Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstand Your TriggersPrevention TipsManaging Stress EffectivelyNext Steps
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Understand Your Triggers
Prevention Tips
Managing Stress Effectively
Next Steps
Eczemaspread doesn’t occur from person to person, but it sometimes occurs with an eczema flare-up that causes eczema spread on your body. Theseeczemaflares can be due to stress, dehydration, laundry soap and household chemicals, and other factors that cause symptoms to spread.
Prevention strategies can limit eczema flares and any related spread of your symptoms. Working with a board-certifieddermatologistto create a skincare routine, keeping a journal of possible exposures and triggers, and not scratching itchy skin all can help.
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To avoid an eczema flare-up that can trigger eczema symptoms and spread, it’s important to identifycommon triggersthat can set off an outbreak. These can include:
It may take some time to record the changes and determine any patterns, but it will help you to know what to avoid in the future to limit your outbreaks.The EczemaWise app from the National Eczema Association (NEA) offers a digital tool to make it easier to track exposure to pets and other triggers.
Triggers in Babies and Children
When a flare-up of eczema occurs, it can be challenging to deal with, but knowing how to prevent it can keep outbreaks to a minimum. Not allstages of eczemaare the same, and not all techniques to prevent flare-ups will work for everyone. Strategies can include:
Keep in mind that skin tone can play a role in the appearance of eczema. Eczema will be dark brown, ashen gray, or purple (and less red) in those with darker skin. Talk with your healthcare provider about specific products to help treat eczema on darker skin.
What Are Some of The Best Laundry Detergents for People With Eczema?
While every person is different, some laundry detergents are better than others, according to the National Eczema Association. Those detergents include:
Stress and eczema are linked; severe eczema can interfere with sleep and self-esteem which in turn causes stress. Having a stress management strategy in place can help prevent eczema.
Stress management techniques have been proven to help those with eczema better control their condition, including:
Eczema is a lifelong condition, so talk with your healthcare provider about stress management and other interventions like healthy sleep routines.
Next Steps if You’ve Tried Everything
If you have tried everything to heal your eczema and reduce the number of flare-ups and outbreaks, but nothing seems to be working, you should meet with a dermatologist. They might prescribe you a stronger medication or treatment that can be used in addition to your current therapy plan.
They also may recommend alternative therapies, such as acupuncture orphototherapy(ultraviolet light) treatment. Some studies have shown relief from eczema itch with acupuncture.Natural remedies can include coconut oil,vitamin D supplements, or probiotics.
Summary
Eczema can come and go, and when experiencing a flare-up, it can be incredibly challenging to cope. To help prevent eczema flare-ups, you should focus on managing stress, knowing your triggers, and avoiding certain chemicals, products, and materials.
A board-certified dermatologist can prescribe you stronger medications and give further advice. Doing so can reduce the severity and frequency of flare-ups and complications that can arise, such as infection.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.National Eczema Association.20 Lifestyle and Health Hacks for Controlling Eczema.American Academy of Dermatology.Do Certain Foods Cause Eczema Flares?American Academy of Dermatology.Eczema Types: Atopic Dermatitis Symptoms.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Eczema types: Atopic dermatitis: Tips for coping.Allan GM, Craig R, Korownyk CS.Atopic dermatitis and bathing.Can Fam Physician.2021 Oct;67(10):758. doi:10.46747/cfp.6710758Harrison IP, Spada F.Breaking the itch-scratch cycle: Topical options for the management of chronic cutaneous itch in atopic dermatitis.Medicines (Basel).2019 Jul 18;6(3):76. doi:10.3390/medicines6030076Olabi B, Williams HC.Evidence-based management of eczema: five things that should be done more and five things that should be dropped.Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol.2021 Aug 1;21(4):386-393. doi:10.1097/ACI.0000000000000750Lee JH, Son SW, Cho SH.A comprehensive review of the treatment of atopic eczema.Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.2016 May;8(3):181-90. doi:10.4168/aair.2016.8.3.181National Eczema Association.Eczema product directory.National Eczema Society.Clothing and eczema.Graubard R, Perez-Sanchez A, Katta R.Stress and Skin: An Overview of Mind Body Therapies as a Treatment Strategy in Dermatology.Dermatol Pract Concept.2021 Sep 1;11(4):e2021091. doi:10.5826/dpc.1104a91National Eczema Society.Eczema SOS: Getting on top of eczema flare-ups.National Eczema Association.Get the Facts: Acupuncture.National Eczema Association.Top 7 best natural and alternative treatments for eczema.