Chronic Eczema, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

By Kenneth Kee

This book describes Chronic Eczema, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases
Recently I have a few patients referred to me for chronic eczema (some for ten years) by other patients treated by me.
The first thing I do is to exclude serious illness such as psoriasis and diabetes or kidney disease.
The second thing is to find out whether there are new foods, soaps or chemicals introduced in the environment before the skin developed chronic eczema.
One of the most important is the use of soap and detergents.
I generally advised the patient to wash without soap daily or more frequently with plain water for at least 2 weeks before trying soap.
Scratching leads to redness, swelling, cracking, “weeping” clear fluid, crusting, and scaling and severe itching.
The patient should keep the fingernails cut short and wear light gloves during sleep to prevent scratching
The patient should avoid scratching the skin but to apply the anti-itch cream on the itchy areas instead frequently.
Non-drowsy antihistamines are given during the day and more drowsy antihistamine given at night.
Antibiotics are given if there is infection.
Mild steroids are given for a short period of time on a tapering course.
As for diet the most important is to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water to flush the toxins out of the body.
The patient should avoid colored drinks, canned, bottled and packet drinks which contain preservatives.
Food like seafood such as prawns, crabs, cockle shells, lobsters and ducks should be avoided because they may contain contaminants from the water and the sea.
Tomato ketchups and chilly sauce may contain dyes that can cause skin irritation.
Instead the patient should take the fresh chilly or tomatoes instead.
Alcohol drinking and smoking should be avoided.
Dust, cement and renovations works should be avoided as well.
Some perfumes and cosmetics, wool or synthetic fibers should also be avoided.
Previous treatments for skin-related symptoms should not be used since they appeared not to work.
The patient must learn to relax and get enough sleep.
If there are animal pets in the house the patient should also avoid them.

Chronic eczema is a long term skin disease.
When a person has this disorder the skin becomes excessively itchy.
Scratching causes redness, swelling, cracking, weeping clear fluid, crusting, and scaling
Often, the skin flares (gets worse) and then it becomes better or clears up (remissions).
Chronic eczema is a long-term (chronic) skin disorder that causes scaly and itchy rashes
Causes
Chronic eczema is due to a skin reaction in the skin.
The reaction leads to ongoing itching, swelling and redness.
People with chronic eczema may be more sensitive because their skin lacks certain proteins that maintain the skin's barrier to water.
1.Allergies to pollen, mold, dust mites, or animals
2.Cold and dry air in the winter
I had a fellow traveler in New Zealand who developed rashes in the cold temperature of New Zealand. This is due the effects of cold antigens present in some people.
3.Colds
4.Contact with irritants and chemicals
5.Contact with rough materials, such as wool
6.Dry skin
7.Emotional stress
Symptoms:
1.Blisters with oozing and crusting
2.Dry skin
3.Raw areas of the skin from scratching
Diagnosis:
Family history of allergies,hay fever or asthma
Skin Examination
Skin tests
Treatment:
The goals in treating chronic eczema are to heal the skin and prevent flares
The most important treatment is Not Scratch the skin
Keep fingernails
Wear gloves at night
Use a moisturizer
Topical steroid
Barrier repair creams
Antihistamines
Antibiotics
Immunosuppressant
Targeted biologic therapy
Phototherapy
Desensitization using allergen detected in skin tests

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenneth Kee
• Release date: Sep 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463562499

Kenneth Kee

Medical doctor since 1972.Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009.Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993.Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 74However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours inthe afternoon.He first started writing free blogs on medical disorders seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com.His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiography account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.comThis autobiography account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com.From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 1000 eBooks.He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books.He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures.Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.The later books go into more details of medical disorders.He has published 1000 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter.The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health disorders and not meant as textbooks.He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke.His clinic is now relocated to the Buona Vista Community Centre.The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall.He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) startingwith the Apple computer and going to PC.The entire PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core.The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive.He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance.His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner.The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned.This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale.Dr Kee is the author of:"A Family Doctor's Tale""Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine""Case Notes From A Family Doctor"

Book preview

Chronic Eczema,

A

Simple

Guide

To

The Condition,

Diagnosis,

Treatment

And

Related Conditions

By

Dr Kenneth Kee

M.B.,B.S. (Singapore)

Ph.D (Healthcare Administration)

Copyright Kenneth Kee 2018 Smashwords Edition

Published by Kenneth Kee at Smashwords.com

Dedication

This book is dedicated

To my wife Dorothy

And my children

Carolyn, Grace

And Kelvin

This book describes Chronic Eczema, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases which is seen in some of my patients in my Family Clinic.

(What The patient Need to Treat Chronic Eczema)

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.

If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Introduction

I have been writing medical articles for my blog: http://kennethkee.blogspot.com (A Simple Guide to Medical Disorder) for the benefit of my patients since 2007.

My purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of my patients.

Health Education was also my dissertation for my Ph.D (Healthcare Administration).

I then wrote an autobiolographical account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog: http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com.

This autobiolographical account A Family Doctor’s Tale was combined with my early A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders into a new Wordpress Blog A Family Doctor’s Tale on http://kenkee481.wordpress.com.

From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 800 eBooks.

Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.

For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.

The later books go into more details of medical disorders.

The first chapter is always from my earlier blogs which unfortunately tends to have typos and spelling mistakes.

Since 2013, I have tried to improve my spelling and writing.

As I tried to bring the patient the latest information about a disorder or illness by reading the latest journals both online and offline, I find that I am learning more and improving on my own medical knowledge in diagnosis and treatment for my patients.

Just by writing all these simple guides I find that I have learned a lot from your reviews (good or bad), criticism and advice.

I am sorry for the repetitions in these simple guides as the second chapters onwards have new information as compared to my first chapter taken from my blog.

I also find repetition definitely help me and maybe some readers to remember the facts in the books more easily.

I apologize if these repetitions are irritating to some readers.

Chapter 1

Chronic eczema

Recently I have a few patients referred to me for chronic eczema some for ten years by other patients treated by me.

The first thing I do is to exclude serious illness such as psoriasis and diabetes or kidney disease.

The second thing is to find out whether there are new foods, soaps or chemicals introduced in the environment before the skin developed chronic eczema.

One of the most important is the use of soap and detergents.

I generally advised the patient to wash without soap daily or more frequently with plain water for at least 2 weeks before trying soap.

Scratching leads to redness, swelling, cracking, weeping clear fluid, crusting, and scaling and severe itching.

The