There are many different forms of eczema, also called excema, and this means that there also many different eczema causes. Some people only classify the eczema causes into 2 groups, externally triggered and internally triggered.
To help you better understand the nature of your eczema, this article will explain subgroups of externally and internally triggered eczema.
It is important for you to understand specifically what causes eczema in order to seek the right type of treatment.
First, you should understand the difference between the external and internal causes of eczema. Externally is typically when you come into direct contact with a substance that caused a reaction.
If the substance has touched your skin and caused a reaction, then the outbreak will typically only be on the surface of the skin that actually contacted the trigger. While it is easy to come into contact with an external trigger, it is also easier to identify and control these triggers.
Internal triggers cause an extreme reaction by your immune system and the skin begins to react internally, at the cellular level. These reactions are typically from a combination of internal triggers, such as an allergen and a hormone imbalance occurring at the same time.
They also appear all over the body at areas of weakened skin. These can be mild or severe reactions, depending on your skin’s genetic makeup.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some triggers can be both internal and external. For example, some people break out in a rash at the point of contact if they merely touch a peanut.
When they consume a peanut product they will have a further extreme reaction within their body that causes an acute immune response resulting in a rash throughout their skin.
On the other hand, there may be people who can touch a peanut without a contact reaction but if they eat a peanut their immune system will trigger a severe eczema reason. This type of reaction primarily occurs with food allergens but can happen with any other cause of eczema.
Allergens
While allergens can externally trigger eczema at the point of contact, they are most likely to cause an internal immune response which manifests all over your body.
Ragweed, pet hair and dander, pollens, molds, and dust mites are just a few of the thousands of potential allergens that occur in nature. There are also non-natural allergens but these will be addressed within the Environment and Chemicals section of this article.
When an allergen triggers an internal reaction it has actually caused your immune system to overreact. This often occurs in young children and then later in life after they are full grown.
Allergens are most closely linked to atopic dermatitis and are believed to combine with other triggers, such as stress, to bring about a reaction.
A key to knowing if an allergen is the cause of eczema is to note any related hay fever or asthma. It is very common for these to occur at the same time as the symptoms of your allergies escalate as you get older.
For example, you may have discovered that you are allergic to dust mites when you began having occurrences of hay fever some time ago.
If you have begun to show the red inflammation and itchiness of allergen related eczema, it is highly likely that these outbreaks happen at the same time as your hay fever.
If this is true, then it is highly likely the same allergen causing your hay fever is causing your eczema.
Food
There are two main types of food-related triggers. The first is an actual immune or allergic reaction to a type of food. Foods like strawberries, nuts, and dairy products are well known to be an eczema cause along with a host of other allergic reactions.
Shellfish can also cause severe allergic reactions including acute eczema. As stated earlier, these types of foods can cause eczema both internally and externally.
Additives in foods, especially processed foods, can trigger an eczema reaction as well. Many foods include dyes, preservatives, and other chemicals that are believed to enhance the food’s shelf life, aesthetic appeal, or flavor. Unfortunately, many people have bad reactions to these additives.
As an example, the red dyes used to deepen the shade of tomato products are believed to cause eczema reactions, especially in children, along with other allergic reactions like hyperactivity, hives, and asthma.
Many people choose to detoxify their bodies by choosing only natural, additive free products. In fact, some natural grains are believed to be biogenic in nature and actually help strengthen the skin cells and promote new growth in order to prevent eczema.
Children are especially sensitive to food allergens and typically have a reaction soon after consuming these kinds of food allergens. In fact, if they have a reaction as a child they are more likely to have severe reactions to that food along with more food allergies later in life.
Doctors believe this is because they have undeveloped immune systems that are prone to overreact to food allergens. As they grow, the immune system will “learn” to always react to this food.
This is why you should introduce foods slowly to children so that you can track their reaction to each food individually. If your child already has a complex diet and you suspect a food allergy, try avoiding individual foods for several weeks and track your child’s eczema to see if it improves without that food.
