steroids do not offer a long term cure for eczema and when they are discontinued there may be a severe rebound reaction with the skin becoming markedly worse.

Unwanted side effects may include:

1. Thinning of the skin as little as ten days of using steroid creams on the skin may result in damage to the underlying structure of the skin; prolonged use makes the skin fragile and more prone to damage from scratching.
2. Bruising this may be an effect of long term steroid use as prolonged use also causes fragility in the walls of the blood vessels leading to easy bleeding under the skin and bruising.
3. Depigmentation This is a fairly common effect. People who have used steroids heavily may find that their skin becomes paler and loses its pigment over the affected areas. There may further more be systemic effects as a large proportion of what you put on your skin is absorbed in to the blood stream.

Other orthodox medications may include immune modifiers such as Tacrolimus (Protopic).

Over the counter treatments for eczema include moisturisers and emollients, often prescribed to ease the dryness. These are most often petrochemical in origin, such as E45, Balneum and Oilatum and may also be prescribed as bath oils.

Natural Treatments for Eczema

Many people are not happy with the side effects or the success rate of orthodox medications and are increasingly turning to Herbal remedies for eczema or Homeopathic help. Fed up with the damage that steroids can do they are looking for a natural alternative to steroid creams.

Here are some tips that may help you to control your eczema naturally.

Diet
I encourage my patients to eat a whole food diet wherever possible, eating plenty of salads, fruits, vegetables, complex carbs, beans and seeds and nuts. If possible they should eat less dairy, sugar and fried food. Spices may also aggravate as they are heating to the blood. They should be encouraged to drink at least two litres of water daily.

Supplements
The main one is a good supply of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids (Essential Fatty Acids). It has been shown that people with eczema have lower than average levels of these substances which moisturise the skin from within and help to calm down inflammation by releasing prostaglandins. Everybody should be taking these. I recommend Hemp seed oil, one tablespoonful a day.

Some different types of eczema:

Pompholyx Eczema
This is a type of eczema, also known by the term Dyshydrotic eczema. It is a type of eczema that commonly appears on the hands or feet. It usually begins with small vesicles or blisters forming on the palms and the side of the fingers. These may itch and when scratched they may flake and peel, leaving a raw surface. More severe Pompholyx may form fissures or cracks. With eczema on hands a risk is secondary infection with staphylococcal bacteria. The cause may be contact with chemicals to which the patient is sensitive. It also may appear more frequently in people who sweat profusely on their hands or feet. If Pompholyx appears on the feet it usually has the same blister formation with cracks and scaling but frequently may be complicated by fungal infections.

Stasis Eczema
This a complaint which may also be known as Varicose eczema or Gravitational Eczema. It affects the lower legs when there is a disorder of the circulation, often caused by valvular damage due to varicose veins. As a result of the damage to the valves, pressure develops in the legs and fluid collects in the tissues. This fluid causes swelling in the lower legs which may be worse in the hot weather or after standing for a long period of time. The skin becomes affected with eczema and is sore, scaly and itchy. Sufferers of varicose eczema are at increased risk of skin ulceration which may often be caused by minor injuries.

Discoid Eczema
This is a type of eczema characterised by its appearance and is also known as Numular eczema, which comes from the latin word for ‘coin shaped'. The lesions, as the name suggests are round or disc shaped.

This type of Eczema does not appear to run in families and most often appears on the lower limbs. There may be only one or two patches, but occasionally the condition may be more widespread. The surface is usually sore and itchy and like other types of eczema may weep and become moist.

Natural Treatment of Eczema