I have eczema

[xxxnyria]

I have eczema which is basically to those who dont know big patches of scabby,red,inflamed skin all over your body and I`m talking on your face,your back,and the inside of my thighs for goodness sake.
It`s really making me mad. I am really self conscious about it in front of my boyfriend because even if i do clear it up it leaves little brown scars so i cant wear t-shirts and we did a little home made film once and i was alright but horrified to see when we went up close to my bum and see all these scabs all over it. I was absolutely devestated and deleted it. Does anyone have any advice to just deal with this?

[WildChild]

I'm trying to get a handle on all this, you are 16, been with the same guy 2 years, he's at Uni, has cheated before, you don't like your boobs and you've got eczema? Sounds like you've got some stress but not huge amounts.

Do you have asthma? Eczema is supposedly more common in people who do. I have dealt with eczema. My own experience makes me think it's allergies. The story is that once you have it, you've got it for life. I got rid of mine. So I don't believe that. Here's what I did, hopefully it will help you:
Stress is a biggie in any health condition, it changes the chemicals in your brain and body, so stress reduction techniques such as meditation, exersize are important.
Lots of water, cut out soda, including diet types. You need to stay well hydrated.
Diet seems to be a factor, particularly sugar. I've experienced a significant reduction in the condition by removing sugar from my diet.
Often it's not any one thing that gets us but a combination, kind of a build up of exposure, so you may have to do some experiementing. Keep a food diary and note responses. Sometimes a reaction occurs quickly, other times more slowly. After a few days you can start looking for a pattern. Have a lot of dairy and get tired or gassy? Could be a problem. Anything that you suspect could be a problem you need to test by removing it from your diet for at least two weeks. So for example if you suspected dairy you would quit eating dairy and that means, milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt - anything with dairy. Then after two weeks, eat a meal with a fair amount of dairy, see what happens.

I don't know how 'clean' your food supply is. We have meat and dairy loaded with BGH and other hormones and antibiotics, meats dipped in chemicals (not listed on any lables) to retard spoilage before packaging, fruits and veggies treated with a variety of junk to give it longer shelf life. Americans almost can't avoid a daily chemical cocktail. You can be sensitive to this stuff - I am. So try to have as clean a diet as you can.

Another area to watch is contact responses. Scented products such as dryer sheets or scented detergent can cause skin reactions - they are loaded with nasty stuff. Air fresheners, deodorant soaps, lotions, all the stuff loaded with fragrances can make eczema worse. Costmetics and most skin care products can be a problem. Here in the US they allow a lot more nasty stuff in them, that isn't allowed in Europe. But I bet you've got some. Watch out for paints (that's a trigger for me) you can buy surgical type gloves by the box pretty economically, wear them when cleaning or using any chemicals. Breathing stuff in can get it into your system too so watch that.

Basically you have to become your own detective. You live in your body and can tell better than anyone else what affects it. For myself getting rid of this involved keeping away from a variety of cleaning and paint chemicals and a diet for a year that eliminated corn, wheat, eggs, dairy, sugar and chocolate. I couldn't pin down any one thing I reacted to, so I took out all the suspects. Got rid of the eczema, I had cracked, peeling bleeding fingertips and along the sides of my hands to the wrists (still have some scar tissue over 10 years later) as well as patches elsewhere. Every once in a while I'll feel some tell tale itching and irritation, or feel a rough patch starting and I'll start watching the diet and other exposure and it goes away fairly quickly. This isn't a one deal, you'll have to be healthy and watch it probably all your life but you can control it so you dont' have to live with it.

[xxxnyria]

I know I have quite a bit of problems.
Thanks for the advice. I have a friend who has it and he gets eczema a lot when he has dairy

[Kung Fu Kitty]

i have had problems with eczema since i had my first child,it has been a nightmare. since i am a cna,and frequently wash my hands,which sets it off (harsh soaps and sanitizers) after a few days of not working,it starts to clear up,only to flare up again when i go back to work.are there any over the counter creams that can help the itching?

[cassie66]

i have this too. but onlly minor and it flares up it times of stress. i get it on my elbows, hands and back of knees. i was prescribed a steroid cream betnovate which is very good

[parkersmom]

My girlfriend had the same problem. We use the emu oil on that too. You can go to my website that is on my profile. It is inexpensive and works! That is why I carry it. Read about it on my site. Dr. in Mt. Pleasant uses it for the same thing.

[Jem]

I have eczema too. I find bathing in Dead Sea Salts really helps alot. Not every day but about 3 to 4 times a week. I hope this helps you.

[lazysundays]

I have eczema too. I find bathing in Dead Sea Salts really helps alot. Not every day but about 3 to 4 times a week. I hope this helps you.

Hi there, Jem. Does this dead sea salts work on 4 year olds too? He's got the eczema at the back of his knee. Do you know of anything else I can try to fix his eczema? Thanks.

[Jem]

Hi LazySundays,

You could try the Dead Sea Salts on your 4 year Old it won't do any harm, Just don't put too much in the water. You could also try putting some Aloe Vera gel on the skin this will help to cool the skin. If you can buy the raw Aloe Vera leaf and scope the gel out youself all the better. I like to use it at night and i find it relieves the itching and helps to heal the skin.
All the best, Jem

[somethingstupid]

Thanks Jem for the aloe vera suggestion. I'll try that out. By the way, I think this elidel I'm using is also helping. And lazysundays, it's safe to be used if your child is 2 years or older. Apply it twice a day on the affected area. It's also convenient since it's available on almost any pharmacy. Ask your doctor about it. In addition, make sure you keep your child away from hot areas. It triggers a flare and will make your child itch more. Hope this helps!