Eczema is not a single disease but a reaction pattern of the skin produced by many different conditions.
There are at least eleven different types of skin conditions that produce eczema, such as Pompholyx (dyshidrotic eczema), Allergic contact dermatitis, Atopic dermatitis, Nummular eczema, Stasis dermatitis, Seborrheic eczema, Fungal infections, Xerotic (dry skin) eczema, Scabies, or Lichen simplex chronicus.
Eczema affects about 10 percent to 20 percent of infants, and commonly starts in infancy, with 65% of patients developing symptoms in the first year of life and 90% developing symptoms before age 5.
Symptoms of eczema
Eczema is usually itchy. For many individuals, the itch is commonly only mild, or moderate. But in some cases, it can become much worse and you might develop extremely inflamed skin.
Some individuals develop red bumps or clear fluid-filled bumps that look “bubbly” and, when scratched, add wetness to the overall appearance. Additionally, in adults, chronic rubbing produces thickened plaques of skin.
In babies and children, it is seen in varying severity and different places on the body depending on age. Face, head, and/or feet are more usual areas for flares in babies and young children than adults.
Causes
The exact cause of this disease is unknown, but it’s thought to be connected to an overactive response by the body’s immune system to an irritant. It is this response that causes the symptoms of eczema.
Moreover, it can also be triggered by environmental factors such as pollen and smoke. Mineral and vitamin deficiency can also play a big role in eczema. Vitamins A, C, E, B are particularly important, due to the fact that some individuals become deficient in trace minerals, which are much harder to absorb with our soils being so depleted in modern times.
Foods can also trigger the disease, especially chemical food additives (such as colorings and preservatives), dairy products, meat, eggs, or nuts.
Spiritual causes of eczema
Spiritual causes may include:
- Trying to keep the world at a distance;
- Feeling inadequate or unworthy;
- Isolating and locking yourself inside because of fear in coming out;
- Someone or something getting under your skin or feeling overexposed;
- Extreme sensitivity to circumstances and emotions around you.
Psychological stresses can also provoke or aggravate it, presumably by suppressing normal immune mechanisms.
Healing affirmations of eczema
I release all fear I am holding in my skin.
I am comfortable and confident.
Peace and harmony, love and joy surround me and indwell me.
I clear all the ways I am afraid to let go of the old pattern thinkings to allow new ways to emerge.
I am safe and secure.
I release any feelings of being unsettled that I am holding in my skin.
