What happens if you scratch eczema

If you have open wounds, be sure to protect your skin with bandages. While eczema itself can sometimes be dry, this skin condition is typically worsened by heat and humidity.

Consider keeping your home a bit drier and cooler as a way of managing and preventing flare-ups. Some people, however, experience flare-ups during the dry winter months. If this is you, using a humidifier can help ease your eczema symptoms. Body heat can also play a role. Wearing breathable fabrics such as cotton can help heat escape from your body. Taking cool showers after workouts may also help.

Eczema is caused by underlying inflammation. The development of this inflammatory skin condition involves substances that create negative immune reactions. These include various allergens as well as hereditary and environmental factors. One common cause of eczema is allergies. The subsequent rashes can develop in response to certain allergens, including pollen, pet dander, and foods.

Another possible cause of eczema is physical contact with chemicals, fabrics, and dyes to which you may be allergic. The resulting skin rash is called contact dermatitis. Possible culprits include:.

You may be especially at risk if a parent or other relative has a history of allergies and related eczema symptoms.

They can diagnose which type you have, develop a treatment plan, and prescribe medications. Dry skin can happen for a number of reasons. Here are 10 moisturizers for dry skin and some moisturizing tips. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Pictures of infected eczema. How to identify infected eczema. When to see your doctor. Eczema and staph infection. Other causes of infected eczema. How infected eczema is treated. Natural treatments for infected eczema.

Other possible complications. The outlook for infected eczema. Tips for prevention. Read this next. How to Create an Eczema-Friendly Diet. Medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, R. Bleach Baths for Eczema. Dry skin and eczema flares lead, in turn, to more itching— and so the cycle continues.

Itch is a complicated symptom of eczema. Itch in atopic dermatitis generally originates in the skin. Medical names for itch starting in the skin can be pruritus, dermatological itch, or pruritoceptive itch. This type of itch begins when free nerve fibers are stimulated by nerve endings called C fibers in the top layer of the skin the epidermis.

The nerve endings can be stimulated by different factors, including external irritants, dry skin, eczema flares, or chemical mediators in the skin more about chemical mediators later. In response to itch in the skin, nerve pathways are activated and messages travel to the brain.

People often respond to itch with a behavior called the behavioral response , which is often scratching. However, itch in atopic dermatitis is not as straightforward as this; it is actually thought to be very complex.

This is because there are two other types of itch—neurogenic itch and psychogenic itch—that are also thought to play a part. Neurogenic itch is generated in the central nervous system the brain and spinal cord interpret messages from nerve pathways in response to circulating itch factors.

Psychogenic itch is completely different as it relates to itch being stimulated by psychological factors. In eczema these include unconscious or conscious urges to scratch, habit, or a response to stress. The epidermis the top layer of the skin consists of keratinocyte cells, which are constantly reproducing then moving upward and being shed as dead skin cells. In addition to keratinocytes, the epidermis contains nerve receptors and chemical mediators, which also appear to be involved with the sensation of itch.

One theory concerns nerve endings in the epidermis, as it is thought that an itch sensation is generated through nerve receptors adjacent to the keratinocyte cells. However, scientific experiments have shown that if the epidermis is removed, itch is abolished. This proves that itch must generate from the epidermis.

In addition, itch is uniquely restricted to the skin, mucous membranes and the cornea of the eye, where there are epidermal layers. No other body tissue experiences itch. In eczema, the skin barrier is altered compared to normal skin. The skin barrier is located in the uppermost layers of the epidermis the stratum corneum. In normal skin, this is a resistant barrier that protects the underlying skin from irritants and prevents water loss from the body.

In atopic dermatitis, the skin barrier is altered due to changes in the filaggrin gene, which determines the normal structure of the skin barrier, so the normal levels of natural moisturizing factors NmFs are decreased.

As a result, the cells are not able to retain water and they shrink. As someone who has been suffering through this hell for my entire 23 years of life, I know exactly what you're going through. The insecutiry that it unleashes, the open wounds, the constant stares, are not foreign to me. Having the audacity to say "Don't scratch" to Eczema patients is not only insensitive, it's utterly moronic.

