Live Life Team
There are several preparations available for each type of treatment and no simple single treatment is available for curing discoid eczema. Special attention is required for determining the correct method and application of treatment as it has been seen that many times the reason of failure to treat and control eczema was incorrect use. Successfully curing discoid eczema may sometimes become a time consuming process therefore it is always recommended not to try several treatments at one time like herbal medicine, mixture of creams or a new diet due to the fact that in case of improvement one would not be able to identify which treatment is best.
First of all protect the affected area from detergents and any kind of friction for example wearing Gloves if hands are affected
A wide range of special shampoos or emollients which include bath oils, soap substitute or moisturisers which are available over the counter can be used. Emollients help in retaining water in the outer layers of skin by forming a protective layer that makes available the much needed water to the skin. Emollient ointments are more effective than creams as they are more hydrating and sting less. Make sure that when Emollients are used in the bath; watch your step as they make the floor very slippery. They also protect from infection and other harsh substance. They are highly recommended and safe as they do not get absorbed into the body through the skin. Your pharmacist will advise on the method to use. If the patient is allergic to peanuts do inform the pharmacist as some of these products contain peanut oil. If eczema does not improve within a week, consult your doctor.
In case of Discoid eczema which is more difficult to treat than atopic eczema, and it flares up consistent long use (up to six weeks) of strong steroid creams may be needed. Its correct use is of great significance and in case one notice eczema getting worse, consult your doctor or pharmacist for alternatives.
As a short term treatment use of sedatives antihistamine like hydroxyzine and alimemazine can be used if several sleepless nights occur due to constant itching. Take a bath before one hour of going to bed, apply lot of moisturiser and then take antihistamine. Avoid Antihistamine cream as they may aggravate eczema.
Eczema can cause skin infection if hands and nails are not kept clean. Also avoid scratching. If there is redness, blisters or weeping which may be early signs of infection consult your doctor immediately as infection spreads very fast. Using steroid creams can aggravate infection. Your doctor might prescribe antibiotic cream or oral antibiotic normally penicillin like flucloxacillin or if allergic to penicillin then erythromycin. Some of the antibiotic ointments or creams are mupirocin or fusidic acid. It can also be a combination of steroid and antibiotic ointment or cream. If the infection has been caused by herpes simplex (cold sore virus) which is a rare case, then antiviral medicine like acyclovir may be used and in severe cases hospitalisation.
Severe cases may need hospital treatment which may include ‘wet wraps’ tar / steroid occlusion bandages, phototherapy (light treatment), oral corticosteroids, immunosuppressant medicine like azathioprine or cyclosporine and photo-chemotherapy(light plus medicine treatment).
Complementary treatments
Chinese herbal medicines, homeopathy, borage oil or evening primrose oil supplements are some of the alternative medicines but little evidence is available of how they work or how much safe they are specially some herbs which can have harmful effect if not used with care or purchased from reputable sources. It is advisable to consult your pharmacist or your doctor before using any alternative medicine.
