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Eczema is a type of dermatitis or skin inflammation. The exact causes of this condition have been placed on allergic reactions, infections, and a genetic predisposition. There is no systematic cure available for eczema as of now and the only treatments present help reduce the symptoms of the disease it self. Most eczema occurs in the areas of the joints though facial eczemas can occur in children suffering infantile eczema.
There are many types of eczemas. Atopic or infantile eczema, is mostly a hereditary condition, and occurs in children and infants, and is characterized by rashes and inflammation on the affected area. This causes a great deal of irritation and itching, which can further aggravate the condition and even cause bacterial and fungal infections. This form of eczema is treated by removing all forms of allergens from the living environment of the patient. Contact dermatitis is caused by a delayed reaction to an allergen or exposure to an irritating substance. This is especially prevalent among people who come in direct skin contact with irritant chemicals like cement. This form of eczema is almost curable by staying away from the irritant. Xerotic eczema is also called Winter Itch and is caused due to extreme dryness in the skin. Seborrhoeic dermatitis is a condition that affects the scalp of the individual. This is generally noticed in infants and manifests itself in a similar way to dandruff. Apart from the peeling off of the skin, this is a harmless form of eczema.
Steroid treatments are the most common medicines used to treat the symptoms of eczema. Corticosteroids are the chosen attack mechanism in treating this ailment because of its ability to reduce inflammation. Usually, this is used along with other treatments to stave off any other effects like reduced immunity because corticosteroids also have immunosuppressant properties that make one susceptible to secondary infections. At the skin level, moisturizers and a change in bathing habits are some of the additional treatments used because eczemas tend to cause further drying of the skin.
Curiously, the most successful treatment of eczema has actually come from Chinese traditional medicine. This treatment uses a lot of traditional Chinese herbs and has been observed to be so successful that it even causes a remission of the condition. Though there are no definitive results for this claim in clinical trials there is non-clinical trial based data to show that this treatment works. The difficulty in pursuing this treatment however lies in finding an expert and the medicines themselves.
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