Home Remedies for eczema

In addition to a very itchy rash and dry skin, eczema is characterized by abnormal changes in the blood vessels of the skin, immunologic abnormal­ities, and an inherited tendency to be hypersensitive to allergens. These al­lergens do not even have to directly touch the skin to aggravate eczema. Foods, dust mites, pollens, and animal furs are common culprits.


There are three distinct variants of atopic eczema: an infantile form , a childhood form, and an adolescent or adult form. However, an intensely itching rash is a feature of all of these stages.


The infantile form of eczema develops more commonly in bottle-fed than breast-fed babies, starting as early as two months, and almost always developing by the age of two years. Sixty percent of all eczema dermatitis sufferers develop the rash by the age of one year. Red, extremely itchy, ooz­ing, crusted lesions can involve the face, scalp, neck, and outer aspects of the arms and legs of the infant. This often improves by age five, but asthma or hay fever then develops in more than half of the children.


The childhood form of eczema may follow from the infantile form or arise on its own between the ages of four and ten years. The type and site of the skin rash changes to dry, scaling, thickened, red bumps and patches on the inner folds of wrists, elbows, knees, and neck. The rash often im­proves with age and disappears by puberty


Many cases of atopic eczema may be due to food sensitivities or aller­gies. Dairy products such as eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream head the list of possible allergens. Indeed, many experts consider a child with atopic eczema allergic to dairy products until proved otherwise. Often babies develop eczema as they are weaned from mother's to cow's milk. Breastfeed­ing for as long as possible, with the mother also avoiding dairy products, can delay or improve a baby's eczema, and is recommended for those with a fam­ily history of asthma, hay fever, food allergies, and eczema. A ten-year New Zealand study involving a group of 1,265 children that was published in the October 1990 issue of Pediatrics reported that children who were introduced to four or more types of solid foods before the age of four months were al­most three times more likely to develop recurrent eczema than children who did not have any solid feeding until after four months of age. Other very common food allergens in atopic eczema include wheat, sugar, food addi­tives, citrus fruits, tomatoes, yeast-containing foods, and even fish.


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