It may be hard to believe, but food preparation may also cause an internal reaction resulting in eczema. Fresh food is believed to have the least potential as a trigger and older, over processed.
Ph balance is believed to play a role in internally caused eczema and you should avoid foods such as red meats and white flour that increase your body’s acid toxicity.
Furthermore, you should always prepare your food in a way that lowers the Ph levels of the food such as using fresh herbs to add flavor versus acidic, pre-packaged spices.
Environment and Chemicals
In today’s world of natural remedies and organics, it is still amazing how many chemicals and environmental irritants we are exposed to daily. They can cause both externally and internally triggered eczema.
Chemicals in perfumes, laundry detergents, bleach, fabric softeners, over-the-counter medicines, household cleaners, lotions, and makeup are just a few of the potential irritants you are exposed to regularly.
Even the water you drink may have irritant chemicals in it. There are also chemicals in man-made products like bedding and clothing. Simply touching these products for an extended period of time, such as sleeping at night, can cause a very severe flare up.
Your environment is just as full of irritants but it is much harder to control. Many people feel their eyes water and begin to cough around smoke, but there are plenty of people who break out in a rash when they are exposed to smoke.
Likewise, countless people in polluted cities suffer from eczema induced by the smog in the air. You can buy air filters to control these irritants, but it can be difficult to completely avoid them all of the time.
Bodily Irritants
It may surprise you to learn that the things you do can give you eczema. Most of these causes of eczema are external in nature and will only appear at the source of the irritant.
The first such example is exercise. Exercise heats up your body and causes you to sweat. However, it is the combination of heat and sweat that can break out into a red rash.
You will tend to see this type of eczema in the areas of your body that are hottest and sweatiest during your workout.
Another form of a bodily irritant is yeast and other germ based eczema. This is especially bad in diaper-aged children and persons with poor hygiene. When a child soils their diaper, the germs in the diaper are combined with the heat and sweat from their body.
This is a perfect situation for an infection to grow and cause an outbreak of eczema. Typically, these will stay near the area of the germs, but will gradually begin to spread outward. In this case, you will have to practice extra good hygiene in addition to consulting the doctor for a topical treatment.
Temperature
Exposure to both hot and cold can cause an eczema reaction. The elderly are often plagued by cold related eczema. The skin begins to dry out, becomes inflamed, and starts itching. Elderly people traditionally have thinner skin so they are much more susceptible to cold weather.
Heat triggered eczema is closely related to sweat triggered eczema. A “heat rash” is a form of eczema that will typically occur at a spot on the skin that has been exposed to higher than normal temperatures accompanied by sweat.
Red, itchy bumps will begin to spread from the source of the heat and sweat. Around the neck and the knees are especially prone to this type of outbreak.
Endocrine Causes
Endocrinology is the study of your body’s hormones and hormone producing organs, like your thyroid and pituitary glands. Many scientists believe that internally caused eczema is the result of a combination of an allergen/irritant, weakened skin, and a hormone imbalance.
This is especially true of atopic dermatitis. If you suffer from a hormone imbalance, you are extremely likely to have an eczema reaction as soon as you are exposed to an allergen or irritant.
Also, stress can throw your hormones off balance and cause you to have a reaction as well. If your eczema is caused by an endocrine issue, you will need to seek professional advice with regard to control and treatment.
Mental Triggers
There are even more obscure eczema causes, such as those resulting from a mental issue. Stress, anxiety, and nervousness have a profound affect on your body.
It is normal for people to have reactions during periods of stress. However, you may develop a “nervous tick” related to these issues that triggers your eczema.
This typically happens when nervously scratch or rub at one place. It can also happen around your mouth if you often lick your lips. This concentrated irritation to one part of your skin can easily cause an eczema reaction.
Your Next Steps
Understanding what causes eczema is the key to treating it. For each type of cause, there are different methods of treatment. There are excellent treatment options available out there, both medical and natural.