They don't call it 'The itch that rashes' for nothing. If she actually had Eczema, she would then be able to comprehend the vast severity of the itch. It doesn't even feel like a choice anymore. More habitual than anything. Last year I managed to clear up my entire body for the very first time. Surprisingly and miraculously, it even stayed gone for about a year. Alas, it's back I highly recommend picking some up. Though there is no cure, and hell, maybe there will never be, there is relief with managability.

Good luck to all of you. And because it feels so damn good, happy scratching! It has been too long for me. I have suffered from eczema for way too long and am sick of all the staring and judgmental words, spewed from the mouths of my very own flesh and blood. I have decided to stop putting my trust in my doctor.

The consequences? Both my hands are covered with eczema, I have trouble walking due to the excessive amount of eczema on my feet and the blasted thing has now spread to my inner legs and thighs. However, I refuse to go back to the doctors and be prescribed with steroids.

I would much rather find a permanent way out of this hell. Many people have suggested to me to use Aveeno, so that is next on my to-buy list. I also like the idea of having oatmeal baths. Maybe that would work. After reading all these stories, I can only pray we eczema sufferers are given a cure soon. Please update me here on whether your eczema is getting better. Even though I do not know you all here, I do care about you! Always in my prayers, Anonymous.

Hello, request everyone to kindly refrain from posting under the "Anonymous" tag. This enables the prayer said for the sufferer to be much much powerful. All of you are going to be completely cured very soon. Post under the 'Anonymous' tag will not make the prayer said to be less powerful. I am posting with sincere, long-thought-out thoughts and blessings. And people will understand this for sure. I do not want to post with my real name.

I'd rather just state that I am anonymous instead of making up a fake name. Any posts are sincere even if they are anonymous. No one ever understands how badly I itch. The amount of willpower needed to "just not itch" is inhuman. I get ferocious like a dog in a cage when I try not to, until I cant stand it any longer and do more damage than had I just addressed it immediately.

MY STORY: I have a patch along my bikini line that is ridiculously itchy, but I have not been to the dermatologist for that specific area out of embarrassment, so I cannot say if it is indeed eczema.

I have struggled with it for about 15 years, scratching it during conscious hours with a great flood of relief what is that? I have struggled with scratching it while I sleep - it use to wake me up and I could try to stop myself, but now I just sleep through it and wake up with bloody nails and sores in the morning. I have tried gloves at night - like others, I would take them off without knowing it. I have tried asking my partner to ducktape the gloves to my long sleeve shirt so I could not take them off - this helped not cause any bleeding, but unknowingly, I would scratch so very hard I would have big bruises instead.

I went as far as falling asleep with my hands tied to my nightstand, but I just couldnt deal with this. I learned to live with it, and the embarrassment it caused.

It would come, it would go, it would always be back. My worst season is winter, I think because I am so cold when I crawl in to bed that I have too many blankets and get hot overnight. I have also cut out sulfates from all my shower stuff, which has helped with other weird breakouts that I get.

I tried oatmeal baths and it was soothing but didnt last long. And, this is an odd one, but I have associated the itch with when I have to pee really badly I dont always have time with my line of work. Maybe something chemically is happening there? Anyway, recently, I went for a patch on the back of my head something about lichen complex and was given a medication that I decided to try on my bikini line. My itchy head paled in comparison to the itchy bikini line.

Ive tried all the over the counter things, so here was a prescription. I admit I should just see my dermatologist for my itchy bikini line, but I havent the gumption. I can say what he gave me works though - I was able to get the itch to stop for long enough that I thought it was completely cured. We're talking months without a fight! Any time I get the slightest tingle, i use the medicine for a day or three and it doesnt come back for weeks.

I also have small patches that come up around my ears, nose, and elbows. A little bit of this stuff and in a day or so, its gone. I think I have eczema, truly, but Ive not been diagnosed. I use it just after a shower. It is the generic version of something else, which I liked more but was just way too expensive I had been given a sample originally.

I hope that helps at least some of you. After 15 years of struggling with shame, itch, and pain, this has been such a blessing for me. I agree, "don't scratch" is really bad advice. I've gotten Staph Infection a few times because of my eczema, and now after the most recent outbreak of the Staph, I have finally learned to channel my willpower not to scratch.

