Although there is no known cure for eczema, there are many different treatments for eczema available on today’s market. The sheer volume of products available to provide eczema relief can make it a difficult to choose the most suitable one. This article gives four of the best treatments for eczema and a brief description of each one. 

 

1. Corticosteroid Creams

Some corticosteroid creams are available over the counter. These are often all that is required to treat slight cases of eczema. For moderate to severe cases, a doctor’s prescription may be required to attain a stronger variant. Corticosteroids, a class of steroid hormones produced by the body for stress, immune and inflammatory responses, have been a staple treatment for eczema for many years now. If the condition does not respond to topical corticosteroids successfully, your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids taken orally or injected into the blood stream to provide eczema relief.

 

2. Immunomodulators

Because of the side effects brought about by corticosteroids in the treatment of eczema, it was necessary for experts to look for an alternative treatment for eczema. Topical immunomodulators do not contain corticosteroids, so corticosteroids-related side effects such as thinning of the skin, dilatation of blood vessels, formation of stretch marks and infections are averted. They work by changing some of the functions of your body’s immune system so that inflammation of the eczematous skin is managed properly. Topical immunomodulators are usually recommended for a short-term treatment course, application only on skin areas affected by eczema, and not intended to be used on children below 2 years of age or those who are immuno-compromised.

 

3. Oral Antihistamines 

Ask anyone afflicted with eczema and he or she will tell you that skin itching may just be the hardest symptom to put up with. Scratching the affected areas will not help, in fact it will only exacerbate the situation by making the inflammation and the itchiness itself even worse. This is where oral antihistamines come to the rescue. Antihistamines are commonly used for the control of allergies; they work by suppressing the action of histamines, which is produced by your body as part of its natural defenses. Oral antihistamines will help relieve itching and can be very useful during night time to help you get some sleep despite of the symptom.

 

4. Ultraviolet Light Therapy

Ultraviolet light therapy is often employed as an eczema treatment as well as a treatment for other skin diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo. The afflicted person is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light for a short amount of time. To be effective a patient may be required to have 20-30 sessions to see results.

For self-care treatment, moisturizing the affected areas well will greatly help in keeping the symptoms at bay – especially itching. Itchiness is worse when the affected skin gets dry. That is why anyone afflicted with eczema is recommended to apply moisturizers 2-3 times a day or even more, depending on certain factors such as the weather. There are a wide variety of moisturizers available, which may be effective.

Usually they are in the form of lotions, ointments, creams and foams. You may also find some moisturizers containing extracts of herbs that are proven effective in relieving inflammation and itchiness, the most important part of eczema treatment. Aloe gel, chamomile, rosemary, witch hazel and walnut leaf extracts are some of the commonly known additives for moisturizers effective for eczema relief.