Basic First Aid

There are as many different causes of eczema as there are eczema types. Some types are triggered by common household allergens and irritants. In fact, your home probably has substances in it that are known to cause very severe eczema reactions. Controlling eczema is important and therefore it is also important that you understand what triggers your condition.

There are essentially two different types of eczema causes in your home, allergens and irritants. However, these triggers can affect your body in many different ways and cause different forms of eczema. Some reactions happen on the surface of the skin where some reactions take place internally and show symptoms within your skin. To better understand how these allergens and irritants trigger your eczema you should first know the differences between the internal and external reactions.

Contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis are very different in nature, but both forms are very likely to be triggered by household irritants and allergens. Contact dermatitis is an external reaction which occurs when the skin touches an allergen or irritant. The red, inflamed, and itchy rash normally occurs at the point of contact. Atopic dermatitis results from an internal reaction by the immune system to an irritant or allergen. When your immune system interacts with the trigger, and typically another component such as irregular hormones or stress-related toxins, the result is an eczema outbreak on your skin that is painful, swollen, and itchy. This rash can occur anywhere on your skin, not just at the spot where you contacted the allergen or irritant.

Irritants are everywhere in your home. Some are in the air you breathe, like cigarette smoke and air fragrances. There are also unusual irritants in your home such as onion or pepper fumes from food preparation and cooking. If you have a humidifier in your home, then you should make sure you are using only distilled water in the machine or you may be exposing yourself to chemicals, like chlorine, from the water in the humid air.

The irritant may also be a common household chemical. Some of the more common chemical irritants are laundry detergent, fabric softeners, cleaning solvents, latex products, and nail varnish. However, you may check these usual suspects and still find you are breaking out. If that is the case, check many of the items you use on a regular basis, such as the synthetic fibers in your bedding and beauty products, to make sure they are not irritating your eczema.

Allergens are very often either consumable or environmental in nature. Foods like dairy, nuts, and berries should always be your first suspects. In fact, some foods like peanuts and strawberries are known to cause both internal and external eczemas.

The allergens within your home environment can be more difficult to control, but it is not impossible. Some of the common household allergens are dust mites, pet hair and dander, mildew, and mold. These can typically be controlled through regular cleanings that include a high quality vacuum cleaner. However, you may also want to purchase an air filter to remove these allergens from the air in your home.

You may think that there are too many potential eczema triggers in your home for you to be able to control them. However, your eczema is probably only caused by one or two triggers. Therefore, it should be easy for you to identify and remove the trigger in your home. The most effective treatment is to limit, or even avoid, exposure to your trigger.

Filed under: Allergies