2 Things You Need To Know About Managing Your Eczema

Many people suffer from eczema. It can affect those who are as young as a few days old, and can plague people all the way into their golden years. There may be times when the eczema is mild and even non-existent, and there may be other times when the eczema is so severe you can hardly get comfortable. Here are a couple things that you can do to manage your eczema.

1. Elimination Diet

Many people do not understand just how much the food they eat affects their skin. For example, if you have an allergy or intolerance to certain foods, it can cause you to have eczema. This is why it is important that you determine if the eczema if caused by a certain food that you eat. The way to do this is through an elimination diet.

An elimination diet is when you take out the 8 major foods that cause allergic reactions. These foods are wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish. In order to really get these foods out of your system, you need to completely eliminate all of the foods for about 2 weeks. You may start noticing a difference earlier than 2 weeks, but it is best if you can wait that long. After this time has passed you can add in one food at a time. For example, say the first day you add back some dairy products. You should continue to eat those foods for a couple days before you add in more foods. This is because sometimes the reaction will not be immediate it could be days later. If you don't notice any eczema with dairy, move on to wheat or eggs and so forth. If you do notice a reaction, take the food back out and continue with adding different foods back in.

Hopefully as you do the elimination diet ,you will be able to see if your skin looks or feels any different from avoiding certain foods. You may be able to manage your eczema with diet.

2. Manage The Flare-ups

In some cases you may just need to manage the flare-ups. Even if you have been able to control the eczema with avoiding certain foods, there may be allergens outside, or a skin condition that is simply beyond your control. This is why you should focus on using creams, not lotions that are fragrance free. The cream should be as mild as possible. You doctor can even prescribe some cream that will help to moisturize the skin. These creams can be used as often as needed, and/or should be used to help prevent flare-ups.

These are just a couple things you need to know about managing your eczema. 

To learn more about eczema treatment, contact an allergy clinic like Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center PS.