Wat te Doen bij Eczeem - Effectieve Behandelingsopties

Alternative treatments

Alternative treatments may help calm the symptoms of eczema. Because of potential side effects, always check with your doctor before using an herbal supplement or beginning an exercise routine. Popular home remedies include:

• green, black, or oolong tea
• coconut, sunflower, borage, and primrose oils
• acupuncture
• aromatherapy
• relaxation techniques, like meditation, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided imagery

There’s no specific test that can be used to diagnose eczema. Often, a doctor can diagnose the condition by talking with you about your symptoms and examining your skin. Sometimes, a patch test might be done to help find eczema triggers.

During a patch test, an allergen is applied to a patch that’s placed on the skin. Your skin will become inflamed and irritated if the allergen is a trigger for you.

There are a few factors that can increase your risk of developing eczema.

Eczema is more common in children who suffer from asthma or hay fever as well as adults who develop these conditions before age 30.

People with family members who have eczema are also at higher risk of developing the condition.

Eczema can lead to some complications, including:

• Sleep troubles. Eczema can cause difficulty sleeping and disrupt your sleep hygiene.
• Skin infections. Repeated scratching can leave your skin open to bacteria and viruses that can cause infections.
• Asthma and hay fever. Eczema can often lead to developing asthma or hay fever, especially in children younger than age 12.
• Thick and scaly skin. Scratching can cause your skin to harden and thicken over time.
• Additional types of eczema. Often, having one type of eczema can increase your risk of another developing.

Wie erkennt man ein Ekzem?

Je nach Art des Ekzems sind die Ausprägungen und die Form unterschiedlich. Nachfolgend sind die unterschiedlichen Arten von Ekzemen beschrieben.

Konstitutionelles oder atopisches Ekzem:
Diese häufigste Art von Ekzemen hat eine erbliche Komponente und ist an folgenden Merkmalen zu erkennen:

• Es kann überall am Körper auftreten,
• Es wird von (extremem, unerträglichem) Juckreiz begleitet
• Es kann sich im Säuglingsalter entwickeln (Schuppenflechte), ist aber nicht altersbedingt,
• Schwellungen, Blasen, Beulen, Nässen, Krusten, Schuppen und Vergröberungen der Hautstruktur bei Erwachsenen meist in den Ellbogenfalten, Kniekehlen, an Händen und Füßen variabler Verlauf om Allgemeinen bei trockener Haut.

Seborrhoisches Ekzem:
Dieses Ekzem ist weit verbreitet. Es tritt bei Männern häufiger auf als bei Frauen und äußert sich mit folgenden Symptomen:

• Juckende oder gelbliche Flecken, die abblättern häufig auf Gesicht, Nase, Kopf, Augenbrauen, Wimpern, Bart oder um die Ohren verschlimmert sich bei Stress, Kälte und Trockenheit verschlimmert sich durch das Tragen von Kopfbedeckungen und Hüten.

Die Symptome eines Kontaktekzems sind:

• Roter juckender Ausschlag mit Schuppen, Beulen, Blasen, Rissen oder Krusten, wenn die Haut mit dem Produkt in Kontakt gekommen ist,
• Manchmal ist die Haut auch geschwollen.

Dyshidrosis oder vesikuläres Ekzem:
Dieses Ekzem tritt manchmal als Folge einer Pilzinfektion an Füßen und in der Leistengegend auf. Die Merkmale sind:

• Juckende, deutliche Blasen, manchmal sogar große Blasen in den Handflächen, zwischen den Fingern und/oder Fußsohlen und Zehen.

Nummuläres Ekzem:
Es handelt sich um ein chronisches Ekzem. Es zeichnet sich aus durch:

• Münzförmige rote Schuppenflecken, Beulen mit Schuppen, die zu größeren Flecken verschmelzen können manchmal Krusten mit aufgesprungener Haut,
• Hauptsächlich an den Beinen.

Other treatments for atopic eczema

Tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus cream

They seem to work well to reduce the skin inflammation of atopic eczema. They are licensed for use in people aged 2 years and over who have atopic eczema which is not controlled very well with usual treatments. They should not be used on infected skin.

Steroid tablets

In some cases, steroid tablets are prescribed for a short time if the eczema becomes severe and topical treatments are not helping much.

Eczema soaks

Eczema with blisters may need special soaks to dry up the weepy blisters.

Hospital treatment

This is sometimes needed for severe cases. Treatments which are sometimes used include wet wraps, tar and/or steroid occlusion bandages, light therapy and immunosuppressive/immune-modifying medication.

Tar shampoos

These types of shampoo are useful to lift scale from affected scalps.

Antihistamine tablets

Antihistamine tablets do not have a great effect on reducing itch but some types of antihistamines can make you drowsy. A dose at bedtime may help young children who are troubled with itch to get to sleep.

Dilute bleach baths

Bathing with diluted bleach has been used to good effect in some children with long-term difficult-to-control eczema. The logic is that it helps to clear the skin of germs (bacteria).

Note: this should only be done under the direct supervision and advice of a doctor. Bleach can seriously harm and using the wrong dilution can be very damaging. Do not try this on your own without individual professional advice.

Causes

The skin consists of three layers:

The outer layer has different layers too: the basal layer, the spinous or prickle-cell layer, and the corneal or horny layer (enlarged in the diagram below). The corneal layer – the visible part of the skin – protects the body from germs. It renews itself constantly as new cells grow from the basal layer.

Left: Healthy skin, right: Skin with eczema

In people with eczema, the corneal layer doesn't provide enough protection because it is damaged by the inflammation in the skin. That allows irritants, germs and substances that trigger allergies (allergens) to enter the body.

In about 30-40% of all people with eczema, it is related to an allergy (atopic eczema). They often have more severe symptoms, as well as hay fever or allergic asthma.

In atopic eczema, the immune system reacts to allergens by producing antibodies that cause inflammations in the skin. These antibodies can be detected in the blood. Allergens that sometimes play a role in eczema include dust mites, pollen and foods such as milk, eggs, nuts or fish.