An inflammatory skin disease that affects about 10 percent of people worldwide is eczema (atopic dermatitis). It arises from allergens (substances that cause an allergic reaction) to chemicals due to the immune system’s response to different substances.
Eczema causes rashes which can be:
- Red patches on the face
- Itchy
- Scaly
- dry
- Cracked
- Painful or sore
Eczema is considered a chronic (lifelong) disease for others, with flare-ups taking a few weeks for a medication to subside. Many individuals can expect their symptoms to subside with age, particularly kids. Although you may not have a specific eczema rash forever, if you experience your eczema causes, you will be at risk of flare-ups (substances that bring on a flareup).
Does eczema go away?
There’s no proven treatment for eczema, and if left untreated, the rashes won’t automatically go away. Eczema is a chronic disease for most individuals that needs diligent avoidance of stimuli to help prevent flare-ups. Age is also thought to play a role: about 60 percent of individuals develop eczema as infants develop it. As an infant, if you develop eczema, then as you get older, you will experience improved symptoms.
How is eczema handled?
It can be treated, depending on what causes eczema. A doctor may prescribe either of the following or a combination of these:
Prescription medicines
You will need to take oral allergy medicine, topical corticosteroid creams, or both, depending on the cause of your eczema flare-up. Although steroid creams you apply to your skin are intended for short-term use to help avoid associated symptoms, you can need to use allergy medicines you take by mouth during the year. Another option is immunosuppressant drugs, which in the case of severe eczema, slow down immune responses.
Antihistaminic medications
Over-the-counter antihistamines (OTC) can help reduce the occurrence of eczema. Besides, these medications can help avoid the urge to scratch rashes, especially in kids. Before you take them, please consult a doctor about OTC allergy drugs.
Shots for Allergy
A doctor may prescribe allergen immunotherapy, or “allergy shots,” for serious allergies that do not react well to medications. These shots are made of small amounts of the substances you are allergic to. Over many months, your doctor can steadily increase the dose. The concept here is to help develop tolerance to your allergen causes so that overall you experience fewer flare-ups. The idea here is to help build a tolerance to your allergen causes so that overall you experience fewer flare-ups.
At-home natural treatments
Some natural treatments may help heal your skin, aside from moisturizing your skin. One form of natural remedy that can calm the itchiness and discomfort of eczema rashes is oatmeal baths. Make sure to use lukewarm water and follow up directly after with a moisturizer. There is some evidence that both probiotics and prebiotics can stabilize the microbiota to help treat inflammation. More research is, however, needed to support this approach in the treatment of eczema.
