Eczema is a long-term recurrent inflammation of the skin, resulting in red skin sores and itchiness. The disease has a strong genetic immune component, and tends to occur more frequently in families with prior histories of eczema, asthma, or hay fever. Bouts of the disease tend to flare up periodically in response to various environmental triggers, and it has been hypothesized that a hypersensitive immune system may be a contributing factor.
Rashes tend to appear on the faces and scalps of infants, while older children and adults have them in the skin folds of various appendage joints and the neck.
Most eczema sufferers begin to experience symptoms before the age of 5 years, with symptoms fading with age; however 10-30% of children will have dry and irritable skin throughout their lives.
Environmental stresses that are thought to trigger flare-ups include stress, certain fabrics, strong detergents, sweating, dust mites, smoke, pollen, and many others.
A healthy skin barrier is crucial to preventing flare-ups: a broken skin barrier allows irritants to pass through the skin into the tissue, and thus trigger immune flare-ups more easily. To reduce the urge to itch in young children, the skin can be cooled with a damp towel, as well as anti-inflammatory medications such as steroidal creams. Regular baths and moisturizers are also key.
With a prescription, we offer compounded eczema relief solutions which can include medications that calm the immune system down, and offer a cooling sensation. We mix these compounds in a proprietary base derived from natural boswellic acid, avenanthramides from oats, and phosphatidylglycerol — all which nourish and replenish the lipid bilayers of the skin to restore the skin’s natural barrier and prevent further water loss.