Month: August 2016

UV Phototherapy for Eczema

One factor which I’m convinced helps with my eczema is the sun, the old fashion UV radiation from the burning ball in the sky. It turns out that my hunch was not wrong, in fact there is a medical treatment which replicates this marvellous phenomenon. It’s called phototherapy. In truth phototherapy refers to any light treatment but for the duration of this article, and in the case of eczema, let’s just assume we are talking about UV light.

Phototherapy (or UV therapy in our case) is available in three variations: UVA, narrow band UVB and broad band UVB. All three, as their names suggest, utilize UV rays but different wavelengths within the UV spectrum (UVC also exist but let’s just ignore that). Just like how visible light can be split into the colours of the rainbow, UV light can be split into band A (UVA) and band B (UVB). Each band represents a different range of wavelengths with UVA being the longer and UVB the shorter. The sun emits both but eczema treatments tend to focus on one or the other.

visible_light_and_uv_wavelengths_diagram
Image Source: http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/uva-and-uvb

The shorter the band of light the more its ability to pass though objects diminishes, consequently UVB tends to only affect the upper layers of skin and narrow-band UVB is most commonly used in eczema (and psoriasis) treatments.

Interesting fact: UVC is even shorter than UVB and consequently mostly absorbed by the ozone layer.  

How UV Phototherapy Helps Eczema (and psoriasis)

UV phototherapy reduces the inflammation of the skin and this in turn reduces the itchiness, redness and hardening that is associated with eczema. I don’t really want to go into details but it is suspected that it exerts this anti-inflammatory action by affecting the cells proliferation (slowing down the growth and replication of affected cells) and to a lesser extent increasing vitamin D production. This treatment is best suited to treat widespread eczema but smaller lesions can also be treated in the same way by limiting exposure to those areas only.

The Experiment

That all being said, I don’t have access to a narrowband UVB exclusive source but there is a tanning shop up my road. Tanning shops use UV tubes that mostly emit UVA (96%+) and to a far smaller extent UVB. In general UVA (responsible for tanning) treatments are reserved for those not responding to UVB as it is considered more potent or more damaging (penetrates deeper, beyond the skin) but still requires Psoralen for best results. Psoralen is a light sensitizing medication that as its name suggests makes the skin more sensitive to UV light. Without psoralen UVA is considered relatively ineffective nevertheless, I do not have access to psoralen (a prescription only medicine) but will book a course with my local tanning shop anyway.

At the end of this experiment I may just find that my eczema has not improved at all, however, at the very least I’d have a pretty sexy looking tan and I’d be happy with that :D.

  If your eczema lesions are not responding to topical skin care therapy with steroids or moisturisers, phototherapy could be an suitable option. With a success rate of around of 70% (i.e.it helps 70% of those who try it) it has a good chance in helping you.

Length of Treatment

The general course of phototherapy is initially around 2-3 treatments per week in short bursts of only a few minutes. Once the treatment clears up the lesions exposure is reduced to once weekly or fortnightly to maintain its effects. I aim to follow the same treatment plan with my far inferior tools and hope for the best. Obviously this isn’t the sort of treatment that works in a single session so I expect to post and update at a later date (link will be somewhere below or here….or here, if those words aren’t blue then I haven’t done it yet)

Safety Notice / Warning

  • The main contraindications for phototherapy are allergy to sun exposure, xeroderma, lupus erythematosus, previous skin cancer, intake of immunosuppressors such as cyclosporins and methotrexates and liver or kidney diseases. PUVA is contraindicated in pregnancy.
  • Side effects of this treatment can be sunburns (skin redness and discomfort), light-induced rashes, premature skin aging, skin cancer and cold sores.
  • If you plan on experimenting with UV phototherapy (official treatment or sunbeds) always wear the UV safety goggles/”winkies” provided. Merely closing your eyes while on the sunbed does not offer full protection.

 

Like this post? Give us a thumbs up. If you think I missed something out or want to know more, whether about phototherapy or another treatment leave me a comment below

Dead Sea Salt Bath for Eczema

So finally I’ve had enough. It’s time I take care of my eczema and I have made sure that everyone I know knows what I’m trying to do. Why? Well I may end up trying some pretty strange stuff (for those with already great skin) in my quest to heal myself so no need to call the psych ward, not yet anyway.

The Healing Sea

“The healing sea” was what my cousin called it. “Why don’t you try it?” Having spent a year in Izir, Turkey he told me of the local sea which locals dubbed the healing sea. Those with skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis would take a swim in this mystical sea and it would apparently heal them. When the condition came back they would simply repeat the process and voilà, smooth silky skin again. Maybe I’m a cynic, hope not, but this sound too good to be true. On the off chance it’s true I’d be more than happy to give it ago, I get a holiday out of it too after all. Or wait, no I don’t. I can’t take the time off work! Bummer.

“When Life gives you lemons make lemonade”

Well I guess that’s how life goes sometimes but as they say when it give you lemons, make lemonade. I might not be able to go Turkey right now but how hard would it be to recreate the sea conditions here…in my bath tub? Of course maybe this specific sea holds some mystical powers that other seas do not, and in that case I cannot recreate the conditions, but surely a tub of sea salt would do the trick.

From my own experience I know that when I’m abroad my eczema does clear up and that may have something to do with spending time in the sea; Just so we’re clear I’m talking about the regular Mediterranean sea, not a mystical ‘healing sea’, so I’m feeling quite optimistic. That all being said, when on holiday I also have no stress (a known trigger for eczema) and access to an unseen relic in England, the sun.

