Nervous eczema on the arms, legs and face: treatment and ways to combat it at home

Eczema is a chronic, non-contagious inflammation of the skin characterized by redness, rashes, dryness and itching. It affects people of all ages and appears on any part of the body. There are several types of this disease. Nervous eczema is a psychodermatological disorder in which physical condition and emotional health are closely related. Eczema makes life very difficult. Its external symptoms cause shyness in the patient, and constant itching leads to irritability and insomnia. Various factors provoke the disease - from stress at home and at work, to the weather and your moisturizer. Therefore, stress management is considered an important part of treatment.

The connection between stress and skin diseases

Can eczema be caused by nervous stress? If before a big presentation or an important meeting you find yourself with characteristic rashes, this is not by chance. Experts have long known that stress worsens skin condition. Here's how it happens.

Healthy skin is a barrier that protects it from the harmful effects of the external environment. When you are exposed to stress, the building blocks of the skin - lipids - are destroyed, reducing its protective barrier. The skin dries out and becomes vulnerable to external irritants, allergens and infections. Thus, a stressful situation is a trigger for this pathology. The skin becomes unbearably itchy, red and inflamed.

Preventive methods

To prevent the development of eczema and the occurrence of relapses, it is necessary to follow preventive measures:

Create a proper daily routine. If you rationally alternate work and rest, physical and psychological stress will not occur.
Follow the rules of hygiene. The cleanliness and integrity of the skin prevents the development and weakens the symptoms of the disease that has arisen.
Take baths with herbal extracts. Chamomile, St. John's wort, sage, and string help fight eczema.
Avoid contact with allergens (cosmetics, animal hair, synthetic clothing, household chemicals, food and medications that cause irritation).
Adjust your diet. Highly allergenic foods (sweets, citrus fruits, milk, fish, eggs, nuts, honey, chocolate, cocoa, coffee) are excluded from the menu. Food is prepared using green-colored vegetables and fruits and dietary boiled meat.

Prevention, relaxation methods and drug treatment prescribed by a doctor can eliminate the symptoms of nervous eczema, achieve long-term stable remission, and restore health.

Nerve eczema is a chronic skin disease with painful symptoms for the patient, prone to relapsing. Having suddenly arisen against the background of some kind of nervous shock or prolonged experiences, it continues to torment a person for many months.

Even when carrying out complex therapy, and not just using local means of influencing the lesions, success in treatment is difficult to achieve. Is nervous eczema so fatal and what is the modern approach of medical science to treatment?

Symptoms of nervous eczema

Nerve eczema is not considered a disease. Modern medicine interprets it as a set of specific symptoms provoked by specific factors.

The main set of symptoms of nervous eczema includes:

a limited area of red and inflamed skin;
the presence of peeling and small bubbles;
weeping;
severe itching of inflamed areas of the skin, often causing insomnia;
elevated temperature and general weakness in the acute phase of the disease;
During the attenuation period, the affected skin becomes dry and cracked.

The disease can worsen not only due to mental factors, but also in the presence of diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, as a result of reactions of pathology of internal organs and genetic failure. To prevent nervous skin inflammation from becoming chronic, start treatment at the first manifestations.

Reasons for appearance

The main factor that causes nervous eczema to develop is stress. It can be acute - the sudden loss of a loved one, separation from a loved one, worries about exams, dismissal, etc. Or it can be chronic - difficulties in the family, unloved work, problems at school or university, failures in personal life, big workload, constant fatigue, etc.

In any case, a stressful situation is a trigger for this type of eczema against the background of predisposing factors, namely:

tendency to allergic reactions;
presence of chronic diseases;
reduced immunity, etc.

⛔ Due to nervous experiences, a predisposition to eczematous dermatitis develops into a skin disease. And if treatment is not started on time, it can become a chronic process.

The danger of eczema due to nervousness

Eczema from stress occurs regardless of a person’s gender and age. From the very beginning, you find yourself in a vicious circle: first, an emotional breakdown provokes rashes and itching, you experience discomfort, itchy skin keeps you awake at night, and your general health worsens. This then increases your irritation and nervousness, leading to new breakdowns and a depressed state. So eczema caused by a nervous breakdown itself becomes a source of stress.

The main danger of nervous eczema is that if not treated in a timely manner, it develops into a chronic form. Eczema in the acute phase lasts no more than 2 months, and its chronic course lasts a lifetime.

Therefore, it is extremely necessary to consult a specialist at the first signs of the disease. To establish a diagnosis, a dermatologist will conduct an external examination of the skin and take material from the affected areas for biopsy, histology, allergy and fungal tests. Only by establishing the true cause of the rash can you develop the correct treatment regimen.

