What works for me

Here's my experience on what works best for me. I hope it can help others:

I get small outbreaks of eczema, on my left hand only, usually on my index finger but
it can move around sometimes.

My eczema first appeared about 6 years ago when I moved to Atlanta. One thing I
noticed was that If I went away for the weekend to the coast, my eczema would clear
up extremely quickly (within two days). Unfortunately when I returned to Atlanta it
would come back again within a few days (if anyone else has had a similar experience
I would be interested in hearing from them).

My theory was that the salty air & sea was helping, together with the sun. So when I
returned home I tried applying Sea Salt to the affected area. For me, this is one of the
most effective remedies I have tried and it seems to work best without any additional
creams. It probably sounds weird but I will scrub my hands with salt (natural Sea Salt
works best) after I've been washing dishes with detergents or if I've been soaking in
the shower for a long time. Excessive washing, I believe, leaches out the natural oils
from your skin and makes you more vunerable. I will also sometimes take a hot bath
with a lot of salt dissolved in it.

Something else I've noticed is that when I exercise, especially from running, my
eczema will get better and even clear up completely. I'm not sure if this is due to
the salty sweat or because endorphins are released, or what??

The third observation I made was with diet. It seems like very few things make any
difference with eczema but I did find that Flax Seed Oil can really help and sometimes
get rid of it. It is my understanding that the Omega-3 essential fatty acids that you
get from flax seed oil (and other foods) can help suppress or moderate a hyperactive
immune systems. Which I understand to be a major factor in eczema outbreaks.

What I find interesting about the three main points I've made, the sea & sun, the
exercise, and the flax seed oil, is that each one of them will give me a more oily skin.

IN SUMMARY: My remedy for eczema is a regular intake of flax seed oil (and other
foods that contain omega-3 EFA's), regular exercise (preferably running), and the
application of salt (usually just when I see something develop).

I believe that if I lived by the sea I would never get eczema but until then I will stick
with my own remedy.

I hope this might help some of you and I look forward to hearing other experiences.

Hopefully we can learn from each other...So far, no doctor has given me any better
advice!

Sincerely,

Mark Tweet