A certain percentage of people on the planet constantly suffer from acute and chronic inflammatory skin disease - eczema. The pathogenesis of the disease is not fully understood, but there are certain external and internal environmental factors that can provoke the onset of the disease. In this article we will talk about the types of eczema, the causes of its appearance, how weeping eczema manifests itself and modern methods of treating this pathology.
Eczema on the hands and its causes
A variety of this disease can be aggravated by the fact that the resulting sores are located in open areas of the skin and are always accessible to prying eyes. The main causes of wet eczema on the hands are:
- existing immune diseases;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- allergic reaction;
- hereditary predisposition;
- hyperthyroidism;
- diabetes;
- nervous tension;
- psychological and stress problems.
Eczema on the hands and fingers is also accompanied by discomfort, itching, and pain, which can lead to constant fatigue, insomnia and nervousness. If treatment of wet eczema on the hands is not timely, the disease can lead to chronic infections, as well as the spread of tumors throughout the body.
Therefore, it is extremely important to immediately respond to the first symptoms of the disease by seeking help from a specialist, using special healing creams, ointments and antihistamines.
It is worth noting that this disease cannot be transmitted through personal contact, so the patient may not avoid shaking hands with healthy people.
Eczema on legs
This type of disease mainly manifests itself in the form of neoplasms on the knees, legs, mainly on the side and front; less often, eczema can be found on the feet. Wet eczema that forms on the legs is often accompanied by infection with various pathogenic fungi. Fungal infections, manifested in the form of erosion on the skin of the legs, require proper and timely treatment. If there is no treatment for wet eczema on the legs, this can provoke various kinds of complications, as well as the development of psoriasis.
Eczema on the face
This type of disease is extremely rare, but is perceived quite negatively by patients, since neoplasms on the face spoil the appearance. Various kinds of skin rashes, small cracks, vesicles form on the eyebrows, lips, nose, and less often you can find them on the cheeks. Often the disease manifests itself first in some areas of the face and then in others. Wet eczema on the face can provoke infection under the skin through open wounds.
Basically, what type of disease develops on the basis of a weakened immune system, as well as due to a weakening of the protective properties of the epidermis. In addition, the development of the disease can also be influenced by some genetic factors, as well as impaired metabolism in the body.
Classification
Depending on the characteristic symptoms, there are 4 stages of weeping eczema: erythematous, vesicular, weeping and crusting.
Depending on the etiology, there are several types of eczema.
- Occupational eczema: develops when exposed to chemicals that a person comes into contact with at the workplace or while engaging in a certain type of activity.
- Seborrheic: occurs in persons suffering from seborrhea, in which spots form in the form of rings and garlands. Characteristic features are peeling of the skin, especially in the hair area.
- Callous eczema: Similar in appearance to regular calluses. The lesions are concentrated on the feet and the inside of the palms. The formations are accompanied by severe pain.
- True: lesions are poorly defined, concentrated in the face, neck and limbs. The stages of the disease are clearly defined. It is difficult to determine the irritant. Without proper therapy, there is a risk of infection.
- Microbial eczema: localized around the source of infection (wound, cut, ulcer). It occurs against the background of impaired blood circulation and sensitivity of the immune system to foreign microorganisms.
- Mycotic eczema: occurs when you are allergic to a fungus. The lesions have clear boundaries. Difficult to treat due to the resistance of the fungi.
- Dyshidrotic eczema: concentrated in the area of the palms and soles, with exacerbation, foci of the disease appear on the legs, hands and feet. The redness is mild; the blisters often merge to form large vesicles.
Sometimes the disease develops in young children. The greatest intensity of symptoms is noted in the weeping stage. In some cases, the cause of eczema is artificial feeding. If medical care is not provided in a timely manner, infants have a high risk of death.
Breastfeeding mothers may develop nipple eczema. The reason is trauma during breastfeeding. Crimson lesions appear, the skin cracks and peels. Clear boundaries of inflammation appear around the nipples.
Eczema on the head
Seborrheic type of eczema can manifest itself in the area where there are a large number of sebaceous glands. The skin on the head under the hair becomes wet when wet contents are released from the bursting growths, which can trigger the development of fungus. In addition to the general factors that are characteristic of eczema, it can appear on the head due to a lack of vitamin B or zinc in the body. During development, the disease manifests itself in the forehead, behind the ears and on the eyebrows.
Hygiene
If you have eczema, perfect body hygiene is important. Dermatologists have developed a number of rules, compliance with which will reduce the clinical manifestations of the disease. Important to remember:
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- When showering, use water at room temperature. It is better if it is boiled and cooled.
- Using toilet soap dries out already dry skin.
- Avoid exposure to sunlight on the chest and overheating it.
- It is better to choose clothes from natural materials.
- It is necessary to constantly moisturize the skin in the chest area.
