Eczema – Symptoms and Causes

The term 'Eczema' is derived from a Greek word meaning 'to boil'



It refers to an inflammation of the skin, which results in the formation of vesicles or pustules. This type of skin condition also causes rashes and irritation. It is the most common and most troublesome of all skin diseases.
The skin is one of the excretory organs of the body through which large quantities of toxic matter are easily eliminated. Because of its large surface, it can effectively eliminate waste matter, which other organs of elimination namely the kidneys, intestines and lungs do not have the capacity to handle




Eczema is essentially a constitutional disease, resulting from a toxic condition of the system. The disease covers a wide variety of forms, the majority of them, being of a chronic variety. Atrophic eczema is the most common forms of eczema.

Symptoms of Eczema:

As mentioned before, the toxic condition of the system leads to eczema and it manifests itself through signs and symptoms of the disorder within the system. Here are certain signs to look out for:

• Eczema, in its acute form, is indicated by redness and swelling of the skin, the formation of minute vesicles and severe heat
  
  
  
  If the vesicles rupture, a raw, moist surface is formed. From this, a colorless discharge oozes, which forms skin crusts when it accumulates.
• The disease is usually worse at night when the heat of the body is retained by the bedclothes. The skin itches at all stages.In the wet stage, it may become infected with bacteria. Healing of the condition is affected by scratching in response to the irritation Scratching not only spreads infection but also lengthens the stage of drying and scaling.
• In teens and young adults, the itchy patches of eczema usually break out where the elbow bends; on the backs of the knees, ankles, and wrists; and on the face, neck, and upper chest - although eczema can affect any part of the body.
• Skin may feel hot and itchy. It could also lead to skin becoming red, inflamed, or blistered. Eczema can make skin extremely dry and scaly Even though a lot of people experience eczema, the symptoms differ from person to person.
  
  

Causes of Eczema

Here is a list of causes that could probably contribute to the outbreak of eczema:

• Allergies: play an important part in causing eczema. Some women get eczema on their hands due to an allergy to soap or detergents used to wash clothes or dishes. Some persons develop it around the fingers when they wear rings because of allergy to metals.
• Food Allergies: Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, in a recent study of children with atrophic eczema, found that 75 per cent were allergic to a number of foods. The most common triggers for sensitive persons are eggs, peanuts, chocolate, wheat, cow's milk, chicken and potato.
• Toxic Condition: The real cause of eczema is the failure of the human system to excrete the poisons from the various orifices of the body
  
  
  
  Waste matter is excreted from the rectum through stools, from the bladder through urine, from the lungs through breath and from the pores of the skin through sweat. Sometimes the pores of the skin are overworked, as waste matter is not properly eliminated from the other orifices. If the pores are not given t rform their normal function, the sweat will be full of toxic matter and this will give rise to skin diseases like eczema, acne, boils and other eruptions.
• Stress: Eczema can also be caused by stress. The skin is recognized as the release organ for built-up tension. Senior executives who have often to face labor problems or carry out time-bound assignments fall prey to the skin disorders known as tension or stress eczema. It manifests itself on hands and feet and behind the neck through circular oozing lesions.
• Emotional causes: A nagging spouse, jealousy, frustration and a host of other emotions can also bring about the condition.
• Other causes: include faulty metabolism, constipation and nutritional deficiencies. Suppressive drug treatment of former diseases is also a most potent subsidiary causative factor in many cases.Allergies to certain substances: Various substances can possibly trigger or worsen an attack. Different people respond to different items.
  

The following items are most known to cause an allergic reaction:

• Certain chemicals
• Wool
• Synthetic fibers
• Soaps
• Detergents
• Perfumes
• Cosmetics
• Chlorine
• Mineral oil
• Solvents
• Cigarette smoke
• Dust and
• Sand