Eczema is not a single disease of the skin. It is a range of diseases that have the same effect on skin. It is a virus that causes skin to itch. When this itch is scratched, the itch gets worse. With more and more scratching, the itching intensifies more and more. There are a number of causes as well as a number of treatments for eczema. In most instances with some research, the cause of each problem can be discovered, isolated and avoided.

Eczema is the common name for the type of reaction where skin once disturbed itches, weeps fluid, oozes a bloody pus from a rash, and becomes thick and swollen. If you were to scratch or rub the itch, the symptoms begin and continue to progress until the last stage, where skin thickens and has deep grooves where the skin's normally fine lines become deeper and significantly more outstanding.

Eczema works on a vicious cycle. Something irritates your skin. It becomes red and inflamed. It itches, and you rub or scratch it. As a result of scratching and rubbing, your skin becomes more inflamed, and you lose its outer protective layer. As the outer layer is broken down, the under layers of skin become further irritated which causes you to want to scratch it again. If you do, the skin condition becomes worse and worse as you scratch and rub.

The broken unprotected skin becomes extra sensitive to irritants, and also dries out much more easily because its protective covering is gone. However, you are still exposed to the initial cause of your eczema outbreak, and the rash continues to progress along this cycle until something stops it.

It is estimated that in the United States alone there are approximately 15 million people hosting some form of eczema. Studies also show that 10% to 20% of all infants worldwide have eczema; however, it is common that in half of these children the disease will become significantly weaker or non-existent as they age through the time of five through fifteen years old. On the contrary, in cases where eczema runs in the family, the chances are higher that the disease can become a lifelong condition.

Right now, there is no known cause for the disease, but the people most often affected are those with allergies in their family's history.

In infants eczema usually finds its onset as an allergic reaction to something contained in their diet. A worthwhile remedy at this stage is for infants to breastfeed from a mother who does not consume dairy products, eggs, and seafood among others depending on individual immunities. Six months of breast feeding has been accredited with being able to control and prevent eczema in some children.

With older eczema sufferers, long baths and the use of soap are two of the main eczema problem starters. To remedy, baths should end before the skin begins to prune. Once your skin starts to prune, it is a signal that it is being damaged. The problem is that the moisture retaining layer is disturbed. Once this layer is upset it gives up moisture, and
the itch that leads to an eczema flare up is set in motion.

For more detailed information on this condition and how to treat it, sign up for the "eczema free" newsletter at www.eczemabathsalts.com, as information becomes more and more available you will have it forwarded to you right away.

Broyde McDonald
www.eczemabathsalts.com