Eczema

The spots can vary in size and can occur anywhere on the body. They often occur on the hands, feet, arms, the inside of elbows/knees, face and neck. The itching can be very intense and can lead to scratching, which further damages the skin and can cause it to become infected. The itching and the visually unsightly appearance can greatly affect the quality of life.

Different types of eczema

There are many different types of eczema. 15-20% of children and 1-3% of adults suffer from one of the following forms of eczema.

Constitutional eczema

Constitutional eczema is a chronic inflammation of the skin. In the places where the skin is inflamed, there are dry, itchy and flaky spots. It is also known as atopic eczema or atopic dermatitis, it usually begins in childhood and often resolves before the age of 15. This type of eczema is mainly caused by a combination of hereditary factors and the person’s overall health, hence the name constitutional eczema. The exact cause is often unknown. Food allergy is usually not the cause. There is also often a risk of asthma, hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and food allergy.

Unlike other forms of eczema that can be triggered by specific allergens or irritants, constitutional eczema is more general and it seems that the natural ability to maintain a healthy skin barrier is reduced. This makes people with constitutional eczema more susceptible to flare-ups in response to changes in the environment, such as irritation from substances, food, stress and seasonal changes.

Eczema can be on the entire body, but it is often on the inside of the knees and elbows and it also often occurs on the hands, feet, arms, legs and scalp. The spots are red, dry and itchy, which can cause a lot of scratching. This breaks the skin and these wounds can become infected. There can be flare-ups that lead to rashes, blisters or cracked skin, especially during periods of stress or illness. In severe cases, constitutional eczema can lead to sleep disturbances, skin infections and even emotional problems, such as anxiety or depression.

Conventional medicine currently has no treatment that can actually cure the symptoms. That is why the treatment is mainly aimed at limiting and alleviating the symptoms:

• Avoid: If it is known what makes it worse, it is important to avoid it.
• Avoid - dehydration by showering: Symptoms can get worse by showering or bathing a lot. It is then important to shower or bathe less often.
• Avoid - damage from scratching: It is wise to cut the nails, so that less damage is caused by scratching. Sometimes socks or something similar are put on the hands of young children while they are sleeping, so that the children cannot scratch at night.
• Avoid - stress: Stress can worsen the symptoms in certain cases. By avoiding this, the symptoms become less severe.
• Reduce: The dryness and itching of the skin can be reduced by ointments/lotions.
• Antihistamine: These are pills that help against the itching, but they have the disadvantage that they can also make people drowsy.
• Antibiotics: If the skin becomes infected, antibiotics can be used to combat the infection. * Corticosteroids (skin): An ointment with corticosteroids on the skin is applied. Sometimes side effects can occur, such as thinner skin.
• Corticosteroids (pills): In severe cases, corticosteroids can also be taken as pills.
• Phototherapy (light therapy): Light (ultra violet) can improve the symptoms in certain cases.

Contact eczema

Contact eczema is a common skin disease that occurs when the skin comes into contact with a specific substance or allergen. This can lead to irritation, redness, itching and swelling at the site of contact. Contact eczema does not have to be present from birth. People can also develop it over time.

The symptoms of contact eczema can vary depending on the severity of the reaction and personal sensitivity. The most common symptoms are red irritated skin, itching, swelling, blisters/wounds.

Contact eczema can be caused by irritation. This type of eczema is caused by direct damage to the skin by chemicals, such as cleaning agents, soap or other household products. It is not necessary for an allergic reaction to occur. The irritation is caused by the physical effects of the substance on the skin.

There is also eczema that is caused by an allergic reaction. This occurs when the skin comes into contact with a substance to which the person is sensitive. Examples of allergens are plants (e.g. toxicodendron, hogweed), metal (e.g. nickel, chromium, cobalt), make-up, cleaning agents (acetone, soap), perfumes, chemical agents (e.g. latex), and medication.

The treatment of contact eczema focuses on avoiding exposure and reducing symptoms:

• Avoiding the allergen: The most important thing is to discover the substance that causes it and avoid it as much as possible.
• Corticosteroids (skin): These creams can be used to reduce inflammation and itching.
• Moisturizing creams and lotions: These creams ensure that the skin becomes less dry.
• Antihistamine medication: These medications can be used to reduce itching in allergic contact eczema.

Seborrheic eczema

Seborrheic eczema comes from ‘seborrhoe’ and that means increased sebum secretion. It is a chronic condition with red-yellow, flaky, usually sharply defined outbreaks, especially in places where there are many sebaceous glands, such as the hairy head, the face and the sternum. Although it is often not serious, it can be annoying in some cases, especially if it develops in places such as the hair or the face.

The mildest form of seborrheic eczema is dandruff and mainly occurs in adults. This involves dry or greasy, flaking of the skin, with possible itching. Young children can have berg. These are thick yellowish flakes on the hairy head. It occurs in the first months of life and usually disappears before the age of 6 to 12 months.

The cause is unknown, a fungus probably plays a role. In addition, various factors, such as heredity, stress, cold/dry air and/or nutrition can influence the course of the condition. It worsens due to changes in climate and humidity, scratching, excessive washing with soaps, and stress. Regular treatment often involves the use of shampoos, lotions and creams. These products often contain a small amount of medication. If corticosteroids are added to these, side effects can occur with (long-term) use, such as thinner skin.