Prevention

To prevent the appearance of eczema, doctors recommend adhering to the following rules:

Use rubber gloves when using household and auto chemicals.
Cosmetics are tested for allergy before use. This is done like this: a strip of product is applied to the skin near the wrist joint. If after 10-15 minutes nothing happens to the skin, then you can safely use it.
Exercise. Regular running gives you a good mood and increases self-esteem, which is important for nervous eczema.
Quit smoking and alcoholic beverages.

Nervous eczema is the clearest illustration of the expression “all diseases come from nerves.” Disruption of their work leads to the appearance of painful, weeping wounds. And the reason for this violation is the inability to cope with one’s own fears and anxieties.

How to get rid of skin signs of stress

Nervous eczema occurs as a result of a combination of several provoking factors - emotional stress, genetic predisposition, the presence of an inflammatory process in the body, an allergy to any product or medicine. To make a correct diagnosis, you will have to consult with different specialists - a psychologist, dermatologist, allergist and geneticist. As a result of the examinations and consultations, you will receive a comprehensive treatment for nervous eczema, which includes the following treatment methods:

medications - ointments and creams with hormones or other active ingredients, antibiotics, antihistamines, sedatives;
physiotherapy - electrosleep, electrophoresis, ultraviolet irradiation, therapeutic baths, cryotherapy (cold treatment);
traditional medicine - grease-based ointments, medicinal oils, sea salt;
psychotherapy – relaxation sessions, meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy.

When developing an overall treatment plan for eczema nervosa, it is important to stay in constant contact with your healthcare provider to keep the itching and rashes under control.

General recommendations

To keep your skin clear and healthy, and to keep nervous eczema as rare as possible, there are things you can do on your own. You will not only reduce the need for medications, but also pamper yourself using the following recommendations:

swim only in warm, not hot or cool water, use soft washcloths and towels;
apply moisturizer after bathing;
avoid frequent contact with water and detergents, use protective gloves;
wear comfortable cotton clothes;
avoid overheating - after training or sunbathing, be sure to take a warm shower;
properly distribute time between work and rest, go to bed on time;
eat fresh natural foods.

Medicines

Pharmacy medications for the treatment of nervous eczema can help relieve symptoms and heal the skin if you take them only as prescribed by your doctor.

The main culprit of nervous eczema is stress - learn to control your emotions and relax. Take up yoga or another spiritual practice.

The same treatment will not produce the same results for everyone, so your doctor will have to combine different medications and treatments.

Corticosteroid ointments, creams, tablets and drops are prescribed if the rash is accompanied by severe itching and pain. These are powerful hormonal drugs, they are used for moderate and severe forms. Due to the risk of thinning the skin and reducing bone mass, hormones are taken in short courses. These are Hydrocortisone and Prednisolone ointment, Advantan, Dermovate, etc. Thyroidin, Dexamethasone, Triamcinolone are taken in tablet form. All these drugs have serious contraindications.
Drugs that suppress the immune system. They are also prescribed in short courses and only in severe cases. These include Cyclosporine and Methotrexate. The most likely complications are increased blood pressure and kidney failure.
Antibiotics - if an infection occurs with eczema, injections of Ampicillin, Doxycycline, Erythromycin, Lincomycin are prescribed. For external use, ointments Pimafukort, Gioxizon, Celestoderm and Akriderm Genta are prescribed. They effectively destroy fungal and bacterial infections, relieve swelling and redness.
Antihistamines are medications that relieve itching, calm your nerves, and help you sleep. Therefore, it is recommended to take Diazolin, Suprastin, Zyrtec, Zodak, Fenistil at night.

Folk recipes

If you are worried about nervous eczema on your hands, taking hand baths with sea salt will be a great help. Place your hands in the warm solution and hold in it until it cools completely, then pat dry with a towel and lubricate with baby cream. The result is noticeable after 3-4 procedures.

Excellent remedies for healing areas of the skin with cracks, peeling and redness due to nervous eczema are:

grease-based ointments - Solipsor, Kartalin, Magnispor;
St. John's wort oil, black cumin oil, pine oil;
baths with mustard.

Physiotherapy

The peculiarities of the treatment of nervous eczema are such that medications alone are not enough to eliminate the causes of the disease. They are associated with more serious malfunctions in the functioning of basic human systems and organs:

exhaustion of the nervous system;
hormonal imbalance;
increased immune response of the body.

The use of certain medications during physical procedures for eczema quickly improves overall well-being, calms the nervous system, corrects the functioning of the immune system, and the affected skin areas stop itching and flaking.

To prevent nervous eczema, maintain a proper daily routine, personal hygiene and a diet enriched with fruits and vegetables.

