Inflamed and sensitive skin is typical when you suffer from eczema. In fact, it’s symptomatic of the condition. Could one bit of technology help soothe your skin?
Reportedly, there’s one technological gadget that could “help to reduce itching and inflamed skin”.
“Hot, dry indoor air can parch sensitive skin and worsen itching and flaking,” the Mayo Clinic said.
To combat this, the health organisation recommended eczema sufferers to purchase a humidifier.
Medical News Today commented that humidifiers “can benefit people with dry skin”.
When the air is dry, moisture can evaporate from the skin – and a person with eczema already struggles to retain moisture.
To explain, the National Eczema Society noted how eczema sufferers have a defective skin barrier.
As an analogy, think of the epidermis (top part of the skin layer) as bricks and mortar.
In a healthy epidermis, the mortar (fats and oils) act as the seal to keep the bricks (skin cells) together.
This provides a strong barrier that “protects the body from infection or irritation”.
Together, the skin cells, fat and oils attract and retain moisture – leading to a healthy skin barrier function.
People with eczema, on the other hand, don’t produce enough fats and oils.
This means the skin is less effective at retaining moisture – in essence, there’s not enough “mortar” (fat and oils) to keep all the bricks (skin cells) together.
Such a defective skin barrier makes it easier for irritants and bacteria to enter deeper layers of the skin.
As a result, eczema-prone skin can become irritated, cracked and inflamed.
Household items, such as bubble bath, washing-up liquid and soap, can all become irritants to the eczema-prone skin.
The NHS warned of the consequences of not treating eczema-prone skin – bacterial infections.
Aside from dry, sore and cracked skin – which I’m sure nobody wants – there can be other health complications.
For instance, a bacterial infection can cause oozing from the skin, and a yellow crust can appear on the surface of the skin.
Additionally, there may be small yellowish-white spots appearing in the eczema.
This needs to be treated with antibiotics prescribed by your GP, so do make an appointment should you suspect you’ve got a bacterial infection.
It’s also possible for cracked skin to become infected with the herpes simplex virus.
This can turn into a serious condition called eczema herpeticum. Fluid-filled blisters can burst open and leave shallow open sores on the skin.
In order to prevent such complications, make sure your eczema self care is as best as it can be – and this might mean buying a humidifier.
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