Eczema is a well-recognized skin condition that can result in patches of irritated, inflamed, and itchy skin on all parts of the body. Much of the treatment that is available for eczema involves using an agent directly on the area that seems to be affected. The best doctors try to find a way to treat eczema from the inside out, and the results when this type of treatment is done can be far greater for some patients. Why is that the case? Here is a look at why sometimes, eczema is a problem that radiates from far deeper than just the skin.
Eczema is linked to inflammatory responses.
Even though there is no direct cause of eczema known, researchers do understand what is taking place when someone has an eczema flare-up. The majority of people experiencing an eczema flare-up will experiencing an exacerbated immune response to some kind of irritant. The skin senses something as a threat, so the body's immune system immediately goes into defense mode to isolate the irritant that has contaminated certain skin cells. This kind of reaction signifies that below the skin eczema treatment may be more effective than treating the issue at surface level.
Eczema often shows up in people who have a family history of allergies or asthma.
Eczema is not necessarily considered to be a genetic or hereditary problem. However, it is widely known that eczema can be more prevalent in patients who have a family history of allergy and asthma, and the more severe the family history is, the higher the risk for that person can climb. You may be using a topical cream or medication to treat the symptoms you see, but there could be a much more intrinsic reason why you have these problems to start with.
Eczema can be linked to other health problems and illnesses.
Some research has suggested that people who have eczema may actually have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. The exact cause of the increased risk is not known, and some suggest that the link is due to poor lifestyle choices that eczema can be related to. However, this is also a good sign that whatever is going on in the body that is causing eczema could potentially have effects on the rest of the body. There is some speculation that the heightened risk of chronic inflammation related to eczema could potentially be bad for the cardiovascular system.