Can Aloe Vera help with Eczema and Dry Skin
Eczema is very common allergic condition that affects the skin. It’s also called dermatitis, which is simply another name for eczema.
Although there are a number of different types of eczema, they all stem from inflammation and irritation of the skin. And unusually, there is an allergic element to people developing ezcema, which is why eczema is linked to other allergic conditions such as asthma and hayfever.
Unfortunately, to those people who do have an allergy, eczema can be triggered by just about anything touching the skin. It might be the nickel in jean rivets, or a particular brand of washing powder, a particular type of fibre in clothing (wool, polyester,etc.) or anything that the person has developed a sensitivity to. (see below)
Usually, the skin becomes dry, red and flaky. It may also be mildly irritated, sensitive and itchy; sometimes it can feel as if it’s burning and intensely painful.
Eczema is very common, and affects all races and ages, from young infants to the elderly. It’s estimated that about 2% of adults have eczema, and about 18-20% of children have some eczema.
It tends to start in early childhood, and most people show signs or tendencies of ezcema by the time they’re about 5 years old.
But the good news is that from the above figures, you can see that although about a fifth of children have some type or incidence of eczema, only about 2% of adults still exhibit symptoms of ezcema -which means it tends to reduce and stop by adulthood.
Eczema can be a difficult condition to treat. It can also go in cycles, whereby the symptoms of eczema can fade for a while, only to return some months or years later. Eczema is not contagious.
Of course, the natural urge is to scratch and rub the affected area – which only makes the condition worse. So most treatments look to soothe the affected area with a cream or emollient.
The exact cause of eczema is still unknown. It’s understood that eczema is controlled and activated by the immune system, and it has some similarities with other allergic conditions – but it isn’t quite the same as other allergies.
When the person touches the allergen, it starts an allergic reaction which results in eczema. But eczema varies from person to person. Eczema can develop the very first time someone touches an allergen, or it might develop over weeks or months with repeated contact.
Here are some common allergens that can trigger eczema:
- Soaps, Detergents, Shower Gels
- Weather (hot, cold, humid, or dry)
- Jewelry, belt buckles, rivets in jeans, nickel
- Creams, lotions, aftershaves or perfumes
- Certain foods can exacerbate the symptoms of eczema
- Certain types of clothing or fabric (polyester, wool, man-made fibres)
- Sweating and damp skin
- Emotional or mental stress
Most treatments look to reduce exposure to whatever is causing the eczema (if it can be identified) and then a cream to soothe the dry, flaky or itchy skin. Sometimes children wear cotton gloves at night, so they can’t scratch too much in bed.
But very few treatments look at what can be done to reduce the immune response to eczema. Without doubt, the immune system plays a large part in eczema, so it makes sense to try to reduce the way the immune system responds to certain allergens, that for other people, cause no problem at all.
And that’s where Aloe Vera comes in. As a very powerful and natural substance, it’s also a very effective immune modulator. In other words, it helps reduce the immune system’s response to environmental triggers and allergens. Yet it doesn’t just prevent the immune system doing it’s job, like a steroid; rather it helps the immune system find its natural balance so it doesn’t react to things that it doesn’t need to.
There are now thousands of people who have found benefits from taking aloe vera supplements to relieve the symptoms of eczema.
Aloeride is a natural pure aloe vera capsule that if taken daily can provide relief from many skin conditions including eczema.
____________________________________________
