This is one of the most common phases of a mother with a child with eczema. However telling someone with an itch not to scratch is a waste of breath. You just can’t help it.

The reasons for not scratching are numerous. The more you scratch the worse the itch will become. This results in more scratching and then more itching and so it goes on.

Chronic scratching results in long term skin damage as the skin produces extra layers in an attempt to protect itself. The result is thickened and often scarred skin.

Most importantly is the risk of infection. Repeated scratching can break the skin allowing an infection to set in on top of the eczema. Antibiotic treatments, either topical or oral are required to control the infection and allow the skin to heal.

It really is important that we try not to scratch – regardless of how difficult that may be.

Read and you shall learn.

This is so true when it comes to eczema.  Never fall into the complacent state of thinking that you know it all.  Even the age old treatments that our ancestors used reappear and we find there is more that we did not know.

I have only just heard of an extraordinary plant called Seabuckthorn.

Seabuckthorn has been around for centuries and long been recognized  for its exceptional medicinal and nutritional benefits.  Yet I have never heard of it.

Why?

Because there is always more to learn.  So read on and learn with me.

Seabuckthorn is a berry with a very high natural source of vitamins A, C and E, carotenes and flavonoids.  It is also high in vitmins B1, B2, K and P as well as in more than 2 dozens microelements and essential fatty acids.

These properties combine to create a natural product that has general nourishing, revitalizing, and restorative actions.   It will stimulate tissue regeneration, reduce the damaging effects of the sun, combat wrinkles and dryness and assist in reducing the aging process.

All this and I have never heard of it – Amazing!

Seabuckthorn is used in the treatment of acne, dermatitis, eczema, skin ulcers, postpartum pigmentation, burns, scalds, cuts, sunburn, tissue regeneration, sensitive and irritated skin….the list goes on.

It is also used internally to help prevent gum bleeding, heal peptic and duodenal ulcers, urinary tract erosion, cancer radiation injuries and to recuperate mucous membranes.

If you are having trouble finding a product that helps to control your eczema why not give Seabuckthorn a go – it helped our ancestors why not let it help us as well?

Apple Cider Vinegar has a reputation for reducing pain and imflammatory conditions such as arthritis and eczema.  It is said that Apple Cider Vinegar has an alkalising effect in the body which may reduce the redness and itching experienced by eczema sufferers.

You can find out more in a book call “The Healthy Skin Diet” by nutritionist Karen Fischer.

Keeping on topic, I wanted to share with you a recent achievement. Here’s a little bit of background for you to set the scene.

I’m 43 years old and have 3 teenage kids…4 if you count my husband! As you can imagine, the house can get very hectic with each child taking part in a different activity each night. My husband and two boys are right into their sports, my daughter is a lot like I was at her age, content when she has her head in a book on the couch! In fact that was me up until about 9 months ago, sport and exercise were never a part of my life.

I decided that perhaps I should do something for myself, so I stated going to a personal trainer once a week and joined a running group twice a week.

I loved it!

I started feeling like I had so much more energy and before long I could do more pushups than my husband…now that’s motivation!

Chris, my personal trainer from Chisel Fitness, suggested I enter the Gold Coast Half Marathon. ‘No way’ I said. ‘I’d never be able to run that far.’ But after a few months of persistent nudging from family and friends I entered the race.

I was so excited

It took me a long time to accept that I was actually going to run 21km. But once I stopped to look back at all the training I had done in the lead up to the race I felt much more confident that I might just be able to do it. Evidently I ran the entire way in 2hr 14min. I was so excited to have achieved my goal…I felt like I’d won a gold medal at the Olympics…now I know why Olympic athletes put in the hard yards.

Mel

I wonder if Libby Trickett would give up here Gold medal to help treat Eczema sufferers?

The use of gold in medicine has been around for many years.  Today it is primarily used in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis, but then only in certain instances and only if the symptoms are severe enough.

