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Symptoms » Eczema » Treatments
 

Eczema Treatments

Treatments for Eczema

The following treatments are listed for Eczema in our knowledge base:

  • Watchful waiting - many children grow out of the condition.
  • Symptomatic treatments
  • Hydrocortisone creams
  • Sedatives - only for severe itching
  • Coal tar ointment - for discoid eczema
  • Bathing routine changes
    • Lubricants after bathing - such as creams or ointments
    • Lukewarm bathing
    • Avoid lengthy bathing
    • Limit or avoid soap
    • Non-soap cleanser
    • Air-dry skin
    • Gently pat dry skin
  • Avoid scratching or rubbing
  • Distract child when scratching
  • Wear soft cotton fabrics
  • Maintain a cool environment - sweating or overheating is unhelpful.
  • Keep fingernails filed - prevents a child from scratching.
  • Antihistamines
  • Treat skin infections promptly
  • Avoid skin infections
  • Corticosteroid creams and ointments
  • Oral corticosteroids
  • Injected corticosteroids
  • Phototherapy (UV A and B light)
  • Photochemotherapy (light and psoralen)
  • Immunosuppressive drugs - used to treat adults
  • Diet changes - to try to find a suspect and then later to avoid a suspected food allergy.
  • Allergy exposure reduction - various methods to reduce exposures to potential allergens such as dust or pollen.
  • Stress reduction
  • Biotin - possibly used for treatment of related severe biotin deficiency
  • There is no cure but various measures can be helpful:
  • Topical corticosteroid
  • Warm olive oil on infant scalps may loosen scales
  • Shampoos containing zinc or ketoconazole
  • Antidandruff shampoos
  • Salicyclic acid shampoos
  • Antifungal creams
  • Aloe vera gel
  • Adding essential fatty acids and methylsulfonylmethane supplements to diet may help in some cases
  • There is a wide range of treatments that can be utilised and various methods will have different levels of efficacy depending on the underlying cause
  • Avoid triggering or exacerbating factors
  • Topical steroids
  • Adequate diet to address nutritional deficiencies
  • Condy's crystals solution
  • Soaking in salty water
  • Soaking in white vinegar
  • Where gloves if protection from irritants is required
  • Reduce nickel in diet
  • Avoid alcohol and caffeine
  • Light treatment
  • Wear cotton gloves to prevent scratching and limit exposure to germs
  • Moisturize
  • Avoid chemical irritants such as soaps and detergents
  • Leg swelling can be controlled by using the following measures:
  • Avoid standing for long periods
  • Do regular exercise
  • Elevate feet when possible (especially while sleeping)
  • Wear compression stockings once skin condition is under control
  • Measures to treat skin condition include:
  • Antibiotics if infection develops
  • Moisturizer
  • Avoid scratching or rubbing the affected area
  • Avoid further damage or injury to the skin
  • Dry oozing patches with Condy's solution or dilute vinegar
  • Varicose veins may require surgical removal or scleropathy
  • Treatment is aimed at reducing itching and inflammation. Identification and avoidance of triggering allergens is the most effective treatment but sometimes the allergen can't be identified or is not completely avoidable so other measures need to be utilized: moisturising the skin stops it from drying out, corticosteroid creams reduce inflammation (various strengths may be used depending on the severity of the condition) and antihistamines alleviate itching. Severe outbreaks may require oral corticosteroids. UV light therapy may benefit some cases. Newer topical medications such as tacrolimus and pimecrolimus may be used in some cases but their link to certain cancers is still under scrutiny. An example of a detailed treatment plan is outlined below but obviously these requirements may vary depending on various individual factors:
  • Steps for Managing Eczema:
  • Bathe only once every 1-2 days - over-bathing can dry the skin.
  • Use bath oil to help moisturise skin e.g. Dermaveen, Hamilton's Alpha Ker or QV
  • If skin is weeping, avoid bathing with other people to reduce risk of infection
  • Oatmeal baths may sooth the skin - plain rolled oats in a stocking placed in the bath may be used instead of commercial oatmeal based bath products.
  • Keep the nails short and wear a covering over the hands (gloves or socks) to avoid night-time scratching as the patient is often unaware that they are scratching
  • Using low-allergenic washing powders
  • Wear cotton clothing as other materials increase sweating and rubbing on the skin
  • Moisturise twice a day. It may take some experimentation to find a cream that doesn't irritate the skin. Avoid creams with mineral oils. Commonly used brands include: Alpha Keri, Cetaphil, QV, Dermaveen and Hamiltons
  • Oils such as olive oil (extra-virgin) may be used as a moisturizer. Nut oils may be problematic for some people as they may contain protein allergens
  • A topical cream called Pimecrolimus may be used to treat eczema - it is non-steroidal and doesn't cause thinning of the skin. Strong steroid-based topical creams may be needed for more resistant patches.
  • Use 1-3 Condy's crystals in the bath to dry out weeping eczema lesions - NB these crystals can stain porcelain baths and towels pink. Very red dry skin may benefit from using QV Flare Up Bath Oil.
  • Use topical antibacterial cream for infected eczema - oral antibiotics may be recommended in more severe cases.
  • Avoid environments that are excessively hot, cold or dry as they can exacerbate skin symptoms
  • Avoid any food, chemical or other triggers that may cause or exacerbate symptoms
  • Skin lesions may be wrapped in cotton bandages to reduce scratching and allow topical moisturizers and steroid creams to stay on the skin and absorb better
  • Avoid or reduce exposure to allergens such as dust mites and moulds. Measures may include: dust mite protective bedding; wash bedding in hot water; air mattress on hot or dry days; dust room with a wet rag; use a dust mite filter on the vaccum cleaner and vacuum regularly; use mould resistant paint on bathroom walls; remove obvious mould which can grow in dark, warm, damp areas; be aware of other sources of mould e.g. pot plants, grasses, compost and water-based air conditioners
  • If eczema doesn't respond to treatment, trial an elimination diet (supervised by a medical professional) to try to identify possible food triggers
  • Treat acute hives with an antihistamine such as Zyrtec
  • Dieticians may be utilised to devise an appropriate diet of food has a large implication on the condition
  • Immunotherapy may be used to desensitise and individual who has a specific allergy

Drugs and Medications used to treat Eczema:

Some of the drugs and medications used in the treatment of Eczema may include:

  • Dexamethasone
  • Fluticasone
  • Advair
  • Advair Diskus
  • Cutivate
  • Clobetasol
  • Clobevate
  • Clobex
  • Cormax
  • Embeline
  • Embeline E
  • Dermovate
  • Gen-Clobetasol
  • Novo-Clobetasol
  • Clocortolone
  • Cloderm
  • Lidex
  • Lidex-E
  • Fluocinonide
  • Lidemol
  • Lyderm
  • Lydonide
  • Tiamol
  • Topsyn
  • Flurandrenolide
  • Cordran
  • Cordran SP
  • Iodoquinol and Hyrdocortisone
  • Demazene
  • Vytone
  • Lidocaine and Hydrocortisone
  • Lida-Mantle HC
  • Ichthammol
  • Egoderm Cream
  • Ichthammol Ointment
  • Eogerm Ointment

Latest treatments for Eczema

The following medications/drugs/procedures are some of the latest treatments for Eczema:

Treatments for Causes of Eczema

Review the treatment information pages for various causes of Eczema:

More causes: not all possible causes for Eczema are listed above; for a full list refer to causes of Eczema.

Treatment Notes

Only your doctor can advise whether any of these treatments are appropriate for your specific medical situation. Always discuss all treatment options with your doctor before making a decision, including whether to start or discontinue any treatment plan.

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