How to Treat or Cure Eczema

Eczema is a long-term condition without a cure, but most people can get good control with a clear plan. Here is a practical step-by-step approach.

1. Moisturise every day. Use a thick, fragrance-free emollient at least twice a day, and after every bath.

2. Treat flares quickly. At the first sign of redness or itch, use the anti-inflammatory cream your doctor has prescribed. A steroid cream used for a short burst usually settles a flare in days. Apply it thinly to the affected skin only, as directed.

3. Break the itch-scratch cycle. Keep nails short, use cool compresses, wear cotton gloves at night, and use sedating antihistamines only if a doctor advises them for sleep.

4. Find and avoid triggers. Note what comes before flares, such as soaps, fabrics, heat, dust or stress.

5. Treat infection promptly. Weeping, crusts, pus or fever need a doctor. Painful clustered blisters need same-day hospital care.

6. Step up when needed. If the skin is not controlled after a few weeks, see a dermatologist. Options include steroid-free creams, light therapy, tablets and newer injections.

What does not work

• Cutting out foods without a confirmed allergy.
• Hot baths, scrubbing, or strong chemist creams.
• Claims of a "permanent cure" from herbs or diets.

Where Ayurveda fits. A qualified vaidya can advise gentle external care, diet and routine as an adjunct. It must not replace prescribed treatment. No Ayurvedic or other treatment is proven to cure eczema, and herbal creams may contain hidden steroids.