Symptoms of the disease
The types of wet eczema, photos of which are presented in the article, despite their localization in different parts of the body, have common symptoms. Visual manifestations of the disease are the following:
Symptoms that the patient may experience include regular and intense itching, malaise, dry skin, and insomnia. Such signs may also be characteristic of the development of other ailments, for example, psoriasis or dermatosis. Therefore, before treating wet eczema on the arms, legs, face or head, it is necessary to make a correct diagnosis, for which scrapings from the inflamed areas are taken. Therefore, at the first signs of the development of the disease, you need to seek help from a specialist.
Carrying out diagnostics
Diagnosis of the disease primarily involves taking skin tests. To do this, an allergen is applied to the inside of the forearm, and after a day the human body must demonstrate a positive or negative reaction to the applied irritant. With a positive reaction, as a rule, bubbles, hyperemia and swelling are formed. In case of a negative reaction, there are no allergic signs.
In addition, the diagnosis of wet eczema on the legs and arms is carried out using an immunological and prick test. The first involves taking a blood test, and the second implies a violation of the integrity of the skin.
Physiotherapy
How to treat weeping eczema besides using medications and lifestyle changes? Of course, with the help of physiotherapeutic methods. Their use is justified only after the manifestations of the disease have somewhat reduced their severity. The most commonly used physiotherapeutic techniques are:
- PUVA therapy,
- laser therapy,
- cryotherapy,
- phototherapy,
- magnetotherapy,
- ozone therapy.
Each of these techniques has its own effect, but they all contribute to a speedy recovery from weeping eczema.
How to treat wet eczema?
First of all, it is worth noting that the treatment of this disease must be comprehensive. Treatment of wet eczema on the legs, arms and other parts of the body involves eliminating everything that can trigger its development. This means that it is necessary to undergo examination and recover from chronic diseases.
After this, treatment of wet eczema on the arms, legs, head or face involves hyposensitizing therapy, which can bring the human body into order.
To effectively and correctly cure eczema, you need to approach therapy comprehensively. Practice shows that it is best to use a complex of measures such as:
Prevention
Since the etiology of the disease is not fully understood, doctors cannot offer a range of measures, the implementation of which would help prevent the development of pathology. Doctors recommend that their patients avoid wearing tight shoes and clothing, and other wardrobe items that can cause circulatory problems. It is important to avoid purchasing items made from synthetic materials. Patients are advised to adhere to a diet, lead a moderate lifestyle, and avoid stress and high stress on the nervous system. It is useful to maintain a work and sleep schedule.
Those who have a history of a chronic form of weeping eczema should try to have less contact with water, household chemicals and decorative cosmetics, avoid going to saunas and steam baths, treat any other diseases in a timely manner, and be sure to undergo preventive courses of physiotherapy.
Medications
Drug treatment of this disease involves intramuscular administration of various solutions. In addition, for the treatment of wet eczema on the hands and other parts of the body, a course of antihistamines is prescribed, which includes taking Diphenhydramine, Suprastin, Pipolfen, Tavegil, Peritol, Loratadine and other sedatives.
The specialist can also prescribe corticosteroids to the patient for a short time, but they must be taken very carefully so that the human body does not get used to these medications.
In order to cleanse the entire body when treating wet eczema, diuretics and immunocorrectors are prescribed, which include Tactivin, Thimalin, Pentoxil, Dekaris and B vitamins.
Reduction of sensitization and detoxification therapy
For the purpose of desensitization, calcium preparations are often prescribed, the most common of which are calcium gluconate and calcium chloride, formerly known as a hot shot. At present, intravenous jet administration of the latter is not recommended. 5-10 ml of this drug is diluted in 100 (less often 200) ml of physiological sodium chloride solution and administered intravenously (using a system).
I would especially like to note the inadmissibility of intramuscular administration of this drug, which is recommended on a number of Internet resources. This procedure certainly leads to necrosis (death) of muscle tissue at the injection site, followed by the formation of an abscess and often surgical treatment. Calcium gluconate can be administered intravenously or prescribed in tablet form.
In addition, sodium thiosulfate (intravenously) and methenamine are often used for the purpose of desensitization.
Detoxification therapy includes intravenous hemodesis, as well as the administration of sorbents internally (Polysorb, Enterosgel, activated carbon). In most cases, they are taken 1.5-2 hours before or after meals.
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Local preparations
It is also recommended to use topical medications for treatment. Ointments (Lokoid, Advantan, Soderm), various lotions, compresses, as well as birch tar are prescribed for the treatment of wet eczema.
Various hormonal preparations for external use may also be prescribed. Thanks to them, you can achieve good results in the treatment of wet eczema on the arms, legs, face and head in a short period of time, while alleviating the patient’s general condition. But such drugs must be used only under the strict supervision of a specialist and in short courses, otherwise there is a risk of developing complications from the immune system.
Traditional medicine recipes
Drug treatment can also be combined with safe and effective folk remedies. Wet eczema can be cured at home on your own if the remedy is prepared according to the recipe. The most effective of them are the following:
- To relieve inflammation, you can use lotions with sea buckthorn or fir oil.
