Allergic Eczema - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Allergic eczema appears in individuals who have a family history of allergy. Besides eczema, they may be have other manifestations of allergies such as asthma or seasonal sneezing as well.SymptomsWith children, it begins in the first year of life. The skin on the cheeks, scalp and at the creases of the body is dry and cracked. Because of itching and irritation, it is red and sometimes oozing.Initial lesions consist of dryness and redness over the skin with uniform pinhead-size eruptions. There is an oozing of serum from these lesions.Crusts form oozing vesicles there and the whole area gets infected with bacteria, producing pus. At this stage, the child not only has irritation locally but may also have a general reaction in the body in the form of fever.If the eruptions become chronic are aggravated by continued rubbing and scratching, swelling and thickening of the skin may result. Chronic lesions darken the colour of the skin as well.
Causes
Causes of allergic eczema may be susceptibility to certain foods, pollens and dusts or to certain substances with which the skin comes in contact, and in latent allergens in adults. Wool and nylon clothes are also known to aggravate the lesions in some cases.Among factors which often have an unfavourable influence on the course of the disease are rapid changes in temperature, emotional tensions, dusty environments, alkaline cleansing agents, including common toilet, soaps, contact with greasy topical medicaments and infections like cold and sinusitis. Diseases associated with high fever, however, often exert a temporary beneficial action.Diagnosis Diagnosis of the attending allergies, in these cases is very important in order to cure the condition. This is done by means of clinical tests for avoidance and re-exposure to the suspected items.
Treatment
Keeping the skin moist through applications of creams, oils and ointments is helpful.Antihistaminic creams also reduce itching and in severe cases, application of ointments containing corticosteroids proves helpful. Some of the commonly used substances that cause this reactions and the site of reaction are as follows!Substance ---> SiteStocking, shoes, chappals, clothing ---> Feet legs + bodyPlants, vegetables detergents, kerosene oil ---> HandsDeodorant ---> ArmpitsNecklace ---> NeckLipstick ---> LipsNose Drops ---> Nose and area the noseSpectacles ---> Bridge of the noseEarrings ---> EarlobesEye cosmetics ---> Eyelids and area around the eyesHair Dyes ---> Forehead, behind the ears and back of the neck, scalp

Got Red Eyes ? Allergic Conjunctivitis Is Treatable

by: Brue Baker

Eye allergies affect millions of people every year. There are a few different eye allergies and allergic conjunctivitis is one of the most common. Although it does affect a lot of people allergic conjunctivitis happens to be one of the most treatable eye conditions, both in children and in adults. In order to treat conjunctivitis however, one must know the major causes. There are many different factors that can cause allergic conjunctivitis, including:* Viruses* Bacteria* Irritating substances* Sexually transmitted diseasesTreatment For Allergic ConjuctivitisThere are a few different treatment options when it comes to the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. One is topical decongestants, which are medicines that help to reduce redness in the eyes by constricting small blood vessels in the eye. As a result the eyes look less pink and are less irritated in general. However, these are not recommended for long term use and typically doctors will only suggest that the patient use them for a couple of weeks at the very most.
There are also many topical antihistamines that are available for treatment of allergic conjunctivitis which also help to reduce redness in the eyes but as well swelling and itching. There are topical steroids which are often recommended and which must be used with careful consideration because otherwise they can be potentially dangerous. The specific treatment plan for allergic conjunctivitis that is going to work best will have to be determined by a medical professional. Your doctor will take your personal characteristics into consideration as well as a number of other factors including how severe the condition is and how long you have been dealing with it for. All of these issues are going to play an important role not only in the matter of the doctor deciding on the appropriate treatment, but also on how you can prevent yourself from getting it again in the future.There are many other eye allergies that one can develop as well and of course prevention is always the best method. Some prevention methods include:* Washing your hands frequently (especially after meals and going to the bathroom)* Avoiding shaking hands as much as possible* Not using anyone else's cosmetics* Not using other people's personal items Just as one would to prevent a cold, it is important to stay guarded against bacteria and disease because this is how the conjunctivitis, allergic or not, begins. The best way to stay guarded is to amp up your immune system.
You can do this through exercise, following a healthy diet of organic fruits and vegetables as well as taking a natural immune booster such as Echinacea or Interferon. If you have already developed conjunctivitis make sure that you go see your doctor and follow any of their recommendations. Otherwise remember to follow the preventative measures listed above to keep you out of the doctor's office in the future. Good luck on you journey towards health and wellness!

10 Winter Skin Care Tips

" The weather outside may be unsightly, but your skin doesn't have to be. How to banish dry skin and give your winter skin care regimen a boost."