Now that you understand what causes your condition, it is time for you to learn about your treatment options.
Vanish Eczema is an ebook that can help you take the next step to understanding treatments. Written by a skin care and natural healing expert, it discusses both the standard medical and complimentary natural treatment options for each type of eczema.
It also recommends long-term methods to control and possibly prevent eczema. Additionally, the author thoroughly explains the different types of eczema and the treatment options recommended for each type.
Overall, it is an excellent book to help you gain a more thorough knowledge of your eczema.
Eczema unfairly hurts you and your quality of life. However, now that you understand more about what causes your condition you are in a better position to control it. If you continue on this path to knowledge then you are giving yourself the tools to become eczema free.
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m 28 and just started noticing eczema on my elbows and once in a while on the inside of my pointer fingers. Thanks for explaining some of the triggers. I believe it has to do with the types of laundry soaps that I’m using ( I use the cheap powder kind). I freaked out the first time that I seen the bumps – thinking it was warts or some other similar virus. I can deal with eczema. I do feel sorry for those who get it on their faces though. That seems very difficult to manage in that area of the body.
hi there,i am a Kenyan that is struggling to live with eczema.i have tried visiting doctors but none is coming up with solid explanation.
my eczema is extreme and it has covered my whole body except my face though its trying to get there.
please if you have any form of advice i will be thankful.
Hi…Im 24 male guy. I have went to the dermatologist on Feb 2010 and told me that I have eczema and cannot be cured. My symptoms are: I have lot of swelling, round spot, scars and uneven complexion. I have tried the prescriptions creams and tablets it works for the fisrt time.But now Im even worse than before lot of itching on my face and all over the body.It makes me to have headache, painful on the eyes.
Please help me before my skin get damaged especially on the face.
my baby is 9 months i just recently find out she has it is it cureable r will she have it d rest of her life wat can i do 2 for it i think d detergent i use started it n d perfumes. please help me with dis
my grandson is having this problem in his hand for the last
one year and we have taken him to the skin institute in india.
it settles down but strikes again. can someone suggest a complete cure, he is presently in US, manis
my daughter has eczema it’s really sad to see her itch so much ! & she is only 2yrs old i have tried everything!! but i won’t give up !
For anyone who reads these or has already posted:
I am 18 years old and have had eczema since I was little. I have had it severely on my arms, legs, hands, and in the past few years my face. It is finally clearing up because I went to an allergist and discovered I am highly allergic to soy and pollen (trees and grass). Since I have cut the soy out of my diet and have taken better allergy medicine along with applying regular cream and only my topical steroid when I have a very rare flareup, my skin has been great. I recommend for those who have not found answers from dermatologists to see an allergist, you may have a food allergy causing your eczema.
Hi Nicole. Your baby will always have a “pre-disposition” toward eczema but it doesn’t mean she has to be symptomatic. Start by using only gentle cleaners and detergents and provide her with cotton clothing. By doing this it will allow her skin to be less susceptible to irritation. Using baby specific probiotics at therapeutic doses is v important and organic flaxseed oil is a good start at supporting her immune system and toning-down her inflammatory pathways. Good luck.
I had it when I was a kid, but it went away for about 30 years. Now it’s back, right after I was prescribed Augmentin. I have a Pennicillin allergy, but I didn’t know I shouldn’t take it (since a DOCTOR prescribed it, and was fully aware of my allergy). I just wonder if that is what brought it back? I remember a thick, stinky, tar like ointment that my mom would rub on the areas affected. Come to find out that it causes immune problems, and I was Dx’d with Multiple Sclerosis about 6 years ago. For all these reasons I HATE medicine! For all the good it does it also does so much harm.