The following procedures are most widely used in the treatment of nervous eczema:

electrosleep – relieves itching and increased excitability;
electrophoresis with antihistamines – relieves symptoms of itching and inflammation;
UV therapy – reduces the overreaction of the immune system;
baths with radon, tar and sulfides - relieve pain, relieve swelling, regenerate the skin, improve blood circulation in eczema-affected skin.

Help from a psychologist and independent relaxation

People with eczema nervosa often feel upset and depressed about their skin condition. This negatively affects their self-confidence and self-esteem. These psychological problems provoke itching and scratching of the skin, it becomes red, inflamed and covered with a rash. The presence of family conflicts or problems at work only aggravates the situation. Help from a psychologist for eczema will not only reduce the negative emotional impact of the disease, but also improve the physical symptoms and appearance of the patient.

The most effective methods in the psychotherapy of eczema:

relaxation and meditation – reduces stress hormone levels, thereby reducing anxiety and improving overall emotional well-being;
cognitive behavioral therapy – aimed at changing negative thinking and giving up bad habits; all this has a beneficial effect on the symptoms of the disease;
hypnosis – working with your subconscious, the hypnologist completely relaxes and normalizes the functioning of the nervous system.

Nutrition and lifestyle

If you have nervous eczema, you need to take special care with clothing and hygiene products that come into contact with your skin. Fragrances and dyes that are added to washing powders and shower gels almost always cause a negative reaction in skin affected by eczema. Use soap without color or perfume. It is also not advisable for you to wear clothes made of synthetics and wool, due to the allergic component in their composition.

Folk remedies

The use of traditional recipes is possible only after consultation with a doctor and as an addition to the main treatment.

Popular means:

A decoction of dandelions and burdock will help get rid of eczema on your hands. For half a liter of water you should take 2 tbsp. tablespoons of crushed plants and boil the mixture for 20 minutes. Drink 100 grams of decoction 5 times a day. Treatment lasts a month.
Tincture of birch leaves. Finely chop birch leaves and twigs and pour boiling water over them. Wrap in a towel and leave for 2 hours. After this, strain the resulting tincture. Use baths with tincture for 20 minutes every day.
Celandine. Add 1 drop of celandine to milk and drink a glass of the drink daily. After 3 days, increase the dose of celandine by 1 drop, bringing it to 15 drops. After this, take a break for a month and, if necessary, repeat the course of treatment.
Every day, in the summer, drink 700 grams of birch sap.
Sea salt helps get rid of eczema on your hands. Add 5 large tablespoons of salt to a bowl of hot water and hold your hands until the water cools. After this, without wiping the skin, treat it with cream. After a week, the eczema will begin to subside.
Propolis helps relieve itching. Moisten a napkin with the solution and apply it to the inflamed area, the burning sensation and discomfort will disappear.
Apples. Trim the peel and dry it, then grind it to a powder. Add 1 tbsp to 250 ml of boiling water. spoon of powder. Wrap the broth in a blanket for 2 hours. Strain the resulting product and treat the affected surface 2 times a day.
Cabbage leaves have anti-inflammatory and regenerating properties. It is recommended to apply them to eczema.
Lubricate the affected areas with burdock oil.

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Reborn by the sun

The success of treatment, which is purely individual in each specific case, depends on the competent actions of the doctor. Some are helped by long-acting antihistamines, others by hormonal agents (in the form of ointments or sprays for respiratory manifestations of the disease), others by immunostimulants or, conversely, immunosuppressants that suppress excessive activity of the immune system.

And for some, the only salvation from exacerbations of the disease is moving to another climate zone with a dry, warm climate or annual summer trips to the Crimea, to the Mediterranean Sea. It has been noticed that sun rays suppress the activity of allergic-immunological complexes that form the atopic reaction.

Relaxation methods

Since nervous eczema often occurs in mentally unbalanced and stress-resistant children and women, the first thing to do is to find ways to relax in time.

Here are some ways:

Relaxing music. It is recommended to listen to classical music of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, which affects nerve impulses and relaxes a person.
Physical exercise. Regular exercise normalizes blood circulation and releases endorphins, which cause joy and pleasure in life.
Visualization. This method is best practiced with a psychologist. You will need to get comfortable and try to imagine some calm picture. For example, a winter forest, or a calm sea. At the same time, the psychologist gives the patient recommendations for general calming, which brings the latter serenity and peace.
Switching attention. Go to the movies, hang out with friends, or take up a hobby. This could be knitting or sewing, reading books or watching TV. The main thing is to take your mind off what is bothering you.
Breath. Slow breathing using the diaphragm and lower ribs. Breathe correctly, and anxiety during public speaking, driving and other stressful situations will disappear.
Hypnosis. Entering a hypnotic state through repeated repetitions of suggestions in a monotonous voice. The patient is then told certain instructions. After emerging from hypnosis, a person experiences a relaxed state, thanks to following the suggested rules.