Gold is available in tablet or injection form and although it is not known exactly how it works, it appears to affect the process that causes joint pain and swelling.  Its use is limited however, due to its frequent side effects which persist for months after the use of the drug is discontinued.

But what about gold treatment for eczema?

I researched the use of Gold in the treatment of eczema but I could not find out anything about the use of gold as a topical treatment to help control the symptoms of eczema or any other skin ailment for that matter.  I was unable to determine what properties it contains to help it reduce the symptoms or how it works.  Nor could I establish if it is expected to carry with it any of the harsh side effects that it has in the oral or injection form.

It would seem that studies in this area are still in the early stages and potential developers are being tight lipped.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.  Libby can hold onto her gold medal for the moment!

Perhaps Yoga should be an Olympic event?

Have you ever thought of trying yoga to help control your eczema or psoriasis?

Stress is a common trigger of eczema and psoriasis is frequently being the cause of a flare up. Yoga will help to reduce your stress levels and therefore help to reduce the number of flare ups you experience.

Some people are generally stressed people. They worry about everything and find it hard to relax. Learning a method of relaxation is a great way of learning to cope and it will help you to approach your condition and manage it in a more positive manner.

Even for people who tend not to worry as much Yoga is a wonderful form of exercise and it will help to rid your body of stress that you may not have been aware existed.

Yoga is a system of gentle movements that help to bring your body and mind into harmony through a range of postures. It involves breathing techniques which encourage relaxation and concentration. It also encourages the body to expel toxins. Yoga is useful for developing strength and flexibility, releasing tension and for meditation.

I’m positive the Olympic athletes take part in some form of Yoga or relaxation so why couldn’t we all take part and benefit from lower levels of stress and anxiety as well as improved concentration levels.

Dry Athletes

Athlete’s skin under goes enormous stress from constant sweating and exposure to the sun as well as additional elements. Not to mention the irritation from repeated movement and the rubbing of clothing that can occur. Athletes competing in water sports are exposed to high levels of chlorine, salt and other harsh chemicals that can dry out the skin.

It’s common knowledge that dry skin can lead to breakouts of Eczema and Psoriasis, so athletes need to be especially careful if they have overly sensitive skin.

Stressed Athletes

It goes without saying that an event as big as the Olympic Games places additional stress on athletes. Although they are professional athletes and are experienced when it comes to big events, performance anxiety is always experienced at some level.

Your Everyday Athlete

Although we are focusing on Olympic athletes, we can’t forget that thousands of people are out and about every day taking part in some physical activity and are experiencing these same harsh conditions and stressful environments.

Eczema and other skin conditions affect thousands of Australian’s who deal with the discomfort every day.

The hottest topic at the moment is by far the Olympic Games. It’s day 6 of the games and already Australia has 12 gold medals to boast about. I’ve been lucky enough to watch a fair bit of the games so far and continue to be amazed by the dedication and passion Olympic athletes have.

The Olympics are the pinnacle of an athlete’s career and to achieve a medal position they need to put in a super human effort. Not only are the Olympics an exciting time, they can be a very stressful and nervous few weeks for the athletes. Not to mention the heat and much publicised pollution they need to contend with whilst competing in Beijing.

So you might see where I’m going with this…no, not every athlete in Beijing will return home with a case of Eczema, but those prone to such a skin condition are going to have to ensure they keep on top of their event preparation as well as their skin care routine!

I hope you enjoy the few short articles I’ve included in this special Olympic edition of the Eczema.com.au News Flash.

Take Care, Go Australia!

Take a look at this interesting article I found on www.acupuncturetoday.com.

The articles takes you through the basics of eczema before going into detail about how eczema is associated with asthma.  In Asia, eczema is called ’skin asthma’.  For many years, acupuncture has helped treat asthmatics, and with so many physiological similarities with asthma, eczema sufferers may find significant
benefits from acupuncture treatments.

Take a look at the full article here.