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Varicose
Eczema
What
is varicose eczema?
Eczema is a common skin disorder
characterised by red, scaly and often very irritating patches of skin. In
varicose eczema, the condition is preceded by varicose and often ulcerated
veins and the eczema is usually concentrated around the damaged veins.
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Conventional
Medical Treatment
Conventional medical treatment
typically involves elasticated supports to assist the venous blood supply
and topical applications to alleviate the irritation. In some people,
elasticated bandages cause further pain and cannot be used and there are
many documented side effects associated with topical ointments (including
hydro-cortisones).
Topical medical applications in
varicose eczema often cause eczema in other parts of the body. Researchers
in France (1) revealed that patients with leg ulcers or varicose eczema commonly
suffer from contact eczema due to the allergic reactions to local
applications of pharmaceutical preparations. This contact allergy may
concern not only the active ingredient but also the excipient, the
preservative, or even the perfume. They warned that in all cases of leg
ulcers, of varicose eczema, but also of badly healed ulcers, tests should
be carried out and urged the pharmaceutical industry to perfect
non-allergenic preparations.
Whilst varicose eczema is a chronic
and often debilitating condition there are several alternatives available
which have been shown to help the underlying cause (ie. varicose veins and
poor blood supply) and alleviate the irritation of the resulting eczema.
(1) [Contact eczema
in patients with leg ulcers] Eczema de
contact chez les patients atteints d'ulceres de jambe. Degreef
H; Dooms-Goossens A; Gladys K Phlebologie
(FRANCE) Jan-Mar 1986, 39 (1) p135-43
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This page was last updated on 05 December 2006 17:11:18
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