Unfortunately these improvement are not a permanent eczema cure as the moment I get back home (England) sh*t hits the fan. The atmosphere sucks the tan out of me and replaces it with eczema ridden patches in a matter of days or weeks if I’m lucky. Why? I have no idea! Clearly there is something missing here that exists out there. Is it the lack of stress? Or maybe it’s the Sun. It could quite possibly be the fact I do not swim in the sea here and the sea water has kept the eczema at bay. Of the three the easiest to replicate is probably the Sun, you can read more about my experiments with phototherapy here.

Bringing the Sea to Me

I live in London swimming in the sea regularly is not something I can do. I could of course take regular trips to Brighton but like many of you I also have other commitments beside my eczema. Unfortunately I simply do not have the time. A giant pipe running from the sea direct to my bath tub would be the best solution but oddly enough I can’t see that happening either, I can however add salt to my regular bath water. Based on what I read online table salt or Epson salts is not ideal as these only contain sodium or magnesium salts respectively; to truly replicate sea water conditions I would at least have to use actual sea salt. Sea salt contains an array of minerals including sodium (salt) and this may partially explain its healing nature.

I couldn’t get sea salt taken from the coasts of Izmir but I did manage to find, with ease, sea salt taken from the Dead Sea. Now the Dead Sea is interesting because the salt content is so high nothing can live in those water and what’s even more interesting, it too has been dubbed “the healing sea”. I’m not sure how much salt I will actually need but I’m assuming to get similar concentrations to the sea it will take a few cups at least. 25kg of the stuff, which turn out is A LOT, cost me around £30 delivered from Amazon. Considering it has to be mined (or dried), imported, packaged and delivered I think this is very reasonable, and it should last a long time. It will take multiple salt baths to get any benefit so I’ll need to post an update at a later date, you can view it here (if that isn’t blue I haven’t uploaded it yet)

Have you tried salt water baths for your eczema? Did it work for you? Share your experience by commenting below

Who am I and why you might find this blog useful

Hello and welcome to eczemafreeme.com. My name is Mehmet and I am the author of this, what I hope to be awesome, blog. Before we start maybe it would be wise for me to introduce myself and the reasons I decided to start this site.

“In my second year of university unfortunately the eczema came back and it came back with a vengeance”

When I was very young (child) my brother and I both had atopic eczema, the most common type. We had the the awful red rash in the traditional places such as behind the knees and creases of of the elbows. I don’t know who in my family had eczema before us but my grandmother had a bad case of asthma; eczema, hayfever and asthma are related conditions for those who don’t know.  Like the majority of children we eventually grew out of it and for a number of years we were eczema free…but that was to soon change.

Unfortunately in my second year of university the eczema came back, and it came back with a vengeance. It’s possible it went away to study how to be a bigger piece of sh*t and with this new knowledge it became harder to shake. This time it affected the creases of my elbows, back of the knees (not so bad) and neck.

So for that first year it came back I just ignored it and hoped it would go away but by the time my 3rd year of university came round I knew I had to go doctors. If your reading this blog you can probably guess what they gave: steroid cream and an emollient. Sure this helped in the short term but the results were short lived and the itching progressively got worse.

“My friends made jokes that I looked like a junkie”

Fast forward 2 years and the eczema has only got worse. Steroid creams have become less effective, antihistamines do nothing and the rash now affects my face, upper back (behind arms), corners of my chest (between upper chest and shoulders), lower back, side of my glutes (bum), lower abdominal area, entire neck, wrists and inner thighs. Pretty f***ing sh*t. The creases of my elbows are almost always scratched bloody and scabbed. In fact it was to the point that university friends would jokingly make comments about how it looks suspiciously like needle marks, great now it looks like I’m a junkie.

In the following year I worked in a retail pharmacy store and in that time I tried a whole bunch of creams, emollients, bath additives and different steroids (with prescription of course) each with varying results. Some days it was good other days I was redder than the Turkish flag. So I battled each flare up as it arose and that’s how that year played out, never really clear of my eczema but bouncing between different shades of red.

Fast forward another year and now I’m a fully qualified pharmacist. 4 years hard work and 1 year working placement to earn the MPharm title after my name. Felt good. Thank God the stress is over, the constant pressure of exam anxiety is behind me and my eczema should clear up now. Wrong! Managing a pharmacy comes with it’s own stresses and my hopes of clear skin vanished with that realisation.

Four years on I’m fed up with my eczema and my strategy of hope it goes away has clearly failed. I’m determined now to tackle it head on and this blog is a documentation of my efforts.

Why I’m in a good position to write this blog

As a pharmacist (and eczema sufferer) with over 5 years working experience under my belt I have seen, studied and heard of many traditional and non traditional treatments. The western medicine approach is what I am most aware of and any drug your doctor can prescribe I’ve most likely studied it. Unfortunately western medicines mostly aims to treat the symptoms and rarely addresses the underlying cause because we simply do not know what that is. In addition the more potent treatments outside of creams inhibit your immune system making you more susceptible to infection and illness, no thanks.  I believe in evidence based medicine but approach healthcare from a holistic perspective. I believe the food we eat can dramatically affect how our bodies respond and I keep an open mind about complementary therapies (although you can’t argue against well performed randomised clinical trials).

This blog will be about my personal journey to an eczema-free-me, the therapies that helped and those that didn’t. I’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment and with images I can hopefully demonstrate the results. I’ll give my personal recommendations and links to where you can buy any of the products I have used.

Know how to treat eczema? I’d love to know your ideas, honestly I’ll try them all! Comment below and share this site with anyone who may benifit