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Do you have inflamed skin? How about that maddening itch that you can't scratch enough to get rid of? Sounds like eczema to me. Sounds">All types of eczema have itching as the most common symptom. When you go to a dermatologist, that doctor's first job is to identify the type of eczema. There are multiple conditions and symptoms of eczema. The causes are varied and the treatments available really depend of the diagnosis of which type of eczema you are experiencing.

On top of all the factors that go into diagnosing the correct forms of eczema, there are also stages of the disease. The stages affect the skin in many ways and symptoms can help in the diagnosis. There are a few different stages ranging from mild through to moderate and then severe forms. In a mild case the skin shows redness, becomes dry, feels warm and is very itchy. This form of eczema can be eased with creams and lotions. The creams and lotions irrigate the affected skin and protect it from other irritants.

Weeping or wet eczema shows gradual changes in the skin condition. Your skin starts out inflamed and then progresses to the point where it will even bleed. As a result of all the skin excretions, the skin eventually becomes raw and crusty. The skin is rough at this stage. Eczema that is characterized by liquid or blood seeping out from the patches is weeping or wet eczema. So the sufferer has to deal with not only the pain, itch and excretion, but also the appearance. This adds embarrassment for the sufferer.

Eczema excretions can be very bad in that the fluid can be contagious and if you accidentally spread it, it will find new patches of skin to infect. The sufferer should be very aware of hygiene and the use of a handkerchief to dab the liquid comes in very handy. Without some special hygiene attention, the disease could get worse.

There are ways to get more comfort for a person suffering from weeping eczema. For example the use of pure cotton for clothing will add to the comfort level. Things to avoid would be cleaning chemicals, soaps and detergents. These elements may make the condition worse with repeated contact. One of the most consistent causes of weeping eczema is your clothing.

To treat weeping eczema, moist compresses should be used on the patches at least until the inflammation and weeping has subsided. The dressings should be somewhat loose with the ability to let the fluids evaporate from the skin. After the conditions have subsided the sufferer should switch to ointments or gels.

The process of using moist compresses should be done three times a day for 10 to 15 minutes per times. The compresses should be either a linen cloth or gauze. Absorbent but light. They should be changed at any sign of dryness or warmth. Repeated applications will begin to help in the recovery and reinvigorate the affects areas.

A natural treatment for eczema involves Oak Bark. It doesn't take very much either. One or two tablespoons of chopped oak bark boiled in half a liter of water for about 15 minutes produces a strained liquid that when cooled can be applied undiluted to the affected areas. Use a fresh batch every day. The concoction allows the skin to relax.

Another natural treatment involves Mallow (a flowering plant). It is much like oak bark and prepared the same way. Repeated applications of mallow will soon make it possible to move on to other faster more effective applications.

You should also consider Vitamin A and B. Vitamin A will keep the skin smooth. It can be included in either your diet or topically on the affected areas in its cream form. Vitamin B will make the skin more healthy by increasing circulation and reproduction of new skin cells.