Natural Health October 2017

SPECIAL
8 Types Of
Common Eczema
and What You Can
Do About Them
Eczema is a term for a group of
medical conditions that cause the skin
to become inflamed or irritated. The
word eczema originated from the
Greek words “ek” which means out and
“zein” which means boil, put together
“ekzein or ekzema” that means boil-out
or boil-over; referring to the inflamed
bubbles or blisters that appear on the
skin. It is a highly individual condition
which varies from person to person
and comes in many different forms.
It is not contagious. In mild cases of
eczema, the skin is dry, scaly, red and
itchy. In more severe cases there may
be weeping, crusting and bleeding.
Constant scratching causes the skin to
split and bleed and also leaves it open
to infection. Eczema affects people of
all ages but is primarily seen in children.
The Human Skin
In order to get a better understanding
of Eczema, it is important to gain an
insight into the skin and its role. The
skin provides a strong, effective barrier
that protects the body from infection or
irritation. Skin is made up of a thin outer
layer, a fairly elastic one in the middle,
and a fatty layer at the deepest level.
Each layer contains skin cells, water
and fats, all of which help maintain and
protect the condition of the skin.
Healthy skin cells are plumped up with
water, forming a protective barrier
against damage and infection. Fats
and oils in the skin help retain moisture,
maintain body temperature and also
prevent harmful substances or bacteria
from entering the body.
The eczematous skin may not produce as
much fats and oils, and will be less able
to retain water. The protective barrier is
therefore not as good as it should be.
Gaps open up between the skin cells
because they are not sufficiently plumped
up with water. Because it is prone to
drying out and is easily damaged,
the eczematous skin is more liable to
become inflamed and sensitized.
Causes of Eczema
The specific cause of eczema remains
unknown, but it is believed to develop
due to a combination of hereditary
(genetic) and environmental factors.
Children are more likely to develop
eczema if a parent has had it or another
atopic disease. If both parents have an
atopic disease, the chances increase
further. Environmental factors are also
known to bring out the symptoms of
eczema; these include irritants (soaps,
detergents, shampoos, disinfectants),
allergens (dust mites, pets, pollens, mold,
dandruff),microbes (bacteria, viruses, and
certain fungi),weather conditions(very hot
or cold weather, high and low humidity),
food (dairy products, eggs, nuts and
seeds, soy products, wheat), stress (it is
not a cause of eczema but can make
symptoms worse), hormones (women
can experience worsening of eczema
symptoms at times when their hormone
levels are changing, for example during
pregnancy and at certain points in their
menstrual cycle).
Prevalence and Statistics
Eczema was earlier thought to be a
common inflammatory skin disease that
affects 4% to 7% of adults, and 15%
to 25% of children worldwide and as
per the statistics the highest numbers of
eczema patients belong to the Asia.
32 Natural Health * October 2017 VOL 84