Find Out The Main Eczema Causes in Your Home
There are as many different causes of eczema as there are eczema types. Some types are triggered by common household allergens and irritants. In fact, your home probably has substances in it that are known to cause very severe eczema reactions. Controlling eczema is important and therefore it is also important that you understand what triggers your condition.
Allergens and irritants are the two main eczema causes within your home. However, your body can have many different reactions to these triggers resulting in different forms of eczema. Sometimes a reaction happens on the outer surface of your skin. Other times, the reaction takes place internally and manifests itself within the different layers of your skin. In order to understand these triggers you should know more about the difference between internal and external reactions.
Contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis are very different in nature, but both forms are very likely to be triggered by household irritants and allergens. Contact dermatitis is an external reaction which occurs when the skin touches an allergen or irritant. The red, inflamed, and itchy rash normally occurs at the point of contact. Atopic dermatitis results from an internal reaction by the immune system to an irritant or allergen. When your immune system interacts with the trigger, and typically another component such as irregular hormones or stress-related toxins, the result is an eczema outbreak on your skin that is painful, swollen, and itchy. This rash can occur anywhere on your skin, not just at the spot where you contacted the allergen or irritant.
Irritants are everywhere in your home. Some are in the air you breathe, like cigarette smoke and air fragrances. There are also unusual irritants in your home such as onion or pepper fumes from food preparation and cooking. If you have a humidifier in your home, then you should make sure you are using only distilled water in the machine or you may be exposing yourself to chemicals, like chlorine, from the water in the humid air.
The irritant may also be a common household chemical. Some of the more common chemical irritants are laundry detergent, fabric softeners, cleaning solvents, latex products, and nail varnish. However, you may check these usual suspects and still find you are breaking out. If that is the case, check many of the items you use on a regular basis, such as the synthetic fibers in your bedding and beauty products, to make sure they are not irritating your eczema.
Allergens are very often either consumable or environmental in nature. Foods like dairy, nuts, and berries should always be your first suspects. In fact, some foods like peanuts and strawberries are known to cause both internal and external eczemas.
The allergens within your home environment can be more difficult to control, but it is not impossible. Some of the common household allergens are dust mites, pet hair and dander, mildew, and mold. These can typically be controlled through regular cleanings that include a high quality vacuum cleaner. However, you may also want to purchase an air filter to remove these allergens from the air in your home.
Do not let the number of potential triggers in your home overwhelm you. You are probably only bothered by one or two eczema triggers and this will make it easier to control your condition. You should be able to easily identify and control you exposure to the trigger causing your eczema. The best way to treat your eczema is to eliminate the irritant and allergen triggers in your home.