By Susan Davis WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

For many people, the cold clear days of winter bring more than just a rosy glow to the cheeks. They also bring uncomfortable dryness to the skin of the face, hands, and feet. For some people, the problem is worse than just a general tight, dry feeling: They get skin so dry it results in flaking, cracking, even eczema (in which the skin becomes inflamed).
"As soon as you turn the heat on indoors, the skin starts to dry out," Bonnie LaPlante, an esthetician with the Canyon Ranch resort in Lenox, Mass., tells WebMD. "It doesn't matter if you heat your home using oil, wood, or electricity. The skin gets dry."
Sound familiar? Read on to get WebMD's top 10 tips for boosting your winter skin care regimen, so that your skin stays moist and healthy through the winter months.
1. Seek a Specialist
If you go to your local drugstore, you'll be hard put to find a salesperson who can give you good advice. That's why going to an esthetician or dermatologist even once is a good investment. Such a specialist can analyze your skin type, troubleshoot your current skin care regimen, and give you advice on the skin care products you should be using.
But that doesn't mean you'll be stuck buying high-end products. "Inexpensive products work just as well as high-end ones," says David Voron, MD, a dermatologist in Arcadia, Calif. "In fact, the extra price you pay for the expensive stuff is often just for packaging and marketing. What's most important is how your skin responds to the product -- and how you like its feel, not how much money you paid for it."
2. Moisturize More
You may have found a moisturizer that works just fine in spring and summer. But as weather conditions change, so, too, should your skin care routine. Find an "ointment" moisturizer that's oil-based, rather than water-based, as the oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion. (Hint: Many lotions labeled as "night creams" are oil-based.)
But choose your oils with care because not all oils are appropriate for the face. Instead, look for "nonclogging" oils, like avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil. Shea oil -- or butter -- is controversial, because it can clog facial pores. And vegetable shortening, LaPlante says, is a really bad idea. "It would just sit on the skin," she says. "And it would be really greasy."
You can also look for lotions containing "humectants," a class of substances (including glycerine, sorbitol, and alpha-hydroxy acids) that attract moisture to your skin.
3. Slather on the Sunscreen
No, sunscreen isn't just for summertime. Winter sun -- combined with snow glare -- can still damage your skin. Try applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and your hands (if they're exposed) about 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply frequently if you stay outside a long time.
4. Give Your Hands a Hand
The skin on your hands is thinner than on most parts of the body and has fewer oil glands. That means it's harder to keep your hands moist, especially in cold, dry weather. This can lead to itchiness and cracking. Wear gloves when you go outside; if you need to wear wool to keep your hands warm, slip on a thin cotton glove first, to avoid any irritation the wool might cause.
5. Avoid Wet Gloves and Socks
Wet socks and gloves can irritate your skin and cause itching, cracking, sores, or even a flare-up of eczema.
6. Hook Up the Humidifier
Central heating systems (as well as space heaters) blast hot dry air throughout our homes and offices. Humidifiers get more moisture in the air, which helps prevent your skin from drying out. Place several small humidifiers throughout your home; they help disperse the moisture more evenly.
7. Hydrate for Your Health, Not for Your Skin
If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Drinking water helps your skin stay young looking. In fact, it's a myth. Water is good for your overall health and "the skin of someone who is severely dehydrated will benefit from fluids. But the average person's skin does not reflect the amount of water being drunk," Kenneth Bielinski, MD, a dermatologist in Oak Lawn, Ill., tells WebMD "It's a very common misconception."
LaPlante agrees. "I see clients at the spa who drink their 10 to 12 glasses of water a day and still have superdry skin. It just doesn't do that much."
8. Grease Up Your Feet
Yes, those minty foot lotions are lovely in the hot summer months, but during the winter, your feet need stronger stuff. Try finding lotions that contain petroleum jelly or glycerine instead. And use exfoliants to get the dead skin off periodically; that helps any moisturizers you use to sink in faster and deeper.
9. Pace the Peels
If your facial skin is uncomfortably dry, avoid using harsh peels, masks, and alcohol-based toners or astringents, all of which can strip vital oil from your skin. Instead, find a cleansing milk or mild foaming cleanser, a toner with no alcohol, and masks that are "deeply hydrating," rather than clay-based, which tends to draw moisture out of the face. And use them a little less often.
10. Ban Superhot Baths
Sure, soaking in a burning-hot bath feels great after frolicking out in the cold. But the intense heat of a hot shower or bath actually breaks down the lipid barriers in the skin, which can lead to a loss of moisture. "You're better off with just warm water," LaPlante advises, "and staying in the water a shorter amount of time."
A lukewarm bath with oatmeal or baking soda, can help relieve skin that is so dry it has become itchy, Bielinski notes. So, too, can periodically reapplying your moisturizer. If those techniques don't work, go see a dermatologist. "You may need a prescription lotion to combat the dry skin," Bielinski says. "Or you may have a condition that isn't simply dry skin and that requires different treatment."