What is eczema?

I myself, have been struggling with eczema for years now. Every since I was a small girl I remember having it on the back of my elbows and knees. It's gotten so bad now that I have it on the back of my neck and my ring finger, which allows me not to wear the ring my husband gave to me. The feeling of eczema is so itchy that sometimes, I stay up half the night scratching.

So what is eczema anyways and what causes the inflammation?
I was reading a book by Jessica Wu (Feed your Face, 2011) and it explained it to be, 'a condition that produces an itchy red rash, that can become very dry, cracked or crusted'. While reading the book it explained that in adults eczema tends to move up towards the neck, chest and back. Eczema can come and go for many years and usually flares up due to stress, dry winter weather and exposure to harsh chemical detergents and soaps.

Having eczema means that you & I tend to loss water from our skin much faster than the average person. Which leaves it very dry, flaky and dehydrated (as you can see in the above pictures).

Having eczema for so long, I am on a quest to get rid of this rash once an for all. My eczema usually flares up due to hot dry weather, when I am stressed, eat too much sweets, use rough hand/body soaps and when I eat more wheat than usual.

Next Post: Foods to avoid if you have eczema @ 1:30pm