Help is at hand for eczema sufferers
IMAGINE not being able to sleep in a hotel bed, walk past the perfume counter of your local department store or even stroke the cat from next door.
These simple things we often take for granted are the stuff of nightmares for millions of eczema sufferers, causing their skin to flare up in itchy red patches, which can crack and bleed.
“Eczema has a much bigger impact on our day-to-day life than people actually realise,” says Margaret Cox, long-term eczema sufferer and chief executive of the National Eczema Society.
The most common form of the dry skin condition, called atopic eczema, is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Eczema affects people of all ages, but it is far more common in children – one in five suffer from it compared to one in 12 adults.
And it’s at a young age when eczema can have the most impact, with children being picked on in the playground for looking ‘different’ – and being treated as though they have a contagious disease because they can’t do some activities like swimming.
The National Eczema Society hopes to dispel the contagion myth and teach more people about the condition.
Treatments include:
MEDICAL MOISTURISERS
Emollients are non-cosmetic moisturisers, which should be used everyday. They range from ointments to lotions and creams, depending on how dry the skin is, and can be used instead of soap. But it’s a case of trial and error to find the right one.
TOPICAL CORTICOSTEROIDS
When your skin flares up, steroids will be prescribed by your doctor as an additional treatment. They are synthetic hormones, which are applied directly to the skin and work by reducing the inflammation and speeding up the healing process, making the skin less itchy red and sore.
ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES
Some people turn to complementary therapies such as aromatherapy and homeopathy to treat their eczema. But not all therapies work for all people.
Share
