subject: Knowing The Itching Bumps Of Eczema [print this page] Before you can properly treat those red itching bumps on your skin, you have to understand what they are in the first place. You cannot water a plant unless it has roots, right? People often think that getting these itching bumps every now and then is normal. "It's just a rash," one might say. But a rash is not "just a rash". It can get worse if left unmanaged. Once it is spread out to different parts of the body, it can cause quite a lot of discomfort and lead people to believe that you have some contagious skin disease. So it is vital that you understand what you have so that you will be able to address it.
Has your skin always been frequented by the same red itching bumps that you have now? Because if it has happened to you several times before already, it is more likely that you have a chronic skin condition called eczema. So what is eczema, you ask? For your better understanding, let us first discuss the body organ that it affects - the skin. From there, the discussion about eczema will be a smooth ride.
The skin is the body's primary defense against infection and it is made up of three layers. Its outermost layer is called the epidermis and it serves the function of protecting deeper tissues since it is the toughest skin layer. Unfortunately, it isn't all that tough because it is the only layer of the skin that is affected by eczema rashes like those itching bumps of yours. And since it is the outermost layer of the skin, anything wrong with it will easily show. Because nerve endings are distributed throughout our epidermis, we are able to feel sensations with our skin too. We can even feel the breeze with our skin - that's how sensitive our nerves are. Therefore, any skin irritation can cause pain, or itching.
Basically, eczema is the inflammation or swelling of the epidermal skin layer. But this swelling is not caused by an infection as most people would think. Rather, the swelling is caused by skin irritation or the faulty functioning of the immune system. The itching bumps can be caused by the food you eat, the things that touch your skin, or the things that you apply to your skin.
Food is the typical cause of an eczema rash. Needless to say, not all people can develop such intolerance to food and not all foods cause eczema in these people. Think of the rash that occurs from eating certain types of foods as an allergy. The rash is merely a symptom of this allergic reaction to food. The common types of food that cause eczema are seafood and nuts. Environmental allergens like animal fur, pollen, and insect stings can also cause itching bumps to appear on your skin. These same rashes can also show if your skin becomes irritated to laundry detergent, lotion, or anything you put on your skin.
The best way to keep yourself from getting itching skin is to avoid the things that you have noticed to be related to the aggravation of your symptoms. You can also consult a doctor and ask for prescriptions for anti-inflammatory drugs and creams. Or you can always go to the local pharmacy and check out over-the-counter eczema creams. OTC eczema creams are just as effective as prescription medications most of the time. Now that you have fully understood what eczema is and have been informed of what you can do to keep those itching bumps from coming back, it is entirely up to you, whether you will or will not seek treatment for it.
