how to naturally control excema?

[inishindie]

Hi

I have just been to see a friend of mine. Her six year old child has just come down with a bad case of excema. It stared on her inner elbow on the soft skin and has spread to the rest of her body. She has never suffered before this.

Different people are saying different things. She has a cat, some say it's the problem. Dust mites and diet were also mentioned.

Has anyone elso had such a problem with thier child's skin? How did you rectify the issue?

She has been on antibiotics and a short course of steroids as well as the emmolient creams.

I would love to be able to recommend something and so understand if you make a suggestion it is our responsibility to ensure that it is safe before we go ahead.

Any natural remedies?

Thanks

Ian

http://inishindie.blogspot.com/

[ina]

I think as long as you don't know what's causing it, it is difficult to give any proper advice. If it's an allergy to an animal, for example, neither diet nor antibiotics will help! Although a good diet can't do any harm, and whatever the cause, would probably help clear it up - so I would definitely start at that point. (No idea what the child would say about it, though - unfortunately all those healthy things aren't normally popular with kids!)

[Shirley]

Both my boys have suffered with eczema at some stage and as Ina says, getting to the source of the problem is the tricky bit. However - you can try to alleviate the symptoms by using a good moisturiser - again, it's hit and miss as to what to use but I have had some success with hemp seed oil and a skin salvation balm.

When my eldest son was bad with it (as a baby) we tried all the different creams and steroids that were in existence. He saw skin specialist after skin specialist and in the end we were told that he was allergic to milk and eggs. We took those out of his diet (under the supervision of a dietitian) and then tried a new and very strong cream. Eventually we got it under control.

It does flare up from time to time - generally when the heating goes on and the air is drier. My 4 year old is having a bad time of it at the moment but I suspect that our water is to blame as my skin has gone dry and sore too.

I stopped using the usual brands of soap powder and used Ecover non bio instead and made sure that even that was rinsed out of clothes. Clothes are always cotton - no synthetics (apart from his school sweatshirt) and we don't use perfumed shampoos or soaps on him. When it's bad we keep baths/showers to a minimum as water can be drying too. Some people swear by aqueous cream - this worked well for my older son, but only certain brands. Some has preservatives in which irritated his skin... others don't, and were fine. Might be worth checking with the skin specialist before using different treatments though - don't want to make it worse by chucking everything at it.

Try to ensure that the cat is kept out of the bedroom at all times - easier said than done I know.... our cat jumps at the chance to sprawl over the bed.

I've got some interesting links somewhere - I'll look them out for you.

[contadina]

I have two nieces that have suffered badly with eczema over the years. One's cleared up completely when she swapped cows for goats milk and the other finds relief in sea water (she's in her thirties now and still flairs up when stressed and/or overworked).

[ina]

That reminds me: my father used olive oil (doctor's advice!), and his also always got better when he went to the sea for a holiday and went into the water every day.

[farmerdrea]

My son, now nearly 16, was diagnosed with all kinds of food allergies when he was 4, when he broke out with a rash that started similarly to your friend's daughter's rash.

The main offending foods at the time were cow's milk, wheat and soy products.

I would simply try taking the girl off cow's milk and switching to goat (minute amounts of lactose compared to cow's) milk to see if that helps. It will take the body a few days to a couple of weeks to completely rid itself of what's causing the rash (if lactose is it), so give it time, and in the meantime use topical, symptomatic relief such as had already been recommended. Steroids are last choice, because they usually help in the short term and then have a huge flare up after you stop using them, as the body becomes addicted and needs more and more and more to stop the rash (that was how our son's doctor explained it to us anyway).

My son still has flare-ups when stressed, but I hadn't thought about sea water to help. He loves swimming, but we don't get much opportunity (oceans are too cold down here!).

Good luck!
Andrea

[Milims]

It's not a cure but if you put some oatmeal in a muslin bag, tie it to the tap and let the water run thru it at bath time it does help sooth the skin

[Chickenlady]

I was going to suggest some kind of cream containing hemp too - it is supposed to be very effective for eczema. I used to suffer very dry skin on my face in the winter but this was resolved by using Jason Organic hemp moisturiser. It is fab, and very good value.

[Clara]

a few years ago when I had a patch on my face a dr told me to cut out caffeine, sugar and dairy to help it clear, which it did quite quickly.

A few weeks ago we decided to try the same thing with my 14 month old daughter (and because she is BF, me too) - though of course the only thing she had from that list was a little milk in her morning porridge. It started to clear within a couple of days and is nearly gone - I suspect the only thing that is holding it back is that I can´t resist my morning cuppa (with milk and sugar)

I don´t think either of us has a full blown intolerance, and this is just a temporary measure to get the eczema to clear up.

[Helsbells]

I get exzema, used to have it really badly when I was younger, homeopathy helped me, now it flares up if I am stressed.

[PurpleDragon]

My middle child had eczema for years and it has been eventually cured by her diagnosis of coeliac disease. Eczema and severe itching are some of her symptoms.

[Ellendra]

If it gets drastically worse when the air is dry, try rubbing 100% pure vegetable oil onto the skin right before bed. Cover with long sleeves, socks, and gloves. With younger children, use the pajamas with the feet on them.

The vitamin E in vegetable oil soothes the rash, while the oil itself moisturizes the skin.

-Ellendra

[Annpan]

My niece suffered from it I think that it was eventually put down to stress.

They initailly thought it was the cat, but as a family they would not be parted from moggy, and it did clear up with the cat still about.

I hope your friend is able to source the problem and find a remedy.

[kimmie]

I have worked in beauty and skin care for years...you are all missing one thing....exfoliate! it sounds like a chore but its not...i used to suffer with exzema till i exfoliated....the one thing you are all doing right is moisturise....but you are all moisturising 'dead' skin, and that wont really help at all.
we lose dead skin daily, but not evenly all over, and also some skins vary, But in exzema, the dead skin layers build up and get heavy, when they eventually fall off they will take a thin layer of the new skin with it and thats why it goes red and sore, if you exfoliate twice a week, you keep taking the dead skin layers off and therefore you are moisturising the new skin layers...I hope this is all making sense

For a child, use a gentle facial scrub, adults use a body scrub...
or make your own....its easy enough to do

his also always got better when he went to the sea for a holiday and went into the water every day.

Ina this is why it worked for him...everytime he went into the sea...the salt and sand would exfoliate his body!

[Millymollymandy]

And very probably the sun on his body too. I used to get itchy scabby patches on my arms and shoulders every winter and as soon as I could get them out in the sun in spring it went away. I used to control it by using a sun bed a couple of times a month during winter, which worked too.