Read up on Eczema treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

Eczema

Key points about treatments

Eczema is a condition that causes areas of the skin to become itchy, red, hot and swollen.

Scratching eczema patches can make the skin ooze and bleed, and it can make the itching and other symptoms of eczema worse. Sometimes the skin can become thick and scaly. Your doctor may call it "atopic eczema" or "atopic dermatitis."

Key points about treating and preventing eczema

Treatments can't cure eczema, but they do relieve the symptoms.
There are many things you can do at home to try to keep your eczema under control.
Your doctor can also prescribe creams and ointments to help relieve your symptoms.
There are also things that might prevent your child getting eczema, if eczema and other allergic conditions (such as

asthma
Asthma is a long-term disease of the lungs. It makes you wheeze, cough and feel short of breath. Asthma attacks are caused by iflammation and narrowing of the airways, which makes it hard for air to pass in and out of the lungs.

asthma) run in your family.

This information was last updated on May 01, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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