When you have an itch, just try to think about how great it will feel to have perfect skin when you haven't scratched for a while. This might not help, but it sure did help me. Growing up with eczema ever since I was 2, I've learned about how to control it as well as some useful tips too. Stress, weather, diet, and fragrances can affect someone depending on how their body reacts to a change in said factor.

Being stressed or anxious could be a likely trigger for an eczema flare. The person would have to find a relaxing activity to unwind. I usually read, draw, listen to music, meditate, or play video games when I have time. If the stress is due to a long time event, take breaks to relax as you pick an activity and make sure to get some rest as your body needs it. If it's weather problems, in the summer wear light, breathable long sleeves I recommend cotton, but that's me.

If you can't bear to wear long sleeves in the summer due to the climate, do your best to moisturize. Also stay cool to prevent yourself from sweating; you could bring a chilled water bottle with you to cool down with. More emphasis on the lotion since the dry cold air is worse than a sweltering heat as the cold air dries out skin faster. For spring, if your eczema is affected by your allergies in some way, even if it's small, do your best to stay on top of them.

This is what I learned recently: the skin is sometimes a reflection of our inner health. Taking this from a Chinese herbalist that I've visited a few months ago, eczema can also be controlled by following a strict diet. The diet can vary from person to person, so all I can recommend is to eat a healthy wholesome diet while cutting out any food item that may trigger a flare-up.

Also, drink lots of water and cut down on the sweet drinks and junk food. The reason I state this is because, I hope I'm not jumping the gun here, but I think that we're either eating poorly - causing our spleen to overwork itself, thereby creating a poor quality of blood to run through our system - making us scratch, or have a spleen problem that caused the eczema.

The spleen cleans out whatever toxins we ate with our food along while creating our blood. So, I'd recommend eating healthy while cutting out anything that might cause a trigger. Also, find a light perfume or cologne to use if you really want it, but it's best not to have any at all. I usually use a body mist spray while avoiding my eczema patches, and then I fan myself so it doesn't irritate my skin. Allergies could also be a trigger for eczema.

I allergic to cat, dog, and bird dander - so no pets for me. I'm also allergic to dust mites, so I have a plastic cover for my mattress to go under my bed sheet. Tips: - Take cold showers if you can handle it, if not, go as cold as you can while not staying under the shower head as long as possible.

I shower with warm water. Before showers, you could lather yourself in coconut oil. After showers, pat dry and immediately apply your lotion. Make sure the sheets are comfortable for you, material wise and temperature wise, and that they're also fragrance free. Touching up on what I wrote about blood and the spleen, poor blood flow can also be the cause of eczema. I recommend swimming as you can't feel yourself sweat and that there have been some cases claiming that the chlorine is helping them by cleaning their skin.

Iv'e done it myself, and the chlorine barely stings. Just immediately take a shower and use that lotion! This is all the advice I can give so far. Good Luck! I'm the last person who commented before you. I just wanted to check if there were people who were still having problems. Of course I can't actually help with relieving the itch itself, but perhaps your skin just isn't hydrated enough?

I don't necessarily have a problem with scratching per say, my main problem is keeping my skin moist enough so my skin isn't irritated in the first place.

I've recently tried something new. It's a DIY homemade olive oil sugar body scrub. All you need is olive oil, sugar, and vanilla extract or something to cover the smell of the olive oil. The sugar will exfoliate your skin while getting rid of the dead skin cells. It also heals your skin while promoting collagen production and skin's retention of moister. The olive oil will moisturize while the sugar does it's work, and the extract will relax you as you take a shower.

I honestly had an open sore from scratching as I had tried this and a few minutes after applying the body scrub, I saw that the sore healed shut! It didn't sting either! It works great, and my elbows are all smooth now too! I hope this helps!

I was just writing about this myself! Love this post-thanks for being honest! People that do not suffer form eczema themselves have no idea what it take to not scratch. Even though I know it will make things worse for my skin, it sometimes is impossible and I don't want to be judged for that!

I saw this in seattle at a fisher's market and I bought the hemp salve. It seemed to heal some of my scars. Keith here, in the same situation as a lot of the above, 1 VERY important thing I have learned is cortisone creams have some very unpleasant consequences.

