Sunday 6 February 2011

How To: Get Rid of Eczema?

From what I have experienced so far.....sorry but you can't if you've had it well into your adult life!

We have a condition that we need to be respect. Some lucky kids "grow" out of it but those of us who have the conditions well into our adult life will need to live with it and be aware of the environments we are in.

BUT - I do know we can reduce the symptoms so that our skin becomes better, heals, and the "things" we are sensitive to become lessened. The rash continually tries to re-occur with me, but I'm much more in control now. I've stopped using the Epaderm and using a regular cream. I don't really want to mention the brand because it has NOTHING to do with the brand.

Clear Skin
In 2009, I almost cleared my skin of eczema. I had clear skin over the majority of my body. I had lived with eczema and I had allowed it to take control for over 25 years! In 2006 I was so miserable with the constant itching day and night and allowed it to take over 80% of my body. What did I do to clear it at that point?
- Took cold showers all summer
- Changed my emollient to Epaderm
- Ate fresh organic salad from my garden all summer + fish + beetroot + avocados
- Learnt to sleep more and drink more water
- Took 1/2 an anti-histamines at night to reduce the itching
- Moisturised all day and all night long (about 6 times during the day and whenever I woke up during the night - which was about 4-5 times)
- Twice weekly changed my bedding and vacuumed my room a lot
- Daily I shook out my sheets outside and let my bedsheets air out

I had tried using a stronger cortisone called fucibet but realistically this was just a temporary relief. In fact what it did was to make my skin thinner and easier to break the next time my skin felt itchy. I also had stopped using it after contracting shingles.

Eczema Back Again
In March 2010, I had not realised that the eczema had snuck back up on me and again my body was ravaged with eczema. In March I had returned to an old emollient as I had run out of Epaderm but figured it wouldn't matter returning to the Emulsifying Ointment the docs had once prescribed to me. I had not realised it had been making me itchy as I did not itch immediately, it might have been say an hour after application.

About June/July I realised that the Emulsifying Ointment was causing me a problem as I ran out of it and tried to get some more from the pharmacy but they also had run out, however they did have Epaderm in stock. Again for the first time, I found I did not itch as much. I have stopped using Emulsifying Ointment forever. From that day I had to rid my body of the toxin.

Jan 2011, I have finally got control back and have a little still on the inner elbows and small patch niggling on my neck. What did I do this time?
- All the above except for sleep

Due to work stresses - I was back in my old habits of not sleeping. Sleep is such a powerful healer that many of us neglect due to also scratching at night and therefore don't want to sleep. I took a holiday in the sunshine and did less work for a month! Managed to turn the condition around. I have recently found that my skin is now a little sensitive to Epaderm so have used it much less. In fact I have read some other eczema sufferers who have turned around their eczema do not use any emollients that are petroleum based. So I will now see if that rationale will work with me. If it does not return with a vengence at all this year, I will know that it is under control for a long time.

So how do you reduce eczema?

- Detective work, observing what you are sensitive to.

- Do not accept feeling itchy constantly. Something in your environment is causing you to itch. Mine was my moisturising plan the doc had prescribed to me. My body also does not like clothing that have not been worn for a long time or has got dusty.

- Moisturise like crazy with the right products to help reduce the dryness and thus the itch.

- Cold showers are the best as they do not dry out your skin like hot water showers/baths.

- Keep your sleeping environment clean/dust free - get a better vacuum cleaner.

- Keep handy anti-histamines for whenever you have an itch attack and the hives are popping up (I had one on holiday) but do not consume lots of anthistamines otherwise your body will get used to the chemical and it becomes ineffective. I will use it at most for 3 days during a month.

- Get some sun on your skin.

- Sleep! I now have a regular dose of about 8 hours, an increase from my 4-6 hours.

Keep believing you can have much more normal skin, because I have managed to nearly get there.

7 comments:

Nay Nay said...

Hi..i too know what ur going through and i too have started a blog on eczema..i was wondering if there was anyway we could keep in touch becasue our feeling are mutual...please respond bye :)

-Signed,
Nay (someone who feels your pain)

Anonymous said...

Hi, I have had eczema since I was born and I have learned to live with it. I am now 34. I have suffered from dreadful eczema on my hands leading to one of my students asking why my hands look older than her grandma's. I also have eczema across my entire body. Recently I had false nails applied. I was amazed to find that, within a week, the eczema on my hands had virtually cleared. I am sure that the reason for this is that the false nails are thicker and cannot do the damage that my own nails can do. This has not solved the itching, just the damage. It is also worth noting that some sources suggest that use of acrylic nails and glue can cause eczema. However, for me the results are so dramatic that I will continue to have my nails done!

karina said...

I had ezcema since the day i was born. My worse flareup was when i was 10 where my whole face went really thick and bumpy and then it started to weep. It was so tight and uncortable. I always had atopic ezcema around my body but i learnt to deal with that. I live in Australiaso it is really hot in spring and summer. That makes my skin so bad. I flare up once i sweat,come in contact with pollen and if i eat something wrong. I also discovered acrylic nails last years. It helped so much and prevent further damage and let my broken skin heal. Though once my acrylics grew out and fell out. The whole ezcema flare up will come i full blast.So i had to try and not scratch for like 2 weeks so that my nails can heal and then reapply acrylics.
My dermatologist said as long it helps me why not do acrylics, as the cream is not a good for long term usuage.He also said as long as i go to a pretty decent and hygenic nail salon i wont get nail fungus or bacteria.
You might like to try it too.
The creams i use are hydrocortisone and celestone when my ezcema flares up.

tn607697 said...

For all you who suffer from Eczema, try Moringa Oil. It has been used for thousands of years to moisturize and renew the skin. People all over the world utilize moringa oil for inflammation, psoriasis, eczema and shingles. Simply rub a small drop into the affected area and watch the oil go to work!

http://www.cafemoringa.com/products-page/page/3/

Anonymous said...

My eczema started after my first child was born. My eczema spread to my inner thighs and back legs and at times was very painful due to severe itching and scratching. Although clean skin is a must, clean linens and clothes are also important. I began using a natural skin care line that has changed my skin completely. I use the body lotion twice a day. I use the face moisturizer, mud mask and goats milk & Hemp oil soap as well and I haven't had any problems with eczema returning. I'm so afraid it will return that I refuse to be without these products. Irish eyes by lorena is a natural skin care product that has irish moss and hemp oil as the main ingredients. I highly recommend this to anyone with severe eczema. I hope this helps!

Mara

Mahindra Raj said...

Thanks for the update. I really appreciate the efforts you have made for this blog.

Harrison Li said...