The outbreak of eczema can be avoided and the severity of this skin disorder can be lessened by avoiding excessive bathing and all types of contact irritants including antiseptic soaps, detergents and cleansing agents. Clothing next to the body should be of cotton with avoidance of extremes of temperature and dust, said Dr Sabrina Pal, former Professor Dermatology of King Edward Medical College, Mayo Hospital.
She said many types of fragrance-free emollients and moisturizers will help skin protection, especially in low humidity season. Proper use of moisturizers would improve the skin barrier function of eczema patient. It is to be noted that last week of November is being observed as international eczema awareness week. Eczema, also known as dermatitis, is a reactive disorder. It is of several different types. Cause is combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors.
One of the common types is atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as atopic eczema. Many patients have family history of allergies as eczema, asthma and hay fever. It usually starts in infancy and is seen both in children and adults. Synthetic and woollen clothing, excessive use of detergents, dust and extreme temperature help precipitate the eczema.
Atopic dermatitis is a very itchy disorder with rashes on different parts of body. Skin appearance depends on the stage of the disease and is usually dry. Rashes include redness, scales, weeping, bleeding, cracking, even small blisters at times and thick dark skin due to constant rubbing. Skin infection worsens the situation. Life usually becomes miserable. An overwhelming number of people have difficulty in falling asleep and are frustrated. Many feel embarrassed about their appearance.
"The disease in general can be successfully managed and in some cases even prevented. Qualified dermatologists provide explanation on lifestyle, preventive measures, medical management and psychological support enabling the patient to lead a quality life," she concluded.
It is pertinent to mention that 84 percent patients of eczema have difficulty in falling asleep, while 47 percent patients feel frustrated. Similarly, 39 percent are embarrassed about their appearance and 35 percent are often angry about their appearance. Also, patients with AD had inferior mental health scores compared with those with diabetes or hypertension and inferior social functioning scores compared with patients with hypertension.
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