Hypostatic eczema

Hypostatic eczema is a skin condition caused by poor blood circulation in certain parts of the body, especially the lower legs.

It is mainly caused by poor blood circulation in the legs:

• Standing or sitting for long periods of time (e.g. desk work or standing work)
• Varicose veins (bulging, tortuous veins) or other vein problems
• Obesity or pregnancy (which puts extra pressure on the veins)
• Previous leg injuries that have affected blood circulation

The symptoms are redness, dry flaky skin and itching.

If you suffer from this, the following can improve the symptoms:

• Use compression stockings (special socks that gently compress your legs to improve blood circulation).

• Exercise regularly, such as walking or swimming, to stimulate blood circulation.

• If your skin is dry, keep it hydrated with creams or ointments to prevent dehydration and cracking.

• Prevent damage; avoid scratching the itchy areas.

• Avoid contact with substances that aggravate the eczema.

Acrovesiculate eczema

Dyshidrotic eczema or acrovesiculate eczema is a skin condition characterized by small blisters, especially on the hands and sometimes also on the feet. The small blisters can merge into larger blisters. Itching, burning and scratching also occur.

The cause is often unclear. It can be a manifestation of allergic contact eczema or constitutional eczema.

If you suffer from acrovesicular eczema, use creams/ointments to keep the skin hydrated. Avoid stress and contact with irritating substances.

The blisters can be pierced regularly. In case of infection, antibiotics can be given. Corticosteroids can also be used in creams or ointments. In addition, drying therapy can also be prescribed for weeping eczema.

Nummular eczema

Nummular eczema is a skin condition characterized by round or coin-shaped spots on the skin. These spots can be red and very itchy and often appear on the legs, but can also occur on the trunk, arms, feet and hands. It is not known what causes it, but several factors can contribute.

The main symptoms are:

• Red, inflamed spots that are round or oval in shape (like coins).
• Severe itching with scratching. Scratching can lead to infection.
• The spots often have dry skin.
• Possible discharge or crust formation with excessive scratching.
• Infections can occur if bacteria enter through damaged skin.

If you suffer from Nummular eczema:

• Avoid exposure to cold, dry air or showering too hot/too often. Use creams or ointments to keep the skin hydrated, especially after bathing.
• Identify and avoid products or materials that cause irritation.
• Wear comfortable clothing. Choose soft, breathable fabrics such as cotton and avoid rough fabrics such as wool.

Unfortunately, it cannot be cured, conventional treatment is more focused on relieving symptoms and preventing complications. For example, antihistamines are used to combat itching and antibiotics for infections. Corticosteroid creams can also be used to reduce inflammation and itching.

Craquelé eczema

Craquelé eczema is caused by extreme dehydration of the skin. It is dry skin with pale red cracks. The skin then has cracks/cracks with an irregular pattern. It occurs mainly in older people, with dehydration and it is then mainly on the lower legs.

Homeopathic treatment

Eczema can often be treated well with homeopathy. Depending on the severity, the hereditary predisposition and how long it has been present, the treatment will take shorter or longer. A homeopath will ask about the complaints thoroughly. Since when did it start? How is the course? What worsens or improves the complaints? When do you suffer from it the most? This is to find the right remedy. There are many homeopathic remedies that can help with eczema complaints.

The choice of the remedy depends on specific symptoms and characteristics, whereby the overall picture of the patient is considered (e.g. other complaints besides eczema). Unfortunately, the use of medication can make the special symptoms invisible. (This is not an argument to stop this, only reduce regular medication after consultation with a doctor) It only makes the choice of the most suitable homeopathic remedy more difficult. In addition to the eczema symptoms, other symptoms of the patient are also considered. For example, someone with eczema and frequent ear infections can be given a different remedy than someone with eczema and dizziness. Social aspects or emotional complaints are also taken into account by the homeopath, such as the impact on self-confidence due to visible eczema.

Treating skin complaints is important for homeopaths. With the wrong (homeopathic) treatment, the skin complaints can disappear. Homeopaths believe that other worse complaints or diseases can develop later. An example of this is that children with suppressed eczema can develop asthma later. This is in contrast to regular medicine, which suppresses symptoms of eczema. Homeopathy does not try to eliminate the eczema, but to ensure that it does not occur again.

Example of a homeopathic treatment

A 53-year-old man comes for a consultation. He has had constitutional eczema behind both ears for six months. It is dry, flaky and itches so badly that he cannot sleep. Furthermore, he occasionally feels like he has a spider web on his face, even though that is not the case.

After a dose of Graphitis 200C (which was prescribed in this specific case and is not a standard remedy for treating eczema), he had a lot more itching for a few days. After that, it slowly got better. A week later, the itching behind his ears had decreased, which allowed him to sleep better. A month later, during the follow-up consultation, the eczema behind his ears had decreased a lot, but he now had eczema on his palms and soles of his feet. He has been suffering from headaches for a few weeks at the weekend. During the consultation, his wife indicated that he sweats a lot and that it stinks terribly. Graphitis 200C was repeated again. During the follow-up consultation a month later, it turned out that it had had no effect. Sulphur 200C was prescribed. After that, the eczema on his hands/feet decreased a lot.