hy there. just b’n reading yal’s comments, and i must say i b’n thinkin am all alone, i vhad this condition for the past 14 years, seen a lotta dermatologists, they say it l hopefully get better with time, and they give creams and ointments that do nothing. pills help, only for a while, but soon as they finished it starts up again. this is all over my body, my face is the only part that isnt badly affected, but when the flar ups begin, it starts on my face. please help me, am in Botswana. and life is not easy nor fun for me. i just wish i cud vanish off of this earth…
Hey Evelyn. I have severe eczema also. I’m 25 and this is my first flare up. I too waned to disappear off
earth, but no matter how people look @ me like I’m a bothering them its not worth it. I’ve learned that u just Have to live. The creams aren’t working For me either. And I don’t even Know what’s triggering mine. It’s seriously ALL OVER MY BODY too. I can’t even wear normal clothes. I
Today it’s 94 degrees in Atlanta, and I had to wear a jacket, pants and tennis shoes. If u find a solution before I do, Please let me know. I’ll pray for u
My baby (22 months) has athopic eczema and I have visited some dermatologists in Mexico and here. They say his problem is hereditary and as it came it is going to disappear. In addition, they say people who has this illness are ten times more intelligent than common people because the itching makes them to be anxious (active) people 24 hours a day. The reality is that I feel so sad to see my baby and I don’t know how to help him. I have tried many things, but nothing work.
My 8 yr old has developed eczema in the past year or so. Even creams bother him. The only thing we can do to keep it from flaring up is to coat him with olive oil 2x per day. When we miss a day, it flares up terribly. Hope this might help someone. It’s worth a try.
I am currently 12 years old, nearly 13. I have suffered from eczema since i was about two (or at least that the latest i remember having it). I used to have it pretty much every minus my face, and a couple other areas… Now i have it very bad especially on my feet, and the back of my legs. which sometimes makes it hard to walk. my hands used to have about two cuts on each finger. Now they have none, however my skin is still extremely dry. Almost like an old man. Doctors commonly say, it itches because it is healing, and or “it will go away eventually”. They may or may not be right, it takes allot of self control i can say that for sure. The hardest part of having it is sleeping (which is terrible when it itches like he** in the middle of the night) and walking around when you have cuts on the back of your legs. When i take lotion it makes it itch more, however the doctor may be correct when they say it itches when it is healing. I have made a list to help get rid of the open sores on the body.
1. shower/bathe Once or more a day.
2. Put lotion on right after shower/bath.
3. Self control do not itch at all.
4. Socks, where a pare of socks or more all the time to prevent sores and itching on the feet.
5. Drink water, and lots of it.
6. if you have sores on your arms, where long sleeved cloths until open sores are gone.
7. As for hands, that leads me back to step 3, unless you can where gloves allot.
While this list seems promising, i can only guarantee that the sores will be removed. Like i said, my hands are still extremely dry. i can only hope that by not itching, and putting lotion on, will return my hands to a more normal status down the road.
Thanks for reading,
Zakar
Will Equilac-Mare’s Milk help which is now on the market in the US
Hi, I have been noticing eczema on my eyelids and inside my elbows since last month. I can’t tell what it’s from, because I have allergies and it may be lack of sufficient water. Can anyone tell me the best way to get rid of it? Thanks
Hi, I have researched a lot on this from reading variety of sources.
There seems to be non solid answer to this. However, from what I have gathered and some from my own observation, it has a lot to do with how we eat. It starts from pregnancy to infant to adult stages. If pregnant mother consumes less water (and consumes salty food) than what she should have, then the baby inherits a lot of salts in body, which in later becomes very dry due to less moisture in body. Also, when the baby is born and he/she goes through growing stage, Eczema can sustain if they keep consuming salty and/or sweet food. These kind of food drives the water out of body. In addition, consuming white meat tend to generate a lot of heat inside of body. That can cause dry skin.
So, in conclusion, any medicine won’t work because of how the body was created / inherited; meaning less water than norm. So, my first foremost suggestion is drink a lot of water, more than the norm. Do a lot of exercise to drain out any toxicity in the body. The second suggestion is that we need to change how we eat every day. My suggestion is to consume a lot of green veggies and less and less meats, eat lest salty food. That will keep maintaining moisture level in the body. Try these suggestions for 1 – 2 months. You will notice something is changed. But remember keep your body with plenty of fluids.
