What Can I Do About Dyshidrotic Eczema?

You may have also heard dyshidrotic eczema called pompholyx when your blisters have a deep seated itching, or perhaps keratolysis exfoliativa, or vesicular eczema of the hands and/or feet. Whatever name your eczema has been given, that does not change the fact that you have it and are now faced with dealing with it.

When you find that you have severely itchy, irritated blisters on your hands and soles of your feet, you could have dyshidrotic eczema. These blisters are clear, but can later lead to the usual eczema problems of scaling, thickening of the skin, and possible skin cracking. Having dyshidrotic eczema can also lead to getting a bacterial infection, and it is said that people with this type of eczema suffer worse in the summer.    

As with most types of eczema, the true causes remain unknown, though doctors have several plausible ideas. Many people who have this form of eczema appear to be genetically prone to developing it. Though it may possibly be caused by allergic reactions, at times many doctors have found nothing to support this even after patch tests.

There has been other speculation that excessive sweating can cause dyshidrotic eczema to appear, but no definitive proof has been shown. Ultimately, no one knows why eczema pops up, but it is known that stress helps to aggravate it, so do what you can to alleviate stress to help alleviate your eczema.

As with the majority of eczema types, there is not fast and simple cure, despite all the work researchers have put into the problem. What you can do is to try and best identify the possible triggers of your eczema and prevent them, as well as taking steps to keep your hands and/or feet in good condition in order to keep eczema problems at bay.

If you are constantly getting your hands wet, as florists and dishwashers are, this could lead to an eczema outbreak.  With your skin always wet, it begins to break down, leaving the normal protective layer damaged and allowing irritants to get through, causing your skin to react.  When you wash your hands or feet, avoid rubbing them dry. Instead, pat dry and then use a moisturizer. Find a product that will not irritate your skin, or try 100 percent jojoba oil.  

Avoid dealing with waterless cleansers, soaps, detergents, and antibacterial cleansers. These can help to make your condition worse, and waterless and antibacterial cleansers contain alcohol, solvents and other ingredients that will only aggravate skin.  If you have to deal with cutting potatoes, meats, onions, peppers, or even acidic fruits such as oranges and tomatoes, be sure to wear gloves such as disposable vinyl gloves. Should water become trapped in the glove, remove it, pat dry, and get a fresh glove.  

If you wear any rings, keep in mind that they can easily trap irritants beneath them. This can help to aggravate your eczema, so avoid wearing one when you have an outbreak. During a time when you are outbreak free, be sure to remove rings when you do housework, especially when washing and drying your hands. Be sure to keep your rings clean so they are not the items doing the irritating.     

By taking certain steps to treat and help prevent dyshidrotic eczema, you may be able to get it to disappear for a while, but remember, eczema is usually a chronic condition, so do everything you can to keep it from coming back if you do succeed in taming it.