Home Remedies For Eczema
The most common type of eczema is atopic eczema. If someone is atopic then they carry a gene that makes their skin react to stress (a viral infection, an irritant in contact with the skin, psychological disturbances) with patches of eczema.
One of the most important factors in managing eczema is keeping the skin well hydrated. Alongside conventional medicines, moisturizers and emollients there are a number of home remedies that can help.
Relieving Itching
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Milk Compress: To soothe itching soak a flannel in ice-cold milk and lay it over the itchy area. Repeat this several times a day.
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Oatmeal Baths: Take a warm bath with colloidal oatmeal. The finely ground oatmeal floats suspended in water and is very soothing. You can buy colloidal oatmeal from many pharmacies.
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Apply moisturizer immediately after bathing: Avoid long baths and keep showers as short as possible. Excess bathing washes away the protective oil from the skin. Make sure that you moisturize or apply an emollient as soon as possible after your bath or shower. Use a heavy cream based moisturizer rather than water based lotions.
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Gotu Kola: The herb gotu kola used externally can help ease itchy skin conditions. Look for a commercial cream or tincture. If you use the extract, dilute it first (five parts water to one part extract). Alternatively you can make a cup of tea, soak the cloth in it and use it as a compress. To make the tea steep 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb in a cup of very hot water for 10 minutes and then strain.
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Other Options: As an alternative to goto kola, look for a cream containing camomile, liquorice or witch hazel. All of these reduce skin inflammation.
Food and Supplements For Eczema
Many people find that certain foods and supplements help. Some research has suggested that people with eczema may not process essential fatty acids from food normally, leading to low levels of a fatty acid called gamma-linoleic acid (GLA). GLA helps your immune system work properly, so taking a supplement could help reduce the skin inflammation associated with eczema.
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GLA. Evening primrose oil, starflower oil and blackcurrant seed oil all contain GLA. A number of studies have found that taking these supplements could not only reduce the number of eczema flare-ups but also how severe they are and the length of time they last. An analysis of nine scientific trials found that GLA was also helpful in reducing itching. Borage Oil, another source of GLA, has show in some studies to reduce skin inflammation, dryness, scaliness and itch in eczema patients. For evening primrose oil take 1000mg three times per day with food for three to four months.
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Vitamin E, take 250mg of vitamin E each day. Good dietary sources of vitamin E include wheatgerm, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.
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Fish Oils may also help eczema. The largest study of fish oil and eczema did not show any positive improvements, however other studies have shown that fish oils can reduce the severity of symptoms.
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B Vitamins may play a supportive role in managing eczema. Some evidence suggests that eczema may be made worse by deficiencies in Vitamin B12. Other studies suggest that a deficiency of other B Vitamins like riboflavin may be involved so taking a vitamin B complex supplement would be worth a trial for a month.
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Vitamin A: make sure you get enough vitamin A. The recommended daily amount of Vitamin A is 600mcg for women and 700mcg for men. However high doses of vitamin A can be toxic so it is best to try and get vitamin A from foos rather than supplements. Good sources include liver, fish-liver oil, carrots, green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, enriched margarine, milk products and yellow fruit.
Ways to Stop Scratching
If the itchy area is very accessible, such as the wrist or back of the hand apply a small plaster so as to deter scratching.
Some people scratch in their sleep. Try a pair of thin cotton gloves or lightweight socks while you are sleeping.
Keep finger nails short to reduce the amount of skin damage from scratching.
More on treatments for eczema
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