Our expert team of friendly pharmacists are online to help you manage your eczema. Learn more about potential triggers for an eczema flare up, and what treatments are available to help ease the symptoms.
What is eczema?
Eczema is the name of a group of skin conditions which can affect anyone at any stage of life, usually children. Whilst the precise cause of eczema isn’t known, some environmental triggers are believed to set it off.
Eczema isn’t contagious but it is a fairly common condition which, in most cases, is manageable.
What are the symptoms of eczema?
Eczema usually appears as itchy, sore patches of skin. Scratching at it can the skin to split, and blisters might also appear. An eczema flare-up can be incredibly uncomfortable and frustrating.
What are the different types of eczema?
There are different types of eczema, such as:
- atopic dermatitis, which is also known as atopic eczema – it can often present with hay fever or asthma, too
- stasis dermatitis, often connected to circulatory issues in the lower leg
- nummular eczema which appears as scaly, circular patches
There are other numerous types of eczema. They largely share symptoms of inflamed, dry itchy skin, affecting different areas of the body.
What triggers eczema flare ups?
The exact cause of eczema isn’t known, but there has been research which indicates genetic factors may influence the appearance of eczema.
Environmental triggers such soaps and other cleaning products, or allergens like pet fur and pollen can initiate an eczema flare up, too.
Why do I only get eczema in the winter?
Some sufferers find that their eczema only flares up in the winter. Eczema means that the skin can’t retain moisture on its own and dries out rapidly, causing those dry, itchy patches to appear.
Being out in dry and cold weather can cause your skin to try out, as can indoor heating systems! Applying deeply moisturising treatments can help the skin stay supple and hydrated.
What helps with eczema flare ups?
When your skin exhibits the first symptoms of an eczema flare up, it’s tempting to start layering on the products. It’s important to remember that using regular soaps and scented moisturisers can dry the skin out even more, making your eczema worse.
Fortunately there are alternatives available which have been developed with eczema sufferers in mind. A soap substitute such as Dermol 500 Lotion cleans the skin gently without drying it out.
Flexitol is a richly moisturising hand balm which rehydrates the skin and soothes irritation. It can be used on the hands, or applied to patches of eczema for relief from your symptoms.
If you need help managing your eczema symptoms, or would like more information about eczema, we can help! Talk to one of our pharmacists today>