I had previously had eczma for about 10 years but it had gone away, permanently i hoped. I was using cortisone cream back then but cannot recall if I stopped using it and eczma went away of vice versa. Got some cortisone cream and started using that when it seemed to be getting worse, had been using it for almost 2 months.

I noticed the classic "red skin stops at wrist" symptom when I had not used the cortisone cream for a few days was only using it sparingly. Since stopping the cortisone the eczma patches at the backs of my knees have improved although I am still unable at times to resist the scratch urge, Anything less than total teeth clenching concentration the inner arms are proving to be a battle but I keep telling myself get the legs under control and then concentrate on the inner arms.

Using moisturiser frequently during the day makes my skin feel better, although it still itches intensely in the creases and a couple of very loccalised spots.

I have found "Aveeno" moisturiser works well and seems to last, it contains colloidal oatmeal. If you are using cortisone cream please check up on red skin syndrome and decied whether you should continue. Parents please check up on cortisone withdrawal if you are using it on your children.

Apparently it is possible to stop scratching the itch. The book The Eczema Solution by Sue Armstrong-Brown introduces a programme called Habit Reversal that helped her eczema to improve from a horrendous state to an almost flawless skin.

Hey guys, I am a near-severe eczema sufferer. I am Chinese so my English might not sound too clear to you. Methods of itch-relief without causing the skin as much damage as scratching that I find very very useful are as follows you may try as well : - Get a piece of kitchen paper towel - the paper towels from kitchen paper towel rolls.

It has about the right size where you can hold it comfortably, place it on your itching eczema area, and scratch with the piece of kitchen paper towel you place on the eczema area as a platform for you to scratch on.

This allows you to use your nails to scratch but without causing bleeding, and does not actually involve your nails scratching the area, because the paper towel acts as the barrier. You can also try a bit of pinching the itchy areas with the paper towel between your nails and the itchy area - a fast and can-really-relief-the-itch method of itch-relief.

I find this method useful because it relieves the pain really quickly I am very busy at work so need quick itch relief , and obviously does not cause as much damage to the skin and significantly decreases the chance of infection of your skin as you don't scratch your skin with your nails directly at the skin, compared to scratching the skin directly without any barriers in between and with your nails involved. After you have felt all your itch gone, you will feel only pain not too much of pain, but the feeling of the aftermath of scratching, when you don't feel that you want to scratch anymore and no more itch.

The more you do this scratching-with-a-kitchen-paper-towel-in-between, the more itch-relief you have accomplished, and the more you will start to not want to scratch. At this point, you will not have the urge to scratch anymore. And, because you have only been scratching with your kitchen paper towel but not with your nails, you will achieve the aim of not wanting to scratch anymore, and not-as-serious-eczema-aftermath areas left and no bacterial infections on your eczema area by the end.

Hope this help you guys! The kitchen paper towels have to be clean ones! For temperature of the shower - no hot water or ice-cold water. Use water which you feel a bit of warmth in it, but not too much. That is the right temperature of water for shower. And, only shower for 5 minutes or less not when you also have to wash your hair of course - can take more than 5 minutes if you also need to wash your hair for that shower.

Get out of the shower straight after the 5 minutes or less. No wool clothing, because the wool irritates your skin. Cotton is most natural. If you need to put on moisturizer, do not put too much. Only put on a thin layer, enough just to make your skin appear not dry. Too thick of a layer will perhaps make the skin itch more, making the moisturizing process ineffective.

Personally, I don't find moisturizers useful. I itch when I put on moisturizers, and I don't itch if I don't put any moisturizers on. I only put a little bit of Vaseline petroleum jelly on flaky facial skin areas - just for better appearance of myself when I have to meet people at work. When I don't have to see anyone, I don't use any moisturizers.

My grandparent who is very wise advised me not to put too many additional things on your body. Anything not from your own body is not that good. This of course includes chemicals. Any moisturizers are chemicals to some extent. That said, a few years ago, when I had very severe eczema flare up, I did follow the doctor's advice to put steroid medical creams on eczema areas and antiobiotic cream on eczema wounds to stop my severe eczema inflammation.

That was essential for initial stopping of the eczema spread.