Does Eczema Spread Quickly by Scratching?

… Continued …

In other words, so far some experts still believe that the wrong respond or over active immune system may play a key role in spreading eczema from one area to other parts /areas of the body.

In fact, the problem doesn’t spread to other people who have a normal immune system. A direct contact between the affected skin with eczema and the healthy skin of other people with normal immune system will not spread the problem.

Overall, the underlying attack of body’s immune system to one’s area of the skin can be potential to spread because it can affect any part of the skin. This chance can be reduced by appropriate lifestyle approaches and treatments.

And one of the common recommendations to improve the problem is not to scratch the itch. Scratching will only worsen the problem and increase the chance for the problem to spread quickly to other areas of the body.

In essence, scratching doesn’t help. Instead, it can make the urge of itching get worse and cause inflammation. It can break the affected skin and then cause infection.

There are some ideas to reduce the urge of scratching and the skin damage. Many times, fingernails can worsen the problem. Therefore, make sure to keep your fingernails clipped short!

Another idea, soothe your skin with a cool gel or a cold moisturizer! This can be helpful to moist your skin and reduce the sensation of itching.

For people with eczema, it’s more recommended to use moisturizers with ointments and creams than lotions [4].  For best result, prioritize using moisturizer products without alcohol and fragrances because these ingredients can dry skin.

There is a chance for eczema to recur. In fact, it is more likely to become a chronic condition that can come periodically and subside.

However, there are plenty options that many eczema sufferers can do to prevent the flare-ups and cope with the problem. Here other tips of lifestyle approaches you can follow:

Both too hot and too cold temperature can trigger the breakouts. When the skin exposed to too low temperature, this can dry the skin which then cause itching. And exposure to too high temperature can cause excessive sweating, and this also can make the skin irritated and itchy.

Tips: After exercise, go to take a short bath with lukewarm water (not too hot or too cold water). Avoid using excessive blankets that can make you sweat easier when sleeping! And use appropriate moisturizers that meet to your skin needs either in the summer or winter!

Since your skin is too sensitive to too hot /cold temperature, don’t take a long bath with too cold /too hot water! And even though you use lukewarm water, take a short bath, as noted before!

Wash your skin with cleanser instead of with regular soap. And wash it gently, don’t scrub your skin – then pat it slightly dry!

The way of how you get deal with your clothing also should be concerned. In general, wool or other irritating fabrics can trigger and worsen the breakouts of eczema.

Clothes made with woven materials are also not recommended. Instead, cotton or other comfortable fabrics should be on your top list for clothing.

Additionally, avoid wearing tight clothes that can irritate your skin and make you sweat easier. Instead, make sure to only use comfortable clothes, such as loose-fitting clothes!

Furthermore, use the safe detergents to wash your clothes. For instance, use only a mild detergent without dye or fragrances!

And if you buy any new clothes, you have to wash them before wearing them! New clothes are usually rich in formaldehyde (a potential irritating chemical).

We know well that stress is not only about a psychological problem – many times, it also can cause physiological symptoms. And in fact, all types of eczema can get worse with stress.

Even sometime stress also can trigger the flare-ups of eczema. That’s why you need to cope with your stress as well!

Generally, eczema is not categorized into a group of allergic disorders. However, the symptoms of eczema can get worse due to some allergens.

Common allergens that can worse the symptoms are pollens, pet dander, mold, or dust. Then for food allergens, these include foods rich in acid (acidic foods), dairy products, gluten or wheat, and eggs. But these allergens can vary from sufferer to sufferer, as noted before!