What Causes Eczema Flare Ups?
Eczema - it is unpleasant to a degree those tat do not have it will never understand. However you are probably living with it and controlling it as best you cen. Then of course comes a bad flare up out of nowhere! The red skin, the itching, the ugly sores - they all come back and make your life an absolute misery. So what just happened? What causes eczema flare ups like this?
Well, despite what you might hear and read the causes of eczema are not actually understood all that well by a lot of people including medical professionals. Many believe it is caused by allergies and sensitivity to certain chemicals which can cause some types of eczema - but they are not the ROOT cause of eczema. Neither is simple hereditary inheritance of the conditions, and exposure to the sun is also not the answer either. So what is it then?
The answer is that a combination of different factors lead to flare ups. Allergies to foods that you might have started eating recently may have caused a flare up (check if you have picked up some new groceries for the ingredients). Food allergies are common but not the be all end all.
Also check for contact allergens such as chemicals in household cleaners and detergents. Also check if you have changed your brand of shampoo or soap or anything else that gets in contact with your skin. Even air fresheners can have an adverse effect on some people.
Clothing is another thing to look out for. Certain fabrics can cause eczema to become worse or to flare up. Do you have a new outfit? Or perhaps an old one you have not worn in quite some time? This is a common way to get eczema to hit you again if the fabric is not kind to your skin.
Sometimes flare ups can be seasonal. Are your eczema symptoms worse in dry, cold weather, or maybe hot humid weather? Does the sunshine on a bright sunny day cause your problems? Do you itch like crazy after working up a good sweat while weeding the garden?
There are so many ways that eczema can flare up from as you can see. Often it is also a combination of factors so it gets confusing trying to work out which one(s) are the ones to limit or eliminate completely. These are not the root causes of eczema however, they are just things that bring on the symptoms. The actual causes of eczema are linked to an immune system disorder and so just looking at the flare ups and symptoms will not get rid of it forever - but it can help you avoid flare ups and pain.
Well, despite what you might hear and read the causes of eczema are not actually understood all that well by a lot of people including medical professionals. Many believe it is caused by allergies and sensitivity to certain chemicals which can cause some types of eczema - but they are not the ROOT cause of eczema. Neither is simple hereditary inheritance of the conditions, and exposure to the sun is also not the answer either. So what is it then?
The answer is that a combination of different factors lead to flare ups. Allergies to foods that you might have started eating recently may have caused a flare up (check if you have picked up some new groceries for the ingredients). Food allergies are common but not the be all end all.
Also check for contact allergens such as chemicals in household cleaners and detergents. Also check if you have changed your brand of shampoo or soap or anything else that gets in contact with your skin. Even air fresheners can have an adverse effect on some people.
Clothing is another thing to look out for. Certain fabrics can cause eczema to become worse or to flare up. Do you have a new outfit? Or perhaps an old one you have not worn in quite some time? This is a common way to get eczema to hit you again if the fabric is not kind to your skin.
Sometimes flare ups can be seasonal. Are your eczema symptoms worse in dry, cold weather, or maybe hot humid weather? Does the sunshine on a bright sunny day cause your problems? Do you itch like crazy after working up a good sweat while weeding the garden?
There are so many ways that eczema can flare up from as you can see. Often it is also a combination of factors so it gets confusing trying to work out which one(s) are the ones to limit or eliminate completely. These are not the root causes of eczema however, they are just things that bring on the symptoms. The actual causes of eczema are linked to an immune system disorder and so just looking at the flare ups and symptoms will not get rid of it forever - but it can help you avoid flare ups and pain.
