How to deal with eczema: Does skipping seafood help? Are essential oils effective?

Individuals with eczema will be familiar with เล่นสล็อต the frustrating, recurring situation: Intense itching that compels you to scratch or rub, which leads to the skin becoming darker, thicker, bloody or even pus-filled when infected – if it isn’t already looking red and flaky.

To alleviate the itch and skin’s inflamed appearance, it is not surprising that besides topical hydrocortisone or steroids, some have turned to alternative treatments or advice, especially if they haven’t had much success with conventional medicine.

Patients may even skip the use of steroidal creams as they are under the impression that these creams can thin the skin or create a perpetual reliance on them. Some may believe that a diet overhaul, including giving up dairy, seafood and meat, can help the body get rid of eczema-causing toxins.

While the efficacy of such practices remains to be seen, what is a fact is that many people suffer from eczema in Singapore – about 10 per cent of adults in Singapore, according to Associate Professor Lee Haur Yueh, the head and senior consultant with Singapore General Hospital’s Department of Dermatology.

Furthermore, about 11 per cent to 13 per cent of adult eczema cases begin in childhood, said Dr Uma Alagappan, a consultant dermatologist at KK Women's And Children's Hospital.

But here’s the rub (excuse the pun): Because eczema is so common, it is not surprising for other skin conditions, such as fungal infections and psoriasis, to be mistaken for eczema, said Dr Koh Hong Yi, a consultant dermatologist with Tham Siew Nee Clinic at Gleneagles Medical Centre. “There are also many types of eczema, and there can be differences in their treatment.”