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.National Eczema Association.20 Lifestyle and Health Hacks for Controlling Eczema.American Academy of Dermatology.Do Certain Foods Cause Eczema Flares?American Academy of Dermatology.Eczema Types: Atopic Dermatitis Symptoms.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Eczema types: Atopic dermatitis: Tips for coping.Allan GM, Craig R, Korownyk CS.Atopic dermatitis and bathing.Can Fam Physician.2021 Oct;67(10):758. doi:10.46747/cfp.6710758Harrison IP, Spada F.Breaking the itch-scratch cycle: Topical options for the management of chronic cutaneous itch in atopic dermatitis.Medicines (Basel).2019 Jul 18;6(3):76. doi:10.3390/medicines6030076Olabi B, Williams HC.Evidence-based management of eczema: five things that should be done more and five things that should be dropped.Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol.2021 Aug 1;21(4):386-393. doi:10.1097/ACI.0000000000000750Lee JH, Son SW, Cho SH.A comprehensive review of the treatment of atopic eczema.Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.2016 May;8(3):181-90. doi:10.4168/aair.2016.8.3.181National Eczema Association.Eczema product directory.National Eczema Society.Clothing and eczema.Graubard R, Perez-Sanchez A, Katta R.Stress and Skin: An Overview of Mind Body Therapies as a Treatment Strategy in Dermatology.Dermatol Pract Concept.2021 Sep 1;11(4):e2021091. doi:10.5826/dpc.1104a91National Eczema Society.Eczema SOS: Getting on top of eczema flare-ups.National Eczema Association.Get the Facts: Acupuncture.National Eczema Association.Top 7 best natural and alternative treatments for eczema.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.National Eczema Association.20 Lifestyle and Health Hacks for Controlling Eczema.American Academy of Dermatology.Do Certain Foods Cause Eczema Flares?American Academy of Dermatology.Eczema Types: Atopic Dermatitis Symptoms.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Eczema types: Atopic dermatitis: Tips for coping.Allan GM, Craig R, Korownyk CS.Atopic dermatitis and bathing.Can Fam Physician.2021 Oct;67(10):758. doi:10.46747/cfp.6710758Harrison IP, Spada F.Breaking the itch-scratch cycle: Topical options for the management of chronic cutaneous itch in atopic dermatitis.Medicines (Basel).2019 Jul 18;6(3):76. doi:10.3390/medicines6030076Olabi B, Williams HC.Evidence-based management of eczema: five things that should be done more and five things that should be dropped.Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol.2021 Aug 1;21(4):386-393. doi:10.1097/ACI.0000000000000750Lee JH, Son SW, Cho SH.A comprehensive review of the treatment of atopic eczema.Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.2016 May;8(3):181-90. doi:10.4168/aair.2016.8.3.181National Eczema Association.Eczema product directory.National Eczema Society.Clothing and eczema.Graubard R, Perez-Sanchez A, Katta R.Stress and Skin: An Overview of Mind Body Therapies as a Treatment Strategy in Dermatology.Dermatol Pract Concept.2021 Sep 1;11(4):e2021091. doi:10.5826/dpc.1104a91National Eczema Society.Eczema SOS: Getting on top of eczema flare-ups.National Eczema Association.Get the Facts: Acupuncture.National Eczema Association.Top 7 best natural and alternative treatments for eczema.
National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.
National Eczema Association.20 Lifestyle and Health Hacks for Controlling Eczema.
American Academy of Dermatology.Do Certain Foods Cause Eczema Flares?
American Academy of Dermatology.Eczema Types: Atopic Dermatitis Symptoms.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Eczema types: Atopic dermatitis: Tips for coping.
Allan GM, Craig R, Korownyk CS.Atopic dermatitis and bathing.Can Fam Physician.2021 Oct;67(10):758. doi:10.46747/cfp.6710758
Harrison IP, Spada F.Breaking the itch-scratch cycle: Topical options for the management of chronic cutaneous itch in atopic dermatitis.Medicines (Basel).2019 Jul 18;6(3):76. doi:10.3390/medicines6030076
Olabi B, Williams HC.Evidence-based management of eczema: five things that should be done more and five things that should be dropped.Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol.2021 Aug 1;21(4):386-393. doi:10.1097/ACI.0000000000000750
Lee JH, Son SW, Cho SH.A comprehensive review of the treatment of atopic eczema.Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.2016 May;8(3):181-90. doi:10.4168/aair.2016.8.3.181
National Eczema Association.Eczema product directory.
National Eczema Society.Clothing and eczema.
Graubard R, Perez-Sanchez A, Katta R.Stress and Skin: An Overview of Mind Body Therapies as a Treatment Strategy in Dermatology.Dermatol Pract Concept.2021 Sep 1;11(4):e2021091. doi:10.5826/dpc.1104a91
National Eczema Society.Eczema SOS: Getting on top of eczema flare-ups.
National Eczema Association.Get the Facts: Acupuncture.
National Eczema Association.Top 7 best natural and alternative treatments for eczema.
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