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Eczema - Causes, Symptoms, Health Insurance Coverage

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​What Is Eczema?

​

Eczema is a condition of the skin that causes itchiness, inflammation, and roughness. Eczema can also cause blisters. Eczema and atopic dermatitis are the same things. Atopic means the health condition that involves the immune system, and dermatitis means skin inflammation. There are certain food items like nuts and dairy products that might trigger the symptoms. There are other factors also that triggers symptoms. These are pollen, smoke, soaps, and fragrances. You should know that Eczema is not a communicable disease. 

Symptoms


The signs and symptoms of eczema are different in infants, children, and adults.

Symptoms in infants:


  • Rashes on the cheeks and scalp
  • Extreme itchiness 
  • Lack of sleep due to irritation

    • Symptoms in children:


  • Rashes behind the creases of knees and elbow
  • Rashes on the wrists, neck, ankles, and between the legs and buttocks 
  • Thickening of the skin, which is also known as lichenification
  • Permanent itchiness 

    • Symptoms in adults:


  • More scaly rashes compare to what occurs in children
  • Rashes in the creases of the elbows or knees and/ or on the nape of the neck
  • Body full of rashes 
  • Dry skin on the affected areas
  • Permanent itchiness due to rashes
  • Skin infections

    • If you or your children are suffering from any of the symptoms mentioned above, you should make an immediate appointment with your doctor.

    ​Diagnosis

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    To diagnose eczema, your doctor will run a physical examination on you. Also, he or she will ask you questions regarding the symptoms. these questions will help them in the proper diagnosis of eczema. For more accurate testing, your doctor might take a small piece of your skin that will be studied in a lab. This biopsy will help in ruling out other medical conditions. Your doctor may also ask you to go through the patch testing. 

    In patch testing, a small amount of substance is applied to the skin of the patient. After the application of the substance, the skin is covered. One needs to wear that patch for a few days. After some days, your doctor will for a sign of a reaction. This type of testing helps in finding the type of allergy that is causing eczema. 

    Treatment


    The treatment for eczema depends on the symptoms of the patients and the cause of the disease. One can follow home remedies to treat eczema. However, there are some medicines and gels that help in the treatment of eczema. Some are mentioned below:

  • Skin corticosteroid creams, ointments, or gels
  • Phototherapy: In this type of treatment, the affected part of the skin is exposed to the natural or artificial light in a controlled environment. 
  • Oral corticosteroids (pills)


    • Health Insurance


    Treatment of eczema may not cost you a fortune. But it is a long-term disease, which means you might have to pay for ointments, pills, and gels for a long time. This can affect your budget. To protect your hard-earned savings, you should buy health insurance from a reputable insurer such as Reliance General Insurance. A health insurance policy will help you financially and will take care of medical expenses and hospitalization bills. You will also be eligible for tax benefits under section 80 D of the Income Tax Act, 1961.