Hydrocortisone Cream for Eczema

One of the things I have begun to do is researching not only the symptoms and possible causes of eczema, but also different treatments for the condition. Using hydrocortisone cream for eczema has been reported to be one of the most common treatments for this skin problem; I believe that it’s primarily due to the popularity of the use of steroids as an anti-inflammatory agent. See, hydrocortisone cream falls under the category of a much fancier term known as topical corticosteroids, which are basically synthetic substances that have anti-inflammatory properties. The main reason why people use hydrocortisone cream for eczema is because of its anesthetic qualities; it has been known to provide relief from the overall discomfort of eczema. It’s far from being a “cure” for eczema, but at least it can reduce some of the physical discomfort and irritation that you feel with eczema. It is important to note that hydrocortisone cream is also used for other skin conditions such as regular rashes, as well as for injuries such as burns or insect bites. The bottom line to the whole deal is that it’s supposed to help reduce swelling, irritation, and inflammation in the affected areas. The common application for topical hydrocortisone cream is to simply rub it into the skin until it is absorbed by the skin. It has been reported that absorption is facilitated easier when the skin is inflamed rather than on “regular” skin…I read that on one website and then asked myself “Why would you want to put this cream on normal skin anyway?” But…I guess that’