Nearly 31 million Americans suffer from eczema-related symptoms.  Grudnitsky:Treatment that works 2019  McCoy:Dr. Axe Natural eczema treatment 2017

There are many forms of eczema:  atopic dermatitis or eczema, contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic dermatitis, nummular dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, statis [blood flow], psoriasis and eczema may be linked to asthma, hay fever and perhaps other auto-immune disorders. No one really knows for sure! But no matter what part of ther skin is affected, eczema is almost always itchy [puritis].  WebMD: Skin conditions & eczema

Eczema affects about 10% to 20% of infants and about 3% of adults and children in the U.S.. Most infants who develop the condition outgrow it by their tenth birthday, while some people continue to have symptoms on and off throughout life. With proper treatment, the disease often can be controlled.  WebMD: Skin conditions & eczema

Causes: The causes of eczema have not been researched very well, and this contributes to controversy and debate. As this author researcher viewed the numerous articles about eczema, he observed eczema referals to many body functions and wellness.  Eight of these links are briefly summarized brlow:

Eczema, like most body disorders and diseases, is complex and is shrouded in medical jargon that lacks good independent research. Meanwhile millions suffer pain and discomfort and search for relief, only to be prayed upon by scammers. Many eczema articles do not provide documentation, do not disclose an author or an expert about health or eczema; yet try to give information about eczema in an attempt to create the illusion of credibility so as to market a product. This research investigator did not consider such websites creditible and avoided them. This article attempted to review the better articles about eczema and attempted to summarize the best scientific information that these articles made available. 

Here is an example of how Paul Grudnitsky drafted an eczema article that appeared to provide what seemed like good information at the beginning:

“What Happens to Eczema Skin?” According to the  National Psoriasis Society :

“If you have eczema, your skin may not produce as much fats and oils as other people’s, and will be less able to retain water. The protective barrier is therefore not as good as it should be ... allowing bacteria or irritants to pass through more easily, your skin breaks down more easily, quickly becoming irritated, cracked and inflamed.”

The weakened protective barrier is behind the many life-altering problems that come with eczema. The skin is:

• •Sensitive to Irritants: Soaps, Detergents, Shampoos, and Disinfectants
• •Irritated by Allergens: Dust Mites, Pets, Pollen, Mold, and Dandruff
• •Prone to Bacterial Infections: Staph Infections, Viruses, and certain Fungi
• •Dry & Damaged from Scratching: Rashes, Scars, and Changes in Pigment

Once these irritants pass through the weakened protective barrier, they trigger our immune system to respond by swelling the affected area with blood. This inflammed state is further irritated by certain foods, temperature and humidity, stress levels, and even intense exercise… ...Unfortunately, these irritants and triggers are often a normal part of everyday life.

So other than avoiding exercise, humidity, stress, and allergens, what are your options for treatment?

The current medical treatments focus on reducing itching and swelling, but they tend to only focus on making the symptoms more bearable, and some of them come at the cost of nasty side effects:

• 1.Antihistamines: This is a good start, but current medical research is still cautious to claim this is an effective therapy on its own because it doesn’t treat the skin, it only treats the itchiness. Furthermore, antihistamines cause drowsiness and leave you sluggish all day.
• 2.Antibiotics: To address the irritating bacteria, doctors may prescribe antibiotics in serious cases. This is not a long term option; in fact, it can make matters worse. Antibiotics kill our GOOD and BAD bacteria, which weakens our immune system, leaving you nearly defenseless against eczema.
• 3.Topical Steroid Creams: Topical steroid use results in diminishing effectiveness, so more and more powerful ones need to be applied to achieve the same results, and once users discontinue topical steroids, eczema is devastating.

Well, the above is not the complete story, for Grudnitsky provides some good information about eczema; then goes on to recommend five best creams to alleviate symptoms. He does not back up his information with references and documentation. Does he have a vested interest in selling the creams? Does he have expertise as a medical doctor or researcher? This is not clear from his derma report website! 

There are many similar articles about eczema that appear to have some good information, only to end up selling some cream to alleviate the symptoms but not fix the causes of eczema. This independent researcher reviewed articles for their content, vested interest and author credentials, as well as chemical contents used in their products. Then used his knowledge of chemistry and human body functions to reason the claims made. 

Medications:  Medical doctors prescribe medications for eczema persons to alleviate itching.  These are usually of limited effect. Prescribed and over the counter medications such as azathioprine, cyclosporine, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil and oral steroids [prednisolone] are dangerous because of side-effects and that they usually have limited value in healing. 

The 2018 convention of psychiatrists and medical doctors reviewed drug medications for Alzheimer's and found all to be ineffective and actually made Alzheimer patients worse. There is now an alert for all doctors and healers to consider limited or no drug therapy for most diseases and disorders.  Sorochan: Drugs cause diseases 2019  This new revolution in medicine, as of 2019, may not be reaching all doctors, pharmacists and eczema healers.

Those prescribing treatment, even medical doctors, are usually doing so often blindly without adequate patient background, overlooking the environment patients live in, the food they eat and overlooking the biodiversity of patients.  'One size does not fit all!' When lacking this information, their recommendations, information and sales pitch should make one aware that they are usually not interested in helping the eczema victim as much as having a vested interest in selling a cream to make money.

Prevention:  Although there is no cure, the topical eczema condition is not contagious and is not spread from person to person. Eczema persons should not assume from this information that they can let down their personal hygiene guard down; instead they, like everyone else, needs wash  their hands with soap and warm water numerous times of the day to minimize the possibility of infection. 

The medical viewpoint is that most people can effectively manage their disease with medical treatment and by avoiding irritants. However, medical doctors base their viewpoint on their training in medical school, where they are oriented to drug treatment of symptoms of pain and discomfort. Less than 25 % of doctors receive a minimum of nutrition information in medical schools, while the rest have no background in nutrition. So it should not be surprising to find most doctors not prescribing nutrition as a medicine.

Those suffering from eczema should be aware that a proper balanced whole plant complex diet can be very helpful in preventing and suppressing skin conditions and enhancing the immune system. Just adjusting the body pH with good food can create an alkali body that can prevent many skin conditions and disorders.

There is hope for eczema persons. Although drug therapy for eczema has been a failure, there appear to be some new promising medications on the horizon. The causes section probably has the best options. If you suffer from eczema, you need to take your body back from your trusted medical healer. Work with your healer but take charge of your body. Do your own research and become as informed as possible. Also explore holistic healers, and complementary medicine for help. No one has a handle on eczema at this time.

The author reviewed information about eczema that is scantly available in medical journals and the internet. Hopefully the reader will find information herein that may be of help in dealing with skin irritations and eczema.