Eczema: Three novel treatments you may not know about

Eczema is a chronic condition that can be tricky to navigate. Atopic eczema is the most common form, which makes the skin dry, red and itchy. It is well understood that moisturising treatments such as emollients can help manage dry or scaly skin conditions. This might be an effective course of action for some, but others might be looking to try a different approach to ease their symptoms.

Ultraviolet light is an invisible part of natural sunlight

Bupa

There are a number of alternative options on the market, these include:

Light therapy

Light therapy, also known as phototherapy, uses controlled artificial ultraviolet light to help reduce symptoms and slow the progress of eczema.

As Bupa explained: “Ultraviolet light is an invisible part of natural sunlight. It can help to improve common skin conditions.

“Light therapy machines produce carefully measured levels of ultraviolet light, much stronger than levels in sunlight.

“This is shone onto your whole body or just the area of your skin that needs treatment.”

Ultraviolet stops the skin from getting so inflamed.

Light therapy may be a suitable course of treatment if usual treatments such as moisturisers and anti-inflammatory medical creams are not cutting it, explained the health body.

It added: “Light therapy involves short but regular sessions – two or three times a week – for a couple of months at a hospital or dermatology clinic.”

Bleach bath

A bath with a small amount of bleach added to the water may help lessen symptoms of atopic dermatitis.

As the Mayo Clinic explained, eczema symptoms are often made worse by a bacterial infection. An eczema bleach bath can kill bacteria on the skin, reducing itching, redness and scaling.

For optimal results, the health site recommends:

• Add 1/4 cup (about 59 millilitres)to 1/2 cup (about 118 millilitres) of bleach to about 151-litre bathtub filled with warm water.
• Use household bleach and read the product label.
• Soak from the neck down or just the affected areas of skin for about 10 minutes.
• Rinse if the skin doesn’t tolerate the bleach bath well. Gently pat dry with a towel.
• Immediately apply moisturiser generously.
• Take a bleach bath no more than three times a week.

Psychodermatology

Investigating the relationship between emotional wellbeing and eczema falls under the remit of dermatology.

This growing area explores how stress, anxiety and emotional distress can manifest itself physically on the skin.

Psychodermatology is the treatment of skin disease using psychological techniques. It is typically used to complement other physical therapies that directly treat the cause or symptoms of skin disease.

According to the British Association of Dermatologists, studies have repeatedly demonstrated the benefits of psychodermatology, for example one study in 2014 showed that amongst patients who completed psychodermatology therapies, 94 per cent reported reduced stress, 92 per cent reported increased confidence, and 90 per cent reported that they understood their skin condition better.

One study also found that severe cases of eczema may be best treated by allergy shots.

The study, presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting, found that allergy shots provided significant benefits to the eczema symptoms suffered by a 48-year-old man.

“The man had suffered with severe eczema since childhood,” said allergist Anil Nanda, MD, ACAAI member and lead author of the paper.

Anil Nanda added: ”He had tried many previous therapies for years including mild and high strength topical corticosteroid cream, as well as other topical anti-inflammatory creams and topical moisturiser creams. Biologic therapy has been available to treat eczema for about a year and-a-half but was not yet a treatment option at the time we saw this man. We thought allergy shots might be beneficial because he also had multiple allergies.”

The results were promising, as Anita Wasan, MD, ACAAI member and co-author of the paper explained: “We conducted skin testing and found the man was allergic to dust mites, weeds, trees, grasses, mold, cats and dogs.

“Because his allergies could all be treated with allergy shots, we thought treating his allergies might also benefit his eczema. After one year, he reported significant benefit to his symptoms, which was great news. And once he reached a maintenance dose of allergy shots, he no longer needed high dose steroid therapy for his eczema.”

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