Eczema - Sams neck was bright Red!

After learning that the steroid cream as perscribed was not improving our son Sams eczema we started to look around for other options. We tried numerous creams, some providing temporary relief.

We then came accross a website which said if you sent in a couple of strands of hair, they would do a test on the hair to determine what the problems were that were causing the eczema. So, thats what we did, we sent a couple of Sams hairs in - it was the root that they performed the test on. We then waited for a week for the results. I can not remember the full results, but I do remember them talking about parasites and bacteria.

Anyway, they put Sam on a calcium and magnesium supplement and also on a pro-biotic for 6 weeks before doing anything else. These were added to his juice or water so it was all quite easy. After the 6 weeks, they started Sam on something to tackle the eczema. They told me that it would probably make the eczema worse before it got better. It had to bring the eczema out rather than push it in - this is commonly said with Naturopaths. I cant remember what it was called, but it was in powder form.

For the first week there was no change but then Sams eczema started to look more angry. They told me to keep him on this for 4 weeks. As said previously Sams eczema was worse on his neck, this area became so angry and red after 3 weeks of using the perscribed powder. It was almost as if Sam had a permanent flare up. I contacted the Naturopath who we had been dealing with, telling them what was happening, we were due to go away the next day. He told me to stop using it while we went away, he said that there was obviuosly a big problem there. We did stop using it - I wanted to get rid of the eczema not make it worse!

Then we went away on holiday. After a couple of days Sams eczema settled down and the eczema on Sams neck was so much better than before we had started using the supplements. It was no longer red or causing him as much of a problem. So it had actually helped with the eczema.

Eczema on the Hands

Over 10% of women and around 4% on men suffer with eczema on the hands. It can be really uncomfortable and irritating. It usually starts in the web of fingers and then can go on to the fingers and backs of hands.

It is common in anyone whos work involves having their hands in water a lot or washing them constantly. The harsh chemicals found in many dishwashing liquids can be bad news for eczema on the hands. It can be so bad that when treatment is applied (even the natural remedies) it can cause the skin to sting slightly. I have taken to wearing gloves now when washing the pots. Another trigger of eczema on the hands is the cold weather.

Here are a few tips to help you manage your eczema on the hands:

Before hand washing or putting hands in the water, remove rings. The reason for this is that the water can get trapped behind the ring.

After hands have been in water moisturise them with a natural eczema remedy.

Stress is also a common eczema trigger so try to reduce getting yourself stressed. I know this is easier said than done, but wherever possible it will help.

Scratching any sort of eczema can make it worse, so keep fingernails short so that if you do scratch before being able to stop yourself then the damage will be less.

More moisture absorbs into the skin at night, so when treating apply your chosen natural remedy and cover with cotton gloves and sleep with them on.

More tips can be found on my eczema squidoo lens or on my ezine articles which can be accessed by clicking below:

Eczema and Diet

Eczema and Diet - certain foods can cause an eczema flare up. Flare ups are awful to cope with, the need to itch is so great that it can not be avoided. It can be really difficult to pin-point which foods trigger the eczema flares up. The best way to start is by going as natural as you can. Organic fruit and veg and the less processed foods eaten the better. Keep a food diary for a few weeks and monitor when the flare ups start, what food was eaten in the last few hours? Common foods that can cause an eczema flare up are shellfish, eggs, fish, wheat, nuts, tomatoes and even certain vegetables. It is not just a case of looking at eczema and diet with the flare ups, there are a number of other things that can cause the flare ups.

Soaps that contains perfume, sulphates, drying alcohol etc will make the eczema worse and can cause eczema flare ups. The same applies to moisturisers used. It is important to moisturise immediately after bathing. A good bath time or morning wash routine to get in the habit off is to was the skin gently with a cotton cloth using natural soap, immediately dry the skin again with cotton towels and then apply natural oil to moisturise. When the skin gets wet some of the moisture can escape and it important to lock it back in. It is also important to keep the skin clean as bacteria can also make the eczema worse.

