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addictions to osteoporosis,
also obesity and insomnia |
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beyond health, wellness
at
work, nutrition |
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a-z physical
health : eczema
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What is eczema? |
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Eczema is a skin problem that causes
itching, dryness, fine scales or flaking, and sometimes mild
redness. Eczema can be a mild skin irritation that does not
need medical treatment. Sometimes, however, it causes relentless
itching and scratching. The skin may become scaly, raw, or thickened
from constant or repeated bouts of eczema. This more severe
form of eczema, called atopic dermatitis, may always be present
or may appear just in certain seasons or with stress. Atopic
dermatitis usually appears first in childhood or early adulthood. |
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How does it occur? |
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Flare-ups of eczema can be caused
by: |
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dry skin |
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allergies, for example to
a food or medicine |
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hot baths or showers |
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soap |
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quick temperature or humidity
changes |
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emotional upsets. |
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scratchy and tight clothing |
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Often the tendency for severe eczema
seems to be inherited along with asthma or hay fever. Eczema
is not contagious. |
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What are the symptoms? |
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The main symptom of mild eczema
is an area of fine, dry scaling, often on the arms or legs.
The skin may or may not itch. Severe eczema causes intense itching.
The most common areas of itching are the fronts of the elbows,
backs of the knees, and face. However, any area of skin may
be affected. The skin is usually very sensitive to being touched.
Even a light touch may cause itching. Many people who have severe
eczema are quite sensitive to scratchy fabrics, especially wool.
Eczema often becomes worse in the winter, when the air is very
dry. |
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How is it treated? |
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Mild eczema sometimes does not
need any treatment. Or it may go away if you put 1% hydrocortisone
cream on the area a few times a day. No prescription is needed
for this cream. More severe eczema can be more difficult to
treat. However, medicines such as antihistamines and steroid
creams can help prevent or control the itching. |
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Antihistamine pills can usually
prevent the itching of severe eczema. Some antihistamines cause
drowsiness, so you may want to take the medicine only at bedtime.
(It is important to prevent scratching during sleep.) Some antihistamines
are available, however, that do not cause drowsiness. These
non-sedating antihistamines can be taken day or night to prevent
itching. Your health care provider may recommend that you take
antihistamines daily, or you may need to take them only as you
need them. |
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Prescription steroid creams or
ointments can help control the itching and rash caused by severe
eczema. Use these medications exactly as prescribed by your
health care provider for the best results. Steroid creams and
ointments come in many different strengths. Some should be used
just once a day, some 4 times a day. Do not use them more often
than recommended. Serious complications can develop from overuse
of steroid medicines. |
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Keep your skin well lubricated.
To prevent your skin from becoming too dry, avoid exposing your
skin to a lot of water. This seems surprising, but in fact,
every time the skin gets wet, evaporation of water from the
skin dries the skin even more. For this reason, if you have
severe eczema you should take baths or showers less often. Keep
them brief and use lukewarm (not hot) water. Take sponge baths
between baths or showers. Use moisturizing creams or ointments,
rather than water-based lotions, regularly (several times a
day, if possible). |
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Recent research has suggested
that people who are allergic to dust mites may be more likely
to have severe eczema. Some health care providers may recommend
testing for an allergy to dust mites. If test results clearly
show you are allergic to dust mites, your provider may recommend
that you try to rid dust mites from your home. Before you have
allergy tests, you might first see if your symptoms improve
if you do everything you can to eliminate dust mites from your
home. To reduce the population
of dust mites in your home, all surfaces must be dusted often.
You also need to eliminate the surfaces from which dust mites
can never be completely removed. These surfaces include wall-to-wall
carpets and draperies with horizontal folds, which catch dust
and cannot be damp-wiped or laundered.
In some cases, allergy shots for
dust mites may be helpful. You should consider this treatment
only after seeing a dermatologist (a skin specialist) or an
allergist (an allergy specialist). |
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What can be done to prevent
eczema? |
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To prevent mild eczema, you may
need to avoid certain foods or medicines when possible. Keep
your skin well lubricated and avoid irritating substances such
as scratchy fabrics or chemicals such as laundry detergent residue.
Because severe eczema is usually an inherited disorder, there
is no known way to prevent it. However, as with many medical
conditions, there seems to be a relationship between flare-ups
of atopic dermatitis and stress. When you can, avoid or minimize
stressful situations. Since this is not always possible, it
may help to know that a worsening of symptoms during times of
stress is only temporary. |
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Adult Health Advisor
2004
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