Eczema On Legs: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment.

Eczema On Legs

What is Eczema?

Eczema means dry skin. An infant with eczema can feel itchy but their itchiness is not recognized. 

As they get older, more irritant triggers can irritate the skin and become eczema, causing a dry, red skin that is sensitive to the light, heat and to cold, like winter. 

Once the symptoms of eczema become severe, you will want to see your doctor for treatment.

Some times Eczema called as atopic dermatitis but Eczema and atopic dermatitis are separate conditions.

Eczema refers to the condition's symptoms, while atopic dermatitis refers to the skin condition itself.

Eczema affects approximately 3–7% of adults in the United States.

Eczema is a long-term, recurring condition that causes dry, itchy, and irritated skin, as well as facial flushing.


Eczema Symptoms

Your eczema symptoms might change as you develop more eczema or when you change other factors, such as what you eat, stress, illness or antibiotic use. 

The skin might dry up in your eczema. Allergic skin rashes can worsen the eczema symptoms.

See your doctor for diagnosis and treatment purposes. Some treatments can help even with eczema symptoms if you're not allergic.

eczema symptoms also impact the immune system so that eczema is often characterized by a broad spectrum of inflamed skin, itching, reddened skin, and dryness. 

Eczema flares can last for many weeks or months, but in milder cases the symptoms can often be relieved by applying a generous dose of moisturizer every day or two.

Many people find the symptoms of eczema difficult to deal with, especially if the symptoms are particularly severe. 

To help alleviate some of the symptoms, a doctor may prescribe short courses of oral or topical steroids to help alleviate itching and the inflammation. 

For more severe symptoms or if other treatments don't improve symptoms, a doctor may recommend topical steroid creams such as hydrocortisone or cyclosporin.

Finally, people with severe eczema often turn to topical ointments for treatment of their symptoms. 

Products that may help with symptoms include hydrocolloids such as carminic acid and emollients such as emulsifiers like beeswax.


What are the Main Cause of Eczema on Legs?

Since eczema is a misnomer, it is often believed to be a condition caused by eczema bacteria. However, the real cause of eczema is not known.

Although it's not always easy to figure out what causes eczema, many families believe that it is caused by something that irritates the skin or a defect in the skin's barrier, as some children born with eczema develop severe eczema later in life. 

There is no definite evidence to support this idea. More than half of people with eczema have no idea where it happened. Eczema causes skin to be itchy, sore, and red.

Eczema can be caused by one or more of the following:

immune system malfunction

alcoholism or drug use

medications

exposure to cold

normal skin bacteria

intestinal parasites

contact with other people with eczema

genetic disorders

food allergies

exposure to products containing allergens

Eczema is the first time you noticed it. You might have noticed your skin suddenly looks dry, cracked, and red.

This is your body's normal reaction to an overactive immune system. Your body needs to fight off an infection or bacteria, but when it's not getting enough natural oils from your skin, it makes up for it by producing too much of a substance called prostaglandin.

There are several Risk Factors of developing eczema on the legs. Certain environmental factors, such as how clean your skin is, can cause eczema on the legs.

Researchers do not know what causes eczema on the legs. However, several environmental factors may play a role in whether you develop eczema on your legs. 


How do you Treat Eczema on your Legs?

It will depend on what is causing the eczema on your legs.

If it is an allergic reaction, the best thing to do is to wash them in soap and water.
Avoid using any harsh soaps as they may irritate the skin.

Avoid applying lotions containing parabens as they may irritate the skin.

Avoid frequent baths.

Try to avoid shaving your legs as it can irritate the skin.

As an allergy, the eczema on your legs is treated as though it is a skin infection.
Your doctor will prescribe antifungal creams.

You will be advised to use a topical steroid cream and / or steroid ointment to help treat the symptoms.

If the itch does not go away after 2 - 3 days then you will need to see your doctor or dermatologist.

Summary The most common causes of eczema on the legs include dust allergies, dermatitis and contact dermatitis.

The most common cause of contact dermatitis on the legs is (usually) from friction of clothing rubbing against the skin.


Eczema Treatment

Most eczema treatments rely on topical products to target the symptoms of eczema, and to ease itching and the dryness. 

The types of treatment available include prescription treatments such as hydrocortisone and calamine, prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), topical corticosteroids, topical antihistamines, and hydrocolloids such as cromogrid and emollients.

 All of these treatments are designed to help ease the symptoms of eczema, while also helping to keep the skin healthy. 

For example, hydrocortisone prevents itchiness by reducing the amount of fluids the skin produces, while corticosteroids help relieve itching and discomfort and keep the skin from becoming red and dry.

Researchers are now looking into using other treatments to help improve eczema symptoms. In this area, treatments that appear promising include probiotics such as Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria to improve the skin's microbial profile. 

Other alternatives include transferring immune cells such as a type called natural killer cells or dendritic cells from a healthy skin. 

This isifidobacteria, minocycline, and agroven. Minocycline is a systemic anti-inflammatory drug which has proven to improve eczema symptoms in both animal studies and clinical studies. 

The drug has proven to have a strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect in vivo.

A recent study in mice found that these immune cells can be transferred to eczema skin by way of injections of green microbeads. 

The researchers involved have already begun clinical trials in eczema patients. 

These treatments are typically used to reduce eczema symptoms, but there are some potential dangers associated with the administration of these injections to healthy individuals. 

For example, researchers have discovered that these injections may provoke immune cells to produce inflammatory substances that may lead to allergic diseases such as asthma and allergies to food, asthma triggers and medications.


How Can I Treat Eczema On My Legs Naturally?

Make your legs as dry as you can, with a shower with no shampoo. Don't wash your skin with any products after the shower. 

Apply a lotion with cold avocado oil directly to the skin after your shower.

Avoid clothes that have perfume or fragrant fibers, and cut out anything that makes your skin itch.

This is a contagious condition; you need to treat yourself and stop the itch and keep your legs safe from touching things or having them touched.

Or you can turn to traditional eczema creams to calm inflammation and prevent it from spreading.

The dermatologist needs to get a baseline of your eczema, and if you have mild eczema and are interested in treating eczema with natural treatments, you can try applying an eczema cream daily.

It needs to be an eczema cream that doesn't have aspirin or egg whites; anything else that acts as a natural bleach can actually make the eczema worse.

Eczema cream is designed for the entire body. For eczema on the legs, some natural eczema remedies and products are found in our shops, or you can try making your own at home.


Eczema on legs: When to See a Doctor


If eczema spreads and gets to the thighs, as well as the groin or hands, as mentioned above, then you need to go to your doctor. This happens when your eczema becomes so extensive that it causes the skin to swell.

The doctor will tell you how to deal with the eczema and what can be done to improve the condition.

Most eczema doctors recommend seeing them as soon as possible.

If you have an eczema doctor in your area, be sure to ask to see him or her as soon as the symptoms start.

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