Make an Eczema Food Diary: Certain foods can trigger your eczema flare-ups that is why you need to keep track of what you eat. Some of the most common foods that cause eczema flare-ups are eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, tomatoes, and nuts. Remember, unless you keep a diary, you will never know that your favorite ice cream is the source of your pain and not your happiness.

Try to avoid getting stressed. Stress can play a huge part with eczema flare ups. Dont let things get to you - its only yourself that will suffer!

Keep yourself stocked up with vitamins. Omega, evening primrose, zinc, pro-biotic and a good multi-vitamin.

Eczema Treatment for Children

Eczema treatment for children - it is even more important to treat children the natural way. Especially in children who have severe eczema and have to have a large quantity of cream applied.

The number of children who suffer with eczema has risen so that 20% of children now suffer. The big question is why is the number rising? Is it because nowadays we are too clean? I know that this may sound crazy, but we (me included) are constantly cleaning our children with the hand soap that you dont use water with or wet wipes. When I was younger I used to eat dirt (and probably worms - typical tomboy) out in the back garden.

Please let me have your thoughts on this. I would be interested to know if you have another theory.

Childrens Eczema

The number of People, children in particular who suffer with eczema is increasing. It is common for eczema to start before the age of 5, usually even before the age of 1. The problem with this is that eczema along with all skin irritations is made worse by constant itching. You can not explain this to a 3 month old baby. Childrens eczema is so much harder to deal with. When you try to stop them itching they just become frustrated. I know from first hand experience how hard this is.

My husband and I could often be seen outside the house carrying Sam trying to distract him whilst sneakily holding his hands down. This was really upsetting because in the middle of a full on flare up you could not stop him itching. Sometimes I wanted to let him itch just to feel the relief but then you end up with the eczema being worse and even drawing blood. If you are experiencing eczema my heart goes out to you - its awful. Please feel free to contact myself at hayley-buster@bigpond.com to talk about your Childrens eczema experience. If I can help I would be happy to.

I have also created a squidoo lens on eczema and am a Platinum article writer on ezine article. To visit the squidoo lens click here . My articles can be viewed by clicking on:

Eczema Natural Remedies

Eczema Natural Remedies - why go Natural? There are many reasons, it is better for you (steroid creams can actually thin the skin), the results are much better, etc

My son Sam suffered terribly with eczema when he was younger. It started when he was about 6 months old - it was at Christmas time. At first I had absolutely no idea that it was eczema. I used to have eczema on my hands but this looked different. The eczema started around his neck, bright red. I went to the doctor, guess what he did? prescribed steroid cream and told me to use it for a week and I would see improvement with the eczema. This was over Xmas and New Year.

Yes, the steroid cream did initially start to make Sams red neck seem less angry. But this was only temporary and then the red patches of eczema seemed to spread to behind his knees, his arms, his face and on and on it went.

Eczema is unbearable to manage (especially when its your child who is suffering). Any Mum will know that you would sooner yourself suffer than your child. Watching Sam clawing his eczema was awful. We could never leave him alone for a minute. His hands would go to his forehead or his neck where he would claw until he bled. Distraction was our main way of tackling it for a long time - we used to have to try to constantly distract Sam to stop him thinking about wanting to scratch himself.

Eczema was our whole life! Only anyone who has experienced eczema will understand this.

Once I realised that the steroid cream was not actually solving the eczema permanently - I stopped using it. Steroid cream actually covers the problem, pushes the eczema back into the skin, puts a coating on top of it. It thins the skin aswell and is not recommended for long term use.
So, I went on a hunt for eczema natural remedies. We tried everything and spent a fortune on the way (I would have sold the house and lived in a shed if it would have gotten rid of the eczema). Chinese medicine, different lotions etc.

Then I came accross an eczema natural remedy that was new out (at that time) and I of course gave it go, all the time to be honest not without doubt. The results were fantastic.