With eczema affecting so many different people, it is important to treat it in a myriad of different ways. Since everyone’s body is their own, there is no single approach that works for everyone. One treatment that has been developed and used widely is the application of topical steroids.
Why Steroids Help

The most common steroids used in the treatment of eczema are a class of compounds called corticosteroids. These hormones are produced naturally in the body in the adrenal cortex and take part in several physiological reactions like stress response, protein catabolism, and electrolyte levels in the blood. But specific to eczema, corticosteroids are important for the proper function of immune responses and regulating inflammation. Many of those who suffer from eczema are treated with topical doses of different synthesized corticosteroids. Doctors and patients agree that steroid creams have the power to treat the problem effectively but are they really the right tool for the job?
Side Effects

While Corticosteroids may be effective at treating the eczema, using them definitely comes with a cost. Below we have listed some of the adverse health effects experts have associated with the use of topical steroid creams.

Liver Damage
Like almost all steroids, corticosteroids could be hell on your liver. Steroids often cause strain and damage. If you are taking some variety of corticosteroid, it may be important to take it conjunction with a supplement that supports liver health and function. One supplement ingredient worth considering would be milk thistle since this is what many bodybuilders use to protect themselves from liver damage caused by steroids. However, it may be more cost effective to try an all-natural eczema treatment that doesn’t require buying supplemental products to make it safe.


Birth Defects
One study at the University of Washington’s Department of Pediatrics showed that corticosteroids might have some teratogenic effects. These effects may seem small but they could be quite significant. The study claimed that corticosteroids could cause a multiple birth defects for every 1,000 pregnant women treated with them. This may be just around 1 percent, but we still think those odds are a little too high.

Cancer
One of the scariest side effects we researched was that using strong topical steroids could increase risk of Lymphoma. In the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, a study back in 2007 that showed that there was a significant association between patients who had been treated with topical corticosteroids, in low and high concentrations, and patients who developed lymphoma later down the line. Though only 294 cases of lymphoma occurred out of the 293,253 patients, the added risk is still scary nonetheless.

Eye Damage
One study conducted by the Retinal Research Department at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York City, showed that corticosteroid use may be connected with central serous chorioretinopathy or CSC. This condition is characterized by the leaking of fluid under the retina that can begin to pool and collect under the central macula. This leads to distorted vision, blurry spots, and decreased visual acuity even after the fluid has drained.     

Final Thoughts   With prolonged use of steroids causing harm, it may be necessary to use these topical treatments in short bursts. One study we saw published in the British Medical Journal showed that short term use of a strong topical steroid was just as effective as prolonged administrations of milder steroids for treating eczema.

In conclusion, steroids have their place when it comes to treating eczema, but that role should be limited. If you rely too heavily on them, you can experience unwanted side effects that could be worse than the initial problem you set out to treat.

 Learn more about the relationship between stress and eczema and see why stress causes eczema to get worse.

 

Stress is a part of life that is unavoidable, no matter what age you are. There is good stress, which motivates you while there is also bad stress that, well, stresses you out and can give rise to a host of health problems. For those suffering with eczema, too much stress can signal a flare-up or even many flare-ups in a row if the stress is long term. Stress is defined as, "A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression.”

The good news in all of this is that there are ways to "de-stress” your life and by so doing, see fewer eczema outbreaks. First of, consider your day-to-day life. Are there stressors in your life that don’t need to be there? Are there ways that you can remove clutter from your life that won’t affect the whole of it? Think of what is most important and do away with the small, petty things that cause you stress and headaches.

Next, have a good laugh. Yes, laugh out loud. Watch a comedy, read a funny book, listen or tell a joke or describe a hilarious moment to a family member or friend. Laughter is not only a good outlet for stress but it also has a number of health benefits. Laughter activates the immune system, it lower blood pressure, and it triggers the release of the body’s natural painkillers, endorphins. Laughter also, as previously mentioned, reduces stress hormones, helps reduce pain, allows muscles to relax and is very helpful for the breathing process as frequent bouts of laughter empties air from the lungs.  

Find activities to do in your free time that allow you to set aside all of your worries and concerns and cut loose and enjoy yourself! For some people it may be getting together with friends and going to shopping, going to see a movie or browsing at a flea market; for others it might be a game of tennis, squash or an aerobics or yoga class; while still for others it might be an artistic pursuit such as painting, pottery or writing poetry. Even if you just want to relax in an easy chair with a cup of tea and a good book, do it! Finding ways to de-stress your life can help decrease your flare-ups tremendously, not to mention also improving your quality of life.

Keep in mind however that soaking for a long time in the bathtub will only bring more stress to the life of an eczema sufferer. If you find physical activities relaxing make sure to use your common sense. Take breaks, drink water frequently and don’t allow yourself to get too sweaty or overheated. By so doing you defeat your purpose and can trigger an eczema attack.

Finally, keep in mind that no matter what you do you cannot completely escape stress so make peace with the stress you have in your life and always keep it in perspective. Someone once said, "Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all small stuff.” If you can adopt way of thinking then your stress load should be reduced significantly.

House dust mite is a tiny insect that occurs in every home. You cannot see it without a microscope. It mainly lives in bedrooms and mattresses as part of the dust. Many people with eczema are allergic to house dust mite. However, in general, it is not usually advised to do anything about house dust mite. This is because:

    The research studies that have looked into whether reducing house dust mite is helpful have not been conclusive. There is some evidence that reducing house dust mite may help but further research is really needed to confirm this.
    It is impossible to clear house dust mite completely from a home and it is hard work to greatly reduce their number to a level which may be of benefit.
    Treatment with other methods such as emollients and short courses of topical steroids usually works well. Therefore, the effort of trying to eliminate house dust mite is not usually warranted.

A recent guideline from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) - referenced at the end of this leaflet - states: "There are conflicting data on the effectiveness of using house dust mite avoidance strategies in the management of childhood atopic eczema. Many of the currently suggested techniques are time-consuming and expensive for parents/carers and it is important to establish their value."

However, some people with severe eczema which is difficult to control with the usual treatments try to clear house dust mite from their home as much as possible. Therefore, for the sake of completeness, the following gives an idea of how to clear house dust mite. But it has to be stressed, it is hard work, it is not usually recommended and the value of this is not clear.

To greatly reduce the numbers of house dust mite:

    Remove carpets (where possible) from the bedroom. Avoid soft furnishing in the bedroom.
    Use dust-tight ('mite-proof') covers for any mattress, duvet and pillow (a good bed retailer will be able to advise). This can be left in place for several months. The usual covers can be put on top of the special covers but should be washed every 1-2 weeks at 60°C.
    Use feather rather than synthetic pillows (this is the opposite to what used to be thought).
    Wet-dust the bedroom furniture every 1-2 weeks. Some people advise dusting even more frequently - even daily dusting.
    Vacuum or clean the bedroom floor regularly. Use a vacuum cleaner with a good filter (this removes the mite and prevents small particles coming out through the vacuum exhaust).
    Vacuum the mattress once a week.
    Regularly ventilate the bedroom (open the door and a window for a while on most days).
    Keep soft toys to a minimum. Put them in the freezer in a plastic bag for 24 hours now and again. This kills any mites on them. If the toys are washable, wash them at 60°C after they have been in the freezer.
    Try to keep humidity low (for example, do not dry washing on the radiator). An electric blanket decreases humidity in the bed which helps to keep mite numbers down in a mattress.