Background on Eczema

• In order to treat eczema effectively, a doctor must first know what is causing the condition. Eczema is commonly found in children and teens and tends to disappear typically before the age of 25. Most of the time, the condition is caused by allergies to some other object or thing in the environment, new soaps and dyes, or something else the body is not used to. Occasionally eczema can even be caused by food allergies. Initially your doctor will run many allergy related tests to see if they are able to determine the cause of your eczema. Sometimes the condition is not caused by an allergy to anything and is simply just a genetically inherited disorder. Approximately one out of every ten people suffer from this condition.
  
  

Medical Treatment

• For eczema that is associated with an allergy, your doctor will typically give you two types of medication. First, she will provide you with a topical cream that contains a corticosteroid. This cream will help to prevent the pain and itching associated with the condition. She will also most likely prescribe you some sort of antihistamine as well to deal with the allergy part of this condition and to prevent the eczema from flaring up again.
  
  

Home Remedies

• There are also some home remedies that you can try to fight off eczema. Camphor oil can be combined with a sandalwood paste to create a sort of topical ointment that can be applied directly to the effected area. Nutmeg paste can also be used in a similar fashion. Vitamin E and pine tar soap are also effective in dealing with eczema. Zinc can be applied to the skin directly at the site of the rash or it can be taken in pill form. Zinc will not only boost the immune system to help combat the condition, but it will also dry up the rash. Lastly, when all else seems to fail, you can try simple cold compresses that help to ease inflammation and itching due to this condition.
  
  

Preventing Flare-Ups

• The one thing to remember about eczema is that it is not a curable condition. Although it is a condition that seems to disappear with age, flare ups are possible at any point in time. However, there are precautions you can take to avoid such re-occurrences if you know that you are a candidate for eczema. These precautions include avoiding stress, avoiding extended exposure to hot water, wearing cotton as opposed to other types of irritating fabrics, using moisturizers, avoiding the need to scratch, taking your prescribed medications, and keeping your body temperature cool so that you do not sweat any more than you have to. Subjecting yourself to any of the conditions above rather than trying your best to avoid them can lead to a potential eczema outbreak.