In addition to modifying your everyday lifestyle in an effort to reduce the amount of stress that is undoubtedly exacerbating your eczema problem, there are several things that you can learn which might help you to be able to de-stress even further.
In order to learn practices like yoga, it was not all that long ago that you had to go to organized classes which would have cost money, but it is now possible to pick up most of the information that you need from the internet completely free.
The first thing you can do to reduce the amount of stress you have to put up with on a daily basis is to change your life so that you don’t put yourself in situations where you are going to be stressed.
For example, if you are the kind of person who ends up running to the subway or railway station every morning for the very last train that will get you to work on time, try getting out of bed 10 minutes earlier so that you can catch a subway or train that is not so desperately last minute.
Calendula is an ancient medicinal herb which helps to treat dry and damaged skin which is also excellent for minimizing the effects of eczema and psoriasis. In suspension and used topically, calendula is highly effective for reducing skin inflammation while also soothing irritated tissue.
If you run an online search for calendula, you will find plenty of places where you can buy plants or at least the extract so that you can make your own soothing, moisturizing lotion or oil yourself. Failing this, you might consider buying a commercially produced calendula salve like this one.
Hydrocotyle is an aquatic plant with between 75 and 100 species included under this one major ‘heading’. However, as a herbal remedy, it has been used for many centuries because of its wound healing capabilities and its ability to aid skin rejuvenation. You may be able to find moisturizing solutions containing this herb, but if not, try to find the herb online and infuse it into a mild unscented baby oil to make your own moisturizing solution.
Given that eczema is a condition that is characterized by dry skin, it is logical that anything that reduces your dry skin is an effective way of dealing with your problem.
For this reason, you should always bathe for as short a time as possible, while also reducing the amount of soap that you use during the bathing process. It will probably be more effective to use a natural moisturizing oil like tea tree oil in your bath because this will help to keep your skin moist and supple.
Clinical diagnosis of eczema is most commonly based on the appearance of a patient’s skin and on their family and personal history. However, because there are many similar conditions to eczema (e.g. psoriasis), your medical practitioner will have to examine your skin lesions in order to rule out alternatives problems.
They may even need to carry out a skin lesion biopsy to establish exactly what you are suffering from, although in most cases this is unlikely to be necessary.
As suggested previously, it is generally agreed that one of the most common causes of eczema is an allergic reaction or the fact that a particular person is especially susceptible to particular allergens such as tree pollen, pet hair etc.
Furthermore, we established in the previous chapter that many eczema sufferers are prone to allergic reactions to certain foodstuffs which can prompt a flare-up of the condition at any time.
I have mentioned that one way of discovering what particular foodstuffs or beverages cause you eczema problems is to keep a journal of your elimination diet.
Many of the better-known and more commonly used food additives, colorings and preservatives can also cause your eczema to flare-up.
It is a fact of modern life that the majority of foods we eat and beverages we drink include preservatives or additives of some description, but as far as possible, you should try to avoid consuming foods or drinks that are laden with chemical additives.
As an example, substances like tartrazine, monosodium glutamate and sodium benzoate are all known to be capable of irritating your system to the extent that you suffer a flare-up of eczema.
As suggested in the introduction to this book, while many medical professionals will deal with a patient’s eczema problem on a topical basis, from a ‘natural treatment’ point of view, it is often better to treat the condition on a ‘holistic’ whole body basis. Put another way, it is always more effective to deal with a medical condition or problem from the inside out, rather than the other way around, and dealing with eczema is no exception.
It’s often hereditary…
A suggested earlier, it is generally believed that one of the major causes of eczema is a hereditary predisposition to suffering from the condition.
However, there has to be some kind of trigger that causes a flare-up of the itchy red skin lesions that are characteristic of eczema. For example, a flare up of contact dermatitis might be brought on by something as seemingly innocent as wearing rough clothes such as those made from wool or other similarly rough fabrics.