Our skin is our protection from the elements. It shields us from the environment when it might try to break through and get inside to our fragile interior. Our skins is our first and best line of defense. It’s tough when our skin is attacked and it becomes the issue instead of the prevention.
There are a lot of things can attack our skin, but one of the most common way that it will show is through rashes and itchy areas. Rashes are a natural reaction from our body to show that something is wrong. We all want our skin to be soft, smooth and healthy.
Eczema
Eczema is a common term that’s used for a lot of different skin rashes. It’s really called atopic dermatitis. When you first look at someone who has eczema, it sort of looks like they have had an allergic reaction. Skin is often red and swollen. The issue with eczema is that it’s a chronic affliction. It’s not something that you deal with once and then it goes away forever.
Eczema really likes to go after children. It’s more common with them and one of the most painful locations is in the backs of the knees and the inner portion of the elbows. It’s difficult to not irritate and scratch these areas as children. What makes it worse is the consequences of scratching. If you do scratch your eczema rashes, it’s going to open up sores that are easily infected.
So how do you treat your eczema? The best way is through proper skin care. For mild to moderate cases, that’s usually all you’re going to need. Clean yourself carefully and thoroughly. Don’t take long incredibly hot showers. Avoid extreme situations on your skin and caustic irritants.
Dermatitis
Dermatitis refers to a broad number of rashes. These rashes tend toward red burning skin. We’ve already discussed atopic dermatitis which is known as eczema. However there are other types of dermatitis as well. Each of these can be very painful and often the rashes will develop blisters while they itch and hurt.
Contact dermatitis is caused by outside sources and is similar to an allergic reaction. Contact dermatitis naturally happens when you come in contact with a skin irritant. These can be common items like a hand soap or oil that reacts poorly with your skin. Poison ivy is another example of something that regularly causes contact dermatitis for many people.
Finally the third common form of dermatitis is seborrheic dermatitis. This kind of dermatitis tends to occur in areas of the skin that is commonly very oily. This form of dermatitis creates scaly unattractive skin.
Causes of Itchy Skin
Rashes are one of the main sources of itchy skin. Everything we’ve discussed already can certainly cause issues. In addition to rashes, there are a lot of other things that can also causes itchy skin. People with food allergies will often have any external or internal contact with those foods lead to itchy skin. This is most common in minor allergies that are consumed. There can also be unexpected reactions to various pharmaceuticals.
The number of things that can cause unwanted itching are so numerous. For example, people with Diabetes can often have itching caused by some of their nerve damage. This usually happens to them in the feet and lower legs. It’s just an example that there are a lot of things causing itching. If you’re suffering from consistent problems, you should see your doctor!