Are you sick of itchy skin? Is this something that is consuming your life?
If so, then check out my latest two-part video series on eczema. In this first one,
you're going to learn about what eczema is, why you get it, and most importantly
specific steps you can take to prevent it. In the video that follows, we will
jump into some treatment options that can help get this under control. But
that's not all, make sure you stick around to the end of this video because
I'm gonna give you a bonus tip on how you can save money with your health care.
All this and more, coming up!
Welcome to FamilyMed, your medical home for practical and accurate information
to help your family make healthy decisions. I'm Dr. Erik Richardson and
today we're talking eczema. So eczema is a fairly common condition that most of
dealt with in one way or another. It's estimated that over 30 million in the
United States have some sort of this condition. Now there's a large range of
different presentations in this, but simply, eczema is a name of a group of
conditions that causes your skin to become red, itchy and inflamed. So
eczema itself is a broad descriptive term and it's caused by a
lot of different things. There tends to be certain things in your environment
that can make it worse. So one of the keys to controlling this condition is to
try and figure out what is causing it and then try to avoid those things. This
can be one of the hardest things about this condition is really finding out
what those are what those triggers can be. Sometimes doing some allergy testing
can actually be helpful in really getting to the bottom of it. But first,
let's talk about how you know you have it. What do you look for and how does it
present? There are a few things that we tend to see. First of all, you'll see
some dry, red, sensitive, and even inflamed skin. You get a very bad itching. You can see
dark colored patches in the skin. Sometimes you get some rough leathery or
scaly patches of the skin. And then you can get some oozing or crusting in the
areas. It's really not very fun when it acts up, as you can see in this
picture right here. So, common places that tend to affect people, are the arms, the
back, the legs, hands, face, but really can happen anywhere. The most common form
that we tend to see, especially if you have a child who's dealing with it, is a
condition called atopic dermatitis. This is the most common form of eczema. In
kids a lot of times it starts as a dry scaly itchy patch that develops on the face
the arms and a lot of times actually in the creases of the arms and legs. This can
range from a small area to being affected to severe involvement
involving a lot of the body. It really can be quite a miserable condition.
So see ,what's going on in eczema or atopic dermatitis, is that, healthy
skin helps retain moisture that protects you from bacteria, irritants and
different allergens. But those who have eczema, there's a problem with that gene
that affects the skins ability to provide this protection. This allows your
skin to be affected by these environmental factors these irritants
and these allergens. So, unfortunately your typical typical eczema or
atopic dermatitis, is a chronic condition. It tends to have a genetic
cause and so there really isn't a cure for it. However,
that doesn't mean there isn't anything you can do about it. So, the
mainstay of treating and working with eczema centers in prevention and
avoidance. We'll talk about different treatments in a minute. Let's talk about
some of the things that you can do to avoid it flaring on you. First, you really
need to moisturize your skin at least twice a day. Creams, ointments,
lotions, they really help seal in the moisture. A good thick moisturizer, or
moisturizing lotion ,absent of perfumes or chemicals, brands like
you're Aveeno or Cetaphil are really good options. Even using something as
simple as petroleum jelly can really be helpful in keeping this under control. Now
try to identify and avoid any triggers that worsen this condition. Things that
can worsen skin reactions include sweat, stress,obesity, soaps, detergents, dust and
pollen. Try to figure out what your triggers are and reduce your exposure to
them. Infants and children may experience flares from eating certain foods
including eggs, milk, soy, wheat. Talk to your doctor about the symptoms and
possible triggers. It may be worthwhile to speak with an allergist and get some
specific testing. Ok, next. Try to take shorter baths or showers.
Limit your baths and showers to 10 - 15 minutes and use warm rather than
hot water. In kids, bathing them every two to three days can oftentimes be helpful
to keep them under control. Also use mild soaps without perfumes or any
antibacterial chemicals. These can remove your natural oils and dry your skin. When
you do dry yourself, do it carefully. After bathing, gently pat
your dry skin with a soft towel and then apply a moisturizer when
your skin is still damp. Also use a humidifier. Just adding a little moisture
into the house can really make a big difference. This is especially true in
the winter when you have the heater running in the house. Also take a
bleach bath. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends considering a
bleach bath to help prevent flares. A diluted Beach bleach bath decreases
bacteria in the skin which has been shown to prevent flares . Check
out my notes section below for some directions on how to do this. So
that's a few other things you can do to prevent it, so focus on that because it's
so much easier to try and prevent it than it is to treat it when it really
flares. O.k.,so that's the first part of this two-part series hopefully it's
giving you a better idea and what you can do to get on top of this condition
and prevent it from flaring on you. If you missed anything go ahead and watch
it again, or even look down below in the notes section for a review of what
we talked about. Now to find out more about this and to learn what things you
can do to treat eczema, make sure you stay tuned and watch the next video
where we focus on treatment options from the doctor as well as what you can do at
home. Let me know what you think, what kind of things have you found to be
helpful in controlling your eczema? Is there anything that you do that we
didn't discuss here? I want you to tell me about it in the comments below
I really hope you're finding this information to be helpful. If so, please
take the time to like the video, subscribe, and even hit that notification
button, so you don't miss out on any of the new content that we put out. O.K., so
now for a reward for those who stuck with us till the end,
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that's it for today. Now remember, my purpose in sharing this information is
to educate you and the things that you can think about in trying to make
decisions in your own health. In no way should it be taken as direct medical
advice to you in your own situation. So please consult your own doctor for
concerns regarding your specific situation. So until next time, this is
FamilyMed with Dr. Erik Richardson, and to remember please take care of your
body because it's the only one you have.