What are the treatments for eczema?

Eczema is a common skin disease, which is mainly divided into chronic, acute and subacute eczema. There are many causes of eczema, which are mainly caused by the interaction of internal and external factors, such as external environment, climate change, diet, etc. Certain internal diseases, frequent insomnia, mental stress, fatigue, emotional instability, etc. are all causes of eczema. Over time, the skin will become rough and scaly, and the skin will thicken, etc. Therefore, special attention should be paid to skin care and maintenance to avoid affecting skin health.

Causes

The causes of eczema are complex and are often the result of the interaction of internal and external factors. Internal factors such as chronic digestive system diseases, mental stress, insomnia, excessive fatigue, mood changes, endocrine disorders, infections, metabolic disorders, etc., and external factors such as living environment, climate change, food, etc. can all affect the occurrence of eczema. External stimuli such as sunlight, cold, dryness, heat, hot water washing, various animal furs, plants, cosmetics, soaps, artificial fibers, etc. can all induce it. It is a delayed allergic reaction caused by complex internal and external factors.

Clinical manifestations

1. According to the manifestation of skin lesions, it is divided into three stages: acute, subacute and chronic.

(1) Acute eczema lesions initially appear as numerous densely packed millet-sized papules, papulovesicles or small blisters with a flushed base that gradually merge into patches. Due to scratching, the tops of the papules, papulovesicles or blisters may be scratched to reveal obvious punctate exudation and small erosive surfaces with unclear edges. If secondary infection occurs, the inflammation will be more obvious and may form pustules, pus scabs, folliculitis, furuncles, etc. Conscious severe itching. It often occurs on the head, face, behind the ears, distal limbs, scrotum, and perianal area, and is often distributed symmetrically.

(2) Subacute eczema After the inflammation of acute eczema is alleviated, the skin lesions are mainly small papules, scabs and scales, with only a small amount of papulovesicles and erosions. Still have severe itching.

(3) Chronic eczema often turns into chronic eczema due to repeated attacks of acute or subacute eczema. It may also start as chronic eczema. The symptoms include thickening and infiltration of the skin in the affected area, brown-red or pigmentation, rough surface, scaling, or scabs due to scratching. Conscious itching. It is commonly found in the calves, hands, feet, elbows, popliteal fossa, vulva, and anus. The course of the disease is uncertain, prone to relapse, and difficult to heal.

2. According to the scope of skin lesions, it is divided into two categories: localized eczema and generalized eczema.

(1) Localized eczema occurs only in specific parts of the body and can be named according to the part of the body, such as hand eczema, vulvar eczema, scrotal eczema, ear eczema, breast eczema, perianal eczema, and calf eczema.

(2) Generalized eczema has multiple lesions that spread or scatter to multiple parts of the body. Such as nummular eczema, autosensitive eczema, and xerotic eczema.

diagnosis

Mainly based on medical history, rash morphology and course of disease. The skin lesions of eczema are generally polymorphic, mainly composed of erythema, papules, and papulovesicles. The rash is obvious in the center and gradually spreads to the surrounding areas. The boundaries are unclear, diffuse, and there is a tendency to exudate. Chronic cases will show infiltration and hypertrophy. The course of the disease is irregular, with recurrent attacks and severe itching.

treat

The causes of eczema are complex, and it is easy to recur even after improvement through treatment, making it difficult to cure. Because the clinical morphology and location are unique, the medication varies from person to person.

1. General prevention and control principles

Look for possible triggers, such as work environment, living habits, diet, hobbies, thoughts and emotions, as well as the presence or absence of chronic lesions and internal organ diseases.

2. Internal therapy

Choose antihistamines to relieve itching, and use two together or alternately if necessary. Generalized eczema can be treated with oral or injected corticosteroids, but they should not be used for a long time.

3. Topical therapy

Choose appropriate dosage form and medicine according to the condition of skin lesions. For acute eczema, local washing and wet compresses with normal saline, 3% boric acid or 1:2000-1:10000 potassium permanganate solution, and calamine lotion for astringency and protection. Subacute and chronic eczema should be treated with appropriate glucocorticoid creams, tar preparations or immunomodulators, such as tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus ointment. Add antibiotic preparations for secondary infection.