Eczema rash is a very frustrating symptom of eczema. For some people, it means the difference between wearing short sleeves and being comfortable in their own skin, and needing to wear long sleeves to avoid other people seeing the scabbing and rash that has developed. But what causes the rash that so many people suffer from with eczema? The answer is not perfectly clear and simple as it varies for every single person, but it can be narrowed down to a handful of possible causes.
Eczema rash is an allergic reaction. It is your body’s way of rejecting some sort of irritant, similar to sneezing or coughing is your respiratory system’s way of rejecting irritants. The best way to eliminate this reaction is to find and eliminate the irritant! For some people the irritant is very obvious. If every time you pick up a cat, you get a massive itchy rash, then obviously you should be avoiding cats!
But for other people, it can be much trickier to find the trigger for an eczema rash. If you don’t know exactly what is causing it, I recommend getting an allergy test from your dermatologist. This simple procedure can identify exactly what is causing the reaction by exposing your skin to samples of various substances. Whatever your skin reacts to the most to is likely what needs to be avoided.
To keep eczema rash at bay, plan your meals out so as to avoid these substances. Pack a lunch instead of buying so that you know exactly what you are eating and avoid letting it harm your body. You should do this even when going to family events or dinners so that you can provide yourself an effective alternative against whatever might be served at that particular event.
It’s also important to regularly apply medicated creams such as hydrocortisone or a prescription cream given to you by a dermatologist regularly. The more moisturized your skin is, the more effectively it can heal, rebuild and recover from the eczema rash. Dry skin will not be able to do this nearly as well and you will likely get more irritated and recover less effectively.