Three Ways to Treat Eczema Without Steroids
Jan 30th, 2010 by Current Health Articles
Corticosteroid creams are usually the first method of attack prescribed by doctors. This is with good reason-cortisone will curb eczema itching fairly quickly. The problem with steroids, however, are the short-term effects. Steroids won’t cure you’re eczema and definitely won’t work for the long term. The creams only treat the symptoms and cause undesirable side-effects including:
- Skin thinning
- Immune function suppression
- Vulnerability to infection
- Weight gain
- Hypertension
- Osteoporosis
Just to name a few. As your body gradually builds an intolerance to cortisone, you have to continually up the doses. To make matters worse, you can’t just quit taking steroids cold-turkey; you have to wean yourself off the medication to avoid withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Luckily, cortisone creams aren’t the only eczema remedies in town. There are better ways of treating eczema that address the underlying cause of the condition. Listed below are three steroid-free eczema remedies:
Get Checked for Allergies
You may unknowingly have environmental, chemical and food allergies that are causing your eczema. The best way to find out is by getting an allergy test, then eliminating those allergens from your environment. Also steer clear of chemical laden household products that you may cause hypersensitivity to your skin, and replace those with more natural ingredients.
Eat Wholesome Foods
Wholesome foods are raw, organic and locally grown. Non-organic fruits and veggies contain pesticides and fungicides that are difficult to remove, even after washing. These chemicals eventually build up in the body, possibly contributing to eczema symptoms. You should also stay away from pre-packaged processed foods, as they contain chemicals and food allergens as well.
Detox
Sometimes avoiding allergens and eating an all organic diet isn’t possible. If this is the case, you should regularly detoxify your body with detox cleanses. Be forewarned, detox cleanses are not to be taken lightly, and you may even feel worse before getting better as your body is eliminating accumulated toxins. If you want to be extra careful, do a cleansing under the supervision of a holistic health practitioner.
The three methods above only scratches the surface of the different remedies and treatments you can do for eczema. The most important thing to note is that you don’t need steroids, and that there are better ways of achieving long-term eczema relief.
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