This method is suitable only for people who are easily suggestible. The patient repeats certain phrases that produce alpha waves in the brain.

Meditation. This could be yoga or repetition of certain sounds, relaxing breathing patterns or prayer. Systematic yoga practice calms a person, making him less susceptible to stress.
Relaxation with water. This includes warm baths with orange and mint scents. Diamond baths. 10-15 minutes of this procedure, and the patient’s body will relax. He will come out calm and serene.

Read how to treat eczema on your hands.

Is it possible to treat varicose eczema with folk remedies? Find out here.

Eczema from nerves occurs due to stress and constant psychological problems, so you need to learn to relax. Basic methods of relaxation:

Music. Listening to classical works by Bach, Beethoven and Mozart affects nerve impulses and helps a person relax.
Sport. Regular exercise improves blood circulation and increases the production of endorphin (the hormone of joy).
Visualization.
This technique is practiced by psychologists. The patient sits down, relaxes and imagines a calm, pleasant picture. At the same time, the specialist tells the person how to learn to calm down and relax.
Hobby. Helps you forget about problems for a while.
Learn to breathe correctly.
Relaxation with water. Take aromatic, warm baths with essential oils of orange, bergamot and lavender.

To prevent the appearance of a chronic form of nervous eczema and get rid of unpleasant symptoms, it is necessary to consult a dermatologist at the first signs of the disease.

An examination by a specialist makes it possible to make a primary diagnosis and prescribe treatment to mitigate the course of the disease. Each patient may have its own pathogenic factors.

Therefore, to make an accurate diagnosis, appropriate procedures and tests are prescribed - biopsy, histological, cystological, mycological and allergic tests, general blood test, etc.

In case of a particularly complex course of the disease, treatment is carried out in a hospital setting.

The main goal of diagnostic studies is to establish the true cause that caused the exacerbation of eczema. Because a tendency to eczema always appears against the background of an underlying disease.

The main possible causes include genetic predisposition and chronic diseases of internal organs.

As a rule, treatment of nervous eczema begins with eliminating the provoking factor - stress and nervous overexcitation. For this, the patient is prescribed sedatives.

To ensure maximum effectiveness in the fight against the disease, complex therapy is used, which involves not only eliminating skin lesions, but also treating the underlying disease and preventing relapse.

Treatment

The doctor draws up a complex therapy regimen. Since pathology is caused by stress, methods are used that can normalize the patient’s neuropsychological state. Signs of eczema are eliminated with the help of medicinal and folk remedies intended for symptomatic treatment. The doctor selects medications, taking into account the cause of the disease, the form and severity of its course, and the patient’s condition.

Eczema that occurs due to stress is treated with sedatives, medications that relieve itching and burning, and medications that eliminate dryness, inflammation, swelling and pain. For treatment the following is prescribed:

Local corticosteroids: Dermovate, Rexemin, Galcinonide, Sinalar, Advantan, Soderm, Afloderm, Cinacort. Ointments with hormones are used in the initial stages of therapy. They reduce inflammation and relieve itching. If the dynamics are positive, corticosteroid drugs are discontinued. Instead, medications with lower activity are used. Long-term use of hormonal drugs leads to the development of negative side effects. They cause various complications, including atrophy of epithelial tissues.
Ichthyol ointment and tar effectively relieve the symptoms of eczema. The drugs relieve itching, inflammation, and moisturize the skin. They are applied to the affected areas before bedtime. This is due to the fact that medications have an unpleasant odor.
Acetylsalicylic ointment softens the epithelium, eliminates dryness and redness, and relieves inflammatory processes.
Zinc ointment dries and disinfects the affected skin. The drug dulls pain, relieves itching, accelerates the healing of erosions and ulcers.
Antihistamines: Diazolin, Suprastin, Tavegil. The drugs relieve allergic manifestations, suppress itching, and soothe.
Decongestants: Furosemide, Veroshpiron. Medicines with a diuretic effect remove excess fluid and relieve swelling.

Description of the disease

The disease is divided into three stages:

Acute form - areas of the skin become inflamed, covered with watery blisters, the person feels itching in this area, severe discomfort and tension.
Subacute - occurs one and a half months after the acute phase. Visually, the signs of the disease are smoothed out, but the skin in the affected areas becomes coarser, takes on a different shade and thickens. After 6-7 months, the disease enters the next phase.
Chronic form - scales form on compacted areas of pale pink color. Visually, one gets the impression that the skin is dry and flaking. Itching continues to bother the patient.

There are many methods that are used in the treatment of this disease. The patient has the right to choose any treatment, turn to traditional medicine or use traditional methods.

Whatever path you choose, you need to go on a diet. Itching can be caused by foods such as citrus fruits, spicy, fatty, smoked meats.

Only after a diet does treatment give a positive result.