Hi, I’m a mother of two, i have a son of 16 months and he has been having eczema since he was born, it’s all over his body Drs. Been giving me only ointments they help but with time the eczema comes back worst. Now he’s having bumps growing on his head that itch and get infected i took him to the emergency room all i had prescribed was antibiotics and my son is still in pain and can’t sleep. I need something that can get rid of he’s suffering, i as a mother can’t stand to see my baby suffer and can’t enjoy his infant life, i would love to have a picture with my sons skin clear. Please help me, thank you!
Please go to Facebook and join Eczema Parents group. It tells of my daughter’s story and is a support group for parents. I strongly advise you to look into the foods. Not just true food allergies, but also read about Oral Allergy Syndrome. We have eliminated several foods from my daughter’s diet and have seen huge improvements. You have to eliminate one thing at a time and reintroduce to see if it makes a difference. It takes time but well worth it.
I dealt with eczema for awhile; around the eyes and forehead. The doctor only recommended oitments which often did not help and was getting it on the back of my neck and scalp. A few months back, I read about neem oil and the benefits to those who suffer eczema. I been using Theraneem products and have helped me tremendously. They are found either at Whole Foods Stores or Amazon. I still have flare ups but are much easier to control and don’t last as long as before. I highly recommend the body lotion with Aloe which is great when having flare ups.
I got this in May…right after I had a severe panic attack,, I had been dealing with alot of stress, I had two children with in 22 months of each other, and dealing with postpartum,, I have not been able to get back to my ole’ self. All the anxiety, stress, depression, panic attacks, I could feel the tow it was taking inside me, I believe for me, it is 100% related to the panic attacks, stress etc.. I agree with the article, and in general if I got more excercize I think it would help,, I had eczema on all my fingers, and have been taking a type of steroid creme to put on my fingers,, now it is mainly my thumb, at times it feels raw and hurts most the time,, how I would love to feel my babies soft skin without the roughness of my peeled rough skin.. some of the tips of my fingers feel a little numb. I am doing my best to try and take it easy, not stress so much,, excercize is hard, having the two little ones with no one to watch, and I can’t afford a gym membership,,just wanted to tell you all to hang in there,,
Rosa – I have the same thing! I wake up with swolen itchy eyelids and I also have it on the inside of my arms (elbow). For me, the worst part is in the morning, then it gets better throughout the day, so I’m convinced it is happening overnight. I was told to buy a humidifyer for my bedroom and to UP my water intake. I have not been wearing make-up, afraid to irritate it. Not feeling pretty for a long time… wish me luck.
hai, i have been noticing eczema for the last 11 years on my two legs beneath the knee. i am tired of visiting dermaologist and applying toomuch ointments.in the night the tendency to scrach and leaving too much scabs in the bed.can you tell me the best way to get rid of it.thank you
I have had eczema since i was little and there is a certain spot on my hand where it has always been and its not like a trigger reaction because it never goes away the only change is that it spreads more come winter time thats it but other than that its always in that certain spot on my hand n i have went to doctors n they just perscribe lotions that never end up working. So i have no idea what to do anymore!
I have had eczema since I was born. My parents took me to a doctor, who said we should go and live somewhere where there was less traffic. So we did, but ever since then it’s just become worse and worse. I’ve tried all sorts of creams and stuff, but it just doesn’t go away! I don’t know what to do anymore and it really hurts.
Hi, I saw your problem….Are you allergic to nickel???
I would do detox first so toxins can be out to strength immune system.
Check 3day detox or some thing you can fit into your life.
Since I did mine went away for longest time so I need to do detox again!! Also take New Chapter Vitamins it has more pure vitamins without additives. use ELEMIS.com Milk bath also you can use like lotion try that! Good luck!