Chronic Hand Eczema: Difficult to Cure

Hand eczema, although relatively common, can often be embarrassing and can cause the sufferer to feel extremely self conscious. Besides the superficial impact chronic hand eczema can be very unbearable in other ways. It is often very itchy, in some cases it can cause the sufferer and anyone sleeping with the patient, to lose sleep. To make matters worse scratching the itch will only make the condition worse; this usually results in a cycle of itching and scratching. Painful cracks and blisters on the hands are another effect of chronic hand eczema.

When suffering from chronic hand eczema avoiding anything that will irritate the skin is absolutely necessary for recovery. Hand and foot eczema requires constant care; this is often the most difficult part of treating chronic hand eczema. If your job or daily chores require you to wash your hands constantly then you may find that your chronic hand eczema never seems to clear up.

Irritants such as harsh soaps, detergents, or moisturizers, stress, and infections may interfere or impede treatment. If you find that your chronic hand eczema persists despite treatment then you must look carefully at these triggers and try to eliminate them to give treatment a chance to work.

If you have an infection while treating chronic hand eczema it may be necessary to add antibiotics to the steroid creams. Ointment needs to be used in combination with steroid creams as the skin on your hands will most likely start to dry out when using steroid creams for a prolonged period of time.

If your job involves continued exposure to water or chemicals then using a barrier cream that is petrolatum based may be a good idea. However, it is a good idea to be cautious when using a ‘barrier’ cream. Too much of such a cream can aggravate the skin if the skin cannot breathe properly. Ask your doctor for recommendations on how much to apply and what creams to use.

If you have suffered from chronic hand eczema and find no relief from conventional medication then you might be suffering an allergic reaction. To determine if your chronic hand eczema is part of an allergic reaction then you should have your doctor perform a skin allergy test. Even if you do find a cure for your chronic hand eczema, remember that it can come back. Care should be taken to avoid this at all costs. Avoid any irritants that can trigger your chronic hand eczema.