HealthFirst

HealthFirst-Bleach baths for eczema patients

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

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Leslie Toldo
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UNDATED (WJRT) -- (10/07/09) -- Relief for a painful skin problem might be in your laundry room, inside a bottle of bleach.

HealthFirst reporter Leslie Toldo tells us how a bleach bath may help sooth eczema.

Eczema is the most common skin problem in kids, affecting close to a quarter of them -- and it is very painful.

Antibiotics and steroid creams are helpful treatments, but some doctors are sending parents back to the basics for relief.

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Lego guru Ben Kieffer has the eyes and hands of an aspiring architect. But since he was a baby, those hands have been covered in red, scaly rashes.

Ben's battled eczema all over his body. "It feels really itchy. It hurts."

"His body would be covered. His hands would crack," said his mother, Jennifer Kieffer.

Creams and antibiotics didn't work, and his skin was constantly infected, once with MRSA -- the dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria.

"He scratches the eczema and then he scratches in the bacteria, and he gets infected," Jennifer said. "It flares the eczema. So you have this circle we couldn't break."

She enrolled Ben in a study; not for a new drug, but for a treatment that's as simple as turning on the faucet.

Dermatologist Amy Paller discovered that adding a small amount of household bleach to a child's bath dramatically reduces the rashes and kills the infection. She recommends half a cup for a full tub of water.

"Very easy to obtain, inexpensive way to try to decrease not only the incidence of infections, but importantly, the severity of the eczema itself," Dr. Paller said.

In a study, 67 percent of kids with eczema found relief with bleach baths compared to 15 percent who bathed in normal water. Paller says never apply it directly on the skin because it can burn. And be sure to talk to a doctor first.

Ben takes a bleach bath for about 10 minutes just about every day of the week. The treatment could also help protect people from community-acquired MRSA.

People who work out at health clubs or play sports could benefit from an occasional bleach bath, but again, be sure to check with your doctor first.

BACKGROUND: Eczema is inflammation of the skin. Eczema is also referred to as atopic dermatitis (AD), which simply refers to the likelihood to develop allergy of the skin that is inflamed. Eczema is most often seen in infants and children but may continue into adulthood or appear later in life. Contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema, nummular eczema, and seborrheic dermatitis are all types of eczemas. No matter which type, eczemas cause itching and redness of the skin that could blister or peel. Eczema is a chronic condition that comes and goes as it pleases but is not contagious. About one out of every 10 children develops eczema, and over half of those will be over the condition by the time they are teenagers.

CAUSES: The exact cause is unknown, but research suggests that those children dealing with eczema do so because of a combination of conditions in everyday life, infections, allergies or family heredity. Soaps, detergents, perfumes, hot and sweaty skin, dry winter air with little moisture, scratchy fabrics and dust mites are just a few factors that may contribute to eczema.

TREATMENT: Treatments include moisturizing lotion to control dryness and itchiness. Stronger cases of eczema call for corticosteroids, steroid ointments or creams to calm inflammation. An antihistamine may be prescribed to control the itching, and if the scratching leads to infection, an antibiotic will be necessary.

TREATMENT IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM: A different approach to treat eczema is easily found in the laundry room: bleach. An eczema bleach bath can lessen symptoms of chronic eczema and is safe for both children and adults. For best results, doctors say add a half cup of bleach to a 40-gallon bathtub filled with warm water, soak the affected areas of skin for at least five to 10 minutes, dry skin thoroughly and apply a thin layer of moisturizer. Some other important steps to follow when treating eczema include: don't scratch the itch, keep fingernails short (less likely to break skin), take short baths or showers with warm water, gently pat body dry when out of the water, drink lots of water, wear loose clothing, manage stress and keep your doctor up to date about what triggers your flare-ups. Always consult your doctor before starting a bleach bath regimen.