“When it gets colder, I always get red bumps in my elbow. Is this eczema and what can I do about it?'
Drugstore Linda gives advice:
There is a very good chance that it is eczema. When it gets colder outside and the heating comes back on, our skin often feels dry. Dry skin is prone to damage. Allergies to, for example, nickel or certain cosmetics can also lead to eczema. As a result, the skin becomes itchy, which in turn leads to scratching. It is difficult to pinpoint a clear cause for eczema, but hereditary predisposition certainly plays a role.
Good skin care
But what can you do to prevent getting eczema? First of all, it is important to take good care of your skin. Do not shower too hot and for too long and use a mild shower product for dry, sensitive skin. After showering, it's best to pat your skin dry instead of rubbing it hard. As a finishing touch, it is wise to moisturize the skin with a nourishing body milk or body butter. These not only ensure that the skin feels soft, but also that the skin is less sensitive to harmful external influences. Moreover, it is really a moment of pampering for yourself.
Tips to prevent eczema In addition, it is important to drink enough water to maintain your moisture level. Another tip is not to set the central heating too high and to hang humidifiers on the heating. Wearing light, cotton clothing also helps to prevent eczema. Heat can cause eczema to rear its head.
However, eczema can also be caused by stress and depression and then it is important to do something about the cause. If during the consultation the druggist sees reason to assume that the eczema has a deeper cause, he or she will not hesitate to refer the customer to the GP.
Treating eczema
Treating eczema is not easy. When it comes to small spots that occur occasionally, you can go to the drugstore. An old and trusted aid for starting eczema is zinc ointment. Zinc ointment contains zinc oxide which has an astringent and drying effect on the skin. It is therefore usually also used for wet eczema. In addition, it can have an itch-relieving and cooling effect, depending on the dosage form you choose. To achieve a good result, it is important that the zinc ointment is applied at least twice a day for a few days. It can optionally be covered with a bandage or gauze.
In addition to zinc ointment, there are also creams and ointments that are used purely to keep the skin supple and greasy, so that it is better protected against eczema. An example of this is cetomacrogol cream or lanette cream. For very dry skin you have cetomacrogol ointment or lanette ointment.
If the eczema is more severe, it is wise to visit your doctor. The GP will then probably prescribe a hormone ointment, so-called corticosteroids. Corticosteroids have an anti-inflammatory effect, but have many disadvantages, such as thinning of the skin with chronic use. In short, prevention is better than cure. Take care of your skin, it is the most important organ you have.
Who is Linda?
Linda is a certified druggist and works in a drugstore with the Certified Specialist in Self-Care quality mark, which is the quality mark for good advice on over-the-counter medicines. On www.erkendspecialistinzelfzorg.nl you can find out which drugstores in your area have this quality mark and what you as a customer can expect from these drugstores.
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