Eczema is a skin disease characterized by reddish, itchy, dry and inflamed skin. This condition can be mild but sometimes it can cover the entire body. In serious cases, the skin becomes cracked and feels very itchy and painful. The most common types of eczema are diaper rash and the rash that is caused by contact with poison ivy.
This skin condition affects humans of all ages, not just children as is commonly assumed. If your family has a history of this disease, you may be prone as well. For babies under 4 months old, the skin inflammation is accompanied with oozing and crusting. With children more than 2 years old, the skin rash becomes dry and scaly.
One type of eczema is contact dermatitis which is caused by repeated contact with mild irritants like detergents. Another type, the allergic contact dermatitis results from contact with allergens such as nickel and poison ivy. Nickel is present in most common items we use such as eyeglass frames, bracelets, necklaces, buttons and coins. Other types of eczema such as atopic and seborrheic dermatitis are caused by many factors including stress, climate, inherited genes, yeast, poor health and over active immune system.
The typical treatments for eczema are topical and oral medications. They are used primarily to reduce the itching and inflammation of the skin. Topical creams are applied to rehydrate the skin. If the condition is acute, oral corticosteroids are given. However, all of these treatments are made of synthetic drugs and antibiotics which are known to produce negative side effects. Prolonged use is therefore not advised.
There is a better alternative for treating eczema and that is by using oregano oil. This essential oil is known to be an effective antimicrobial agent. Many studies and researches have confirmed that it can kill harmful germs including all types of bacteria, virus, fungi and parasites. It also has a very powerful chemical compound called carvacrol. Actually, 60% to 80% of oregano oil is composed of this substance.
There are scientists who have found that this particular chemical compound is very effective in controlling inflammation and pain. They have found that it can control the inflammation and pain of arthritis patients. Therefore, the inflammation of the skin associated with eczema can be controlled by oregano oil. Its pain relieving effect will also help to reduce the pain resulting from the cracked skin.
You can use oregano oil topically to control eczema. Mix two drops of this oil with 5 ml of virgin olive oil. Rub this mixture in the affected skin area two times a day. If your skin is irritated, stop this method and just take oregano oil internally. You need to take 2 to 4 drops of this oil every day. You can place them under your tongue or mix them with your favorite juice drink or a glass of water.
