Chris Kelly
Hello, about 4 years ago I had a very bad case of eczema. I moved into a room in an apartment where, I later found out, the rug in the bedroom hadn't been vacuumed for some time. I vacuumed the rug and I think the cause of my eczema was that all of the dust mite excrement got into my bed sheets. Dust mites are very little bugs that feed off of the dead human skin that is trapped in the carpeting. Everyone has them!! I believe my skin was dry (leaving me vulnerable to the irritant) and therefore I had a terrible outbreak of eczema. I went through a period of several months where I had eczema all over my legs and arms. I tried every lotion at the drugstore. Finally, I took the rug out of my bedroom, cleaned my sheets with hot water and bleach, and used a skin lotion called Cetaphil. I am 99.9% cured (I still get a little on my hands, probably from cleaners when I don't wear gloves and am cleaning the house). Some recommendations for dealing with eczema: - KEEP CARPETS CLEAN. Or better yet GET RID OF THEM. I cannot stress how IMPORTANT this is! Carpeting and/or rugs harbor all sorts of nasty critters (mostly dust mites) and their excrement. Even vacuuming doesn't get everything out (vacuuming also tends to disperse the irritants onto furniture, beds, etc where it can come into contact with your skin). Hardwood floors and/or tile floors are the best. An area rug can be used but should be sent to the cleaners at least yearly for a good cleaning. I don't have kids, but I suspect a dirty capet can be a problem because they are always crawling around. - Don't use harsh soaps on your skin. Soaps destroy the natural oils that your skin uses to protect itself. You don't need to use soap all over your body everyday. Just use it in your armpits, crotch, and feet. Then use it on the rest of your body every other day. I use Tone which seems to be mild. - Take a fat supplement. Yes I know this sounds crazy, but most of us don't get the right kinds of fat. Take a flaxseed oil or cod liver oil supplement. Or put olive oil on your bread instead of butter. I know how depressing having eczema can be. I remember mostly just laying on the couch watching TV when I had it, because I was too depressed to go outside. I was single at the time and it definitely prevented me from being social with the opposite gender. Try to stay active. Get out of the house as much as possible (because your house or apartment is probably where the irritant is coming from). Things will get better if you follow the above recommendations. Keep the faith and good luck!