Friday, August 7, 2009

Treat Eczema On A Budget

My son was born with horrible Eczema and has continued to battle it through his short life. We started out spending tons of money on co-pays for prescriptions and over-the-counter medications and lotions. As the years went by I picked up pointers from other moms that have made major outbreaks a thing of the past. I am not a doctor, nor do I have a medical background. Just a mom sharing something I wish I had know 3 years ago.


Instructions








1. I purchased every specialty lotion and cream that was recommended to me by various doctors for over a year and they did all help some. Finally a visiting doctor told me to just use Vaseline. She said that as soon as my son got out of the shower to let him "drip dry" and to apply Vaseline generously to his entire body. It works like a charm. I tend to put on long PJs after rubbing him down to keep him from getting everything greasy. But it costs me less than $2 a month to grease him up as opposed to the $20-$30 I was spending, and it works better!


2. A friend of mine, whose son also has Eczema, was remarking on how his Eczema cleared up during a weekend at the beach and I did some research online about it. Sea salt is highly recommended for the treatment of Eczema. I purchased a nice size container at my grocery store for less than $1.50. I use about ¼ of a cup every time I run a bath for my son. Now, instead of having to rush him through a bath I let him sit and enjoy it as it's actually aiding his skin.


3. Under normal circumstances the salt and Vaseline tend to keep flare-ups to a minimum these days. When a flair-up does occur I keep a cheap brand of hydrocortisone cream on hand. Usually one or two days of treatment will totally reel it in. Hydrocortisone creams actually thin the skin and should be used sparingly on small children.

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