Posted by: Skin And Cancer Institute in Skin Cancer
Las Vegas, the tropical paradise, often welcomes its citizens with rough weather. The desert sun and the dry air are enough to trigger skin diseases like eczema in people. Though not life-threatening, eczema can drive anyone to madness with constant itchiness and irritation. In today’s article, we will tell you all about eczema, its causes, symptoms, and possible treatments.
Eczema: A Quick Understanding
Eczema is a skin condition mostly seen in infants and adults. The patients experience dry, itchy, red, and bumpy skin. They suffer from extreme skin irritation and inflammation.
Apparently, eczema attacks directly on the skin’s barrier function. As a result, our skin can not retain the necessary moisture and become leathery. Skin cracking is very common in eczema.
Eczema can appear on any part of our body. Ignoring the treatment for a long time can turn it into a chronic condition. Therefore, we need to learn the ins and outs of this disease to stay safe.
Common Symptoms of Eczema
Unfortunately, eczema symptoms are not constant. It varies with the eczema type and mostly with the patient. Anyway, the most common signs of eczema are,
- Dehydrated skin
- Itchy skin, sometimes with pimple-like clusters
- Reddish or brownish-gray patches on the skin
- Scaly and flaky skin
- Small oozy bumps on the skin
- Blisters on skin
- Swelling and inflammation
- Thick and leathery patches on the skin
As mentioned above, eczema can appear on any part of your body. The most affected spots are the hand, elbow, ankle, feet, knee, neck, cheeks, and ears. In rare cases, the eczema rashes are found in nipples, breasts, folded skins near the vulva, and penis.
N.B. Pimple-like clusters in eczema look different on each patient. For instance, the rashes appear red, pink, or purple on a light skin tone. On the other hand, the pimples will look brown, gray, or purple on dark skin.
What Causes Eczema?
The exact cause of eczema is still unknown. However, from our years of experience at the Skin and Cancer Institute, we can pinpoint a few factors that can trigger this skin disease in you. Such as,
1. Genetics
As per a report of Medical News Today, there is approximately 75% chance of inheriting eczema from family members. Besides, genetic mutation might also weaken the skin functioning barrier, causing eczema.
2. Medical Conditions
People with a medical history of allergies (pollen, pet hair, and food), asthma, and hay fever are also at risk of getting eczema. Eggs, peanuts, and dairy mostly trigger food allergic reactions.
3. Immune System
The swelling and inflammation we observe in eczema is basically the result of your sensitive immune system. Usually, an eczema patient’s biological system overreacts to the smallest irritants and considers them as foreign invaders. To mitigate the negative effect of the irritants, the body activates the natural defense system, and thus, we notice the inflammation.
4. Surroundings
Anything that might irritate your skin can trigger eczema. In Las Vegas, the heat and humidity are reckless, which mainly leads to itchiness and dry skin. Smoke and air pollution are also to blame for eczema.
5. Regular Wear
We often handle patients whose skin is sensitive to wool and silk. Wearing these fabrics activates the skin allergic reaction in them. Similarly, for some people, makeup, detergent, soap, and even fragrances can trigger eczema.
6. Emotions
It might sound weird, but your emotions are linked to your skin condition. When anxious or stressed, cortisol hormones in your system spike up, which triggers eczema.
Diagnosis of Eczema
At Skin and Cancer Institute, we diagnose eczema with visual inspection on the primary stage. As eczema symptoms are not constant, it is easier to confuse this disease with any other skin condition. To avoid such accidents, we often suggest proper lab tests for diagnosis. For example, allergy test, skin biopsy, and blood test.
Treatment for Eczema
Eczema symptoms vary from one person to another, and so are the treatments. The effective remedies for this disease are,
- Apply gentle moisturizer, lotion, and cream on your skin after having a shower and when you feel dry skin.
- Dermatologists prescribe topical medications, e.g., topical steroids, for recovery.
- You can try cold compression to get relief from itchiness.
- Many patients use OTC medications, such as hydrocortisone 1% cream and ointments containing corticosteroids.
- Antibiotics and antihistamines are often prescribed to reduce the allergic reaction.
- Doctors often suggest immunosuppressants for example, topical immunomodulators (TIMs) and Elideland Protopic to reduce swelling and inflammation. However, we avoid these two drugs at our institute because they raise the risk of cancer.
- At Skin and Cancer Institute, we recommend tar treatments, phototherapy, and the drug cyclosporine in serious patients.
Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is also common in infants. It is always wiser to avoid stuffing your babies with medications. Maintaining proper hygiene, regular moisturizing, and warm water bath keeps their condition in control.
Most importantly, allow only pure cotton clothes for the babies. This will prevent the skin rash and itching.
N.B. When purchasing the moisturizer, always read the label first. Avoid creams that include hypoallergenic, fragrance and dye. Lotions with stabilizer and preservatives are also not good. We recommend moisturizers with lipids and ceramides.
How to Prevent Eczema in Las Vegas
Though causes of eczema are still unknown, it does not stop us from taking preventive measures. Some helpful tips are,
- Apply moisturizer on the skin every day, especially after having a shower.
- Avoid hot water showers as much as possible. We recommend a warm water bath instead.
- Take a shower every day and maintain personal hygiene.
- Stay hydrated. You need to drink more water because the weather in Las Vegas is usually dry.
- Do not wear silk or wool in this desert Las Vegas weather.
- Avoid smoking.
- Do not eat food that gives you an allergic reaction.
- A room humidifier in Las Vegas is a savior for your skin.
- Join a meditation or yoga studio to balance your life and emotions.
Eczema Skin Care Consultancy
Eczema should not be taken lightly. Many patients come to us with complications like weeping eczema and infectious eczema. If you do not start the treatment soon, you will suffer from fever, blistering, and god knows what else.
Therefore, we suggest you take the dry skin condition seriously. Book a session with your dermatologist and have yourself checked.
You can visit us at the Skin and Cancer Institute for consultancy and diagnosis. We have a team of world-renowned dermatologists who will make this eczema-curing journey less painful.
90% of our patients recover within weeks. So, book a session with us today.