How to combat Eczema with CBD
Eczema can rear its ugly head in so many different ways. IF you experience eczema, you can probably identify with one of these following Scenarios:
Scenario 1: You’ve just had a baby and so you’re washing your toddler’s hands more than normal. You’ve bought what you thought was the best, antibacterial soap on the shelf to assure those nasty little toddler germs don’t spread throughout your house and most certainly don’t get to your beautiful little newborn. About two weeks go by and you notice the palms of your hands are dry and itchy, but more than that, there are little blister-looking bumps. Then, to your horror, you notice your poor little toddler’s hands are even worse than your own! You rush off to the doctor only to be told it’s eczema.
Scenario 2: Your little guy keeps itching behind his knees. You put cream on it but it doesn’t seem to be healing. It doesn’t look like a bug bite or an injury of any sort. It’s dry, red and scaly. You send photos to your doctor’s office, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. He takes one look and tells you it’s eczema.
Scenario 3: Your kindergartner is complaining that his foot is itchy and has a sore on it. Upon further examination the itchy spot is made up of blisters that are red and oozing. Even as you are on the phone with the doctor, thinking you’ve encountered a flesh eating bacteria, the bubbles continue to form and ooze. He fits you in for an appointment that afternoon and, you guessed it, eczema.
What is Eczema?
Eczema, also known as Atopic Dermatitis may come in many different forms, as you’ve already read above. The simple fact is that eczema is a very broad term for a large group of conditions that can cause skin to become red, itchy and inflamed, can create dark colored patches or rough leathery or scaly patches on the skin, or areas of swelling, oozing or crusting. Different symptoms can range from mild, moderate to severe and can vanish as quickly as they arose, or you can suffer more of a chronic issue.
Eczema most commonly begins in children, but can also appear in adults even if you haven’t suffered from it as a child. It is important to understand that although eczema can be hereditary, it is not contagious.
How is it Traditionally Treated?
One of the most common first combatants against any eczema flair is to change your soaps and shampoos that come in contact with your skin. Depending on where you’re noticing these flare ups, you can often identify the culprit. In scenario 1 up above, changing the hand soaps in the bathrooms and kitchen assured this never happened again. Scenario 2 might be able to be relieved by switching to a clothing detergent free of dyes and other chemicals. It is important to identify the source and then implement a good daily rituals including moisturizing to keep the symptoms at bay.
Another culprit that can cause Eczema and its flares is food. Some of the heavy hitters when it comes to causing Eczema are Peanuts, milk, soy, wheat, fish and eggs. It may be easiest to begin with a process of elimination diet by eliminating all of these products for a period of time and then adding them in one by one slowly and watch for symptoms to appear. Please of course always consult your physician if you suspect a food related allergy causing Eczema or any other issue.
Traditionally, in addition to identifying the root cause of the flare up, doctors will prescribe topical steroid creams to clear up the break out. The steroids assist in inflammation and can help to heal the blistering and cracking that happens. Once the worst is cleared up, ointments such as Aquphor are used to keep the issues at bay, as they provide a nice consistent moisturizing to your dry affected areas.
It is always important to have any medical issue or concern checked out by a trusted physician prior to moving forward with any treatment plan.
Treating Eczema with CBD products
Maybe you haven’t found much luck treating your eczema outbreaks, or maybe you’re experiencing more persistent issues with your dry, itchy skin. If this is the case, you may want to consider trying to treat your eczema with CBD products. There is no shortage of CBD ointments, creams and salves on the market. In general, it is known that CBD can have skin calming and anti-inflammatory properties.
Within the last several years we have begun to see studies to support the use of CBD to treat various skin conditions. This 2018 study was small, but had positive results in reducing skin irritation and inflammation with CBD oil. With this upward trend in studies and positive results, people are looking to use CBD to treat a host of physical issues, including their Eczema.
If you’re new to CBD use, you will want to take it slow. Although CBD is widely tolerated by children and adults alike, everybody is different. Be sure when using CBD products with children that they are from a trusted source and contain 0% THC.
Ingestible CBD may be a great place to start, as you can enjoy multiple benefits of the oil, allowing it to work from the inside out. Powders to add to your drinks or smoothies are a popular way to ingest your CBD. If you aren’t into smoothies these days, you may want to try flavored gummies or tinctures that you simply drop under your tongue.
If you prefer to use topical care, CBD creams or lotions might work well for you. But keep in mind, your first conversation should always be with your health care professional.
