Your Stories - Holistic Approach to Treating and Managing Eczema

Holistic Approach to My Eczema - Richard, Auckland, New Zealand

I am nearly 35 years old and have quite fair skin. I was born with eczema; or at least developed it to an acute level at the age of 3 months to a point where it covered about 80% of my body. I understand there is a genetic link and my Father had suffered to some extent from eczema on his hands but only mildly. He always said it was just due to having thin skin.

Back in the 70’s there was less information about eczema sufferers and as I got older, my mother had to find her own ways of trying to ease the condition (rather than cure it, which we know for many is not 100% achievable).

They used hydrocortisone which didn't seem to do much. When I scratched it would get infected with the resulting requirement for antibiotics. As a baby my pyjamas had ‘feet’ to stop me scratching my feet and legs. On one occasion my eczema became infected with scabies!! (a nasty bug) This got very messy and only an eczema sufferer knows the pain, discomfort and frustration with a condition that just won’t seem to go away! You just learn to live with it.

There is a solution, but it is not just one thing. Consider that the solution to minimising eczema or maybe completely getting rid of it, lies with a number of pieces to a puzzle. I’m talking about a HOLISTIC approach to your entire life because I think that eczema flares up as a result of a complex combination of physical, emotional and environmental stimuli which need to addressed collectively.

Here’s my experience of what works. Note that the normal inside-of-elbows, ankles and back of knee eczema subsided into my teenage years. Maybe I just ‘grew out of it’. At the age of about 30 I developed it on my feet and then on my hands about a year later and it disappeared from my feet (??), where it had never occurred before! I have suffered from severe eczema on my hands in the last couple of years, which I have cured 99% in the past 6-9 months. This took the form of heavy postules, major cracking of the knuckles, peeling, bleeding and infection. Note that at one point after playing golf, sailing over a weekend, my hands were stripped raw and got badly infected. It was so upsetting and frustrating and became very serious, taking months to heal. Eczema on the body is one thing – eczema on your hands can be extremely limiting and demoralizing.

To all you out there, coping with eczema should not be about this annoying cycle of ‘flare up’ followed by application of steroid-based creams, drying & flaking skin and sometimes cracking then re-flare-up. If this happening, the real issue is not being addressed.

1. Diet: Thanks Mum!
I believe diet is a huge part of your well-being and affects your bodies immune system, general health and of course the condition of the largest organ in your body…your skin. Lots of natural, live food (fruit and vegetables), plenty of water (drink it hot for maximum benefit) helps to maintain a strong immune system. Reduce the intake of dairy, coffee, alcohol, packaged/processed foods as much as possible. Also, it may be that you have an allergy to some foods (I do). You must get an allergy test as this may help immensely in clearing your eczema.

2. Stress:
Got a stressful job? It will affect your eczema unless your deal well with stress. Either think seriously about a change in occupation &/OR look at ways of increasing exercise. I have personally found that the better physical condition I’m in, the better my skin is.

3. Exercise:
I am convinced that exercise relieves stress and improves general well-being. It is however difficult during a major flare-up as sweat production can aggravate eczema.

4. Sleep:
I found that not getting enough sleep reduced the efficiency of my immune system.

5. Alcohol:
Avoid it! Alcohol dehydrates your entire body, organs and skin and I have found that whenever I have consumed excessive alcohol, become dehydrated and lost sleep, it seems to contribute to a reduction in ‘skin well-being’ and upset the pH balance of my skin. This can lead to flare-ups.

6. Flax Seed Oil!!!!!!!!
My miracle supplement - If you can’t get hold of this (search on the Internet), try to find a substitute. This can be expensive, but it s well worth it. Oils rich in omega-3 protein will also improve general health. Whether or not it’s scientifically proven to improve our skin, I do not know. I take a tablespoon every morning with breakfast

7. Soaps & Cleansers:
Eczema on the hands is aggravated by the drying effect of soaps without a doubt. I had tar baths as a child which soothed itching, but never really improved my skin. Soap is a major problem for nurses, doctors, mechanics & anyone working with their hands. Exposure to any toxic chemicals can trigger a sensitisation, which may have been what happened to me after working for a chemical company some years ago. I use a soap imported from Syria called “Sabun”, apparently made for hundreds of years by hand. It has laurel and olive oil – nothing else. It cost about $6 and I absolutely swear by it! Wash your entire body, hair and shave with it whenever possible. Liquid soaps and moisturising soaps will dry and damage your skin. NEVER use them. If you are in a position where you have no choice, you must use a moisturizer immediately after washing and drying your hands. This will at least hydrate and protect your skin.

8. Moisturisers and Barrier Creams:
I have found a urea-based moisturiser called “Aquacare” to be effective after showering, bathing and washing hands. I was applying this every time I’d wash my hands. Today I use it night and morning to maintain balance. Note that I also found it was preferable to reduce washing as much as possible during periods of serious outbreak and flare-up of eczema on my hands. This would include wearing gloves in the shower, and avoiding doing dishes or any dirty jobs around the house.

I also use barrier cream called “555” (silicon based), once the “Aquacare” had absorbed into the skin. I found that I had to combine this with a steroid cream during the time when the eczema was particularly widespread. As steroids thin the skin, you need to try to reduce the use of steroid creams and ointments as soon as possible. Remember steroids will dry red flare-ups but they WONT solve the problem. Barrier cream seems to protect hands during the day when the skin has lost its natural oils which normally do this job.

9. Your Attitude:
You have to be positive and look for small gradual improvements in your hands. It may take 3 months to notice a break in the eczema cycle. Never give up and look for the support of family and friends to do the dirty jobs for you that may re-infect or flare-up hand eczema. If it means changing your job for a while, to reduce the exposure of your hands to chemicals, dirt and excessive washing, its worth considering.

Everybody is different, but I found the above worked for me, so I can only pass on my experience where no-one else could help what is quite a complex disorder. Please let me know if you would like more information about what has worked for me.

You DON’T have to live with it, I’m convinced of this. But you must be disciplined and prepared to make small improvements over time. Lastly, what ever you do, DON’T scratch. Nothing will perpetuate the cycle and increase the risk of infection like scratching or even touching your eczema excessively. I notice that I would scratch in my sleep and I reduced this by saying to myself before I go to bed, ‘I will not scratch’; even putting on hand under the pillow helped because I would mentally stop myself when about to scratch one hand with the other!

Feel free to get in touch with me if you have questions and especially if this helps you. (May 2007) Contact Richard

Click here to tell a friend about talkeczema

Page updated: 21 May 2007