- A good therapeutic effect can be achieved by taking warm medicinal baths with the addition of a decoction of chamomile, clover, plantain, as well as lavender, geranium or tea tree esters.
- Treatment of this skin disease with the help of folk remedies also involves the use of the following mixture: you need to combine 100 g of water and slaked lime, put the mixture on low heat, and boil. Let the composition brew and cool, then strain well through cheesecloth, and then mix in equal quantities with any vegetable oil and apply to the affected areas on the legs or arms. The mixture is applied to the tumors several times a day.
Treatment methods for weeping dermatitis
Due to the fact that weeping dermatoses occur due to systemic imbalance of the body, treatment should be comprehensive:
- drug therapy;
- change in eating habits (change of diet);
- Some patients also use the experience of traditional medicine.
Whether to use folk remedies or not is up to everyone to decide for themselves. But it would still be wiser to consult a doctor.
Changing your diet
Often there is a need to radically change your menu and give up foods that can trigger allergies:
honey;- pineapples;
- citrus;
- chocolate;
- eggs;
- tomatoes;
- kiwi;
- strawberry;
- confectionery;
- fatty, fried and smoked foods.
Allowed to eat:
- vegetables (broths, stews);
- cereals (buckwheat, millet, oatmeal);
- lean meats and fish (boiled or steamed);
- fermented milk products: kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese;
- plenty of liquid (ideally clean water).
Eating plant foods will be more beneficial (especially during the acute period of the disease). The only fats allowed are olive and flaxseed oil. And there should be a sufficient amount of greens in the diet.
Fighting eczema on the face with folk remedies
If eczema manifests itself only on the face, then the following folk remedies can be used for this:
- Grate the potatoes on a fine grater, squeeze out the juice, and apply the resulting pulp to the existing growth on the face for 30 minutes. This procedure must be done 2 times a day.
- Pour one glass of birch buds with the same amount of boiling water, then simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Allow the broth to cool, then soak gauze and apply to the affected areas of the face.
Preventive standards
To ensure that wet eczema never takes you by surprise, you need to adhere to a number of simple preventive rules. Preventive measures include:
In addition, experts recommend promptly treating any manifestations of skin rashes on the body. If the treatment tactics are chosen incorrectly, this will only aggravate the development of the disease or give rise to the manifestation of weeping eczema.
The main preventive measure is to treat chronic diseases and strengthen the immune system. But if a person has already suffered from wet eczema, then he needs to adhere to certain rules in order to prevent a relapse of the disease:
In conclusion, it is worth noting that weeping or wet eczema is a severe form of dermatosis, the clinical course of which is accompanied by the formation of flaky areas on the skin with regular and bursting rashes. To combat the disease, local and systemic drugs are used, and centuries-old folk remedies are also considered effective. However, before using alternative medicine to treat eczema, it is recommended to consult a specialist.
Frequently asked questions from patients
Question: Can I take a bath or shower if I have weeping eczema?
Answer: During an exacerbation of the disease, it is better to give preference to the shower, however, if you want to soak in the bath, this is not contraindicated. The main rule is to swim no more than 10-15 minutes in warm water. To wash your body, you should use only hypoallergenic gels or foams without dyes or fragrances. At the end of hygiene procedures, you need to blot the skin with a clean terry towel without rubbing, apply hormonal ointment for eczema and drying agents.
Question: How should I change my lifestyle so that eczema flare-ups occur less frequently?
Answer: First of all, it is important to choose the right skin care, use hypoallergenic products, and dry wet areas. It is advisable to avoid synthetics and wear clothes and shoes made from natural materials.
For patients with eczema, it is important to create an optimal microclimate at home, the temperature should be 20-25 ℃, it is advisable to install a humidifier.
Question: My father, like me, suffers from weeping eczema, what is the likelihood that the disease will be passed on to the child?
Answer: Weeping eczema is a disease with a genetic predisposition. The probability of a child inheriting the pathology, provided that his father is healthy, is 50%. But the disease does not necessarily manifest itself; in order for eczema to develop, a combination of several factors is necessary - heredity, decreased immunity, contact with irritants.
Question: Is it necessary to use hormonal ointments for eczema? Can you do without them? How to cure a disease with folk remedies?
Answer: Corticosteroids are part of complex therapy for moderate and severe eczema. When used correctly on the recommendation of a doctor, they are absolutely safe, are not absorbed into the blood and do not cause side effects. Mild eczema can be treated without hormones (with other medications).
Home remedies should only be used as an adjunct to traditional eczema treatment; they are not effective on their own.
Question: What is childhood eczema? How to treat it in a baby?
Answer: A synonym for “childhood eczema” is “atopic dermatitis.” To treat the pathology, antihistamines and hormonal agents, skin moisturizing creams and emollients are used. According to indications for eczema in infants, vitamins, calcium gluconate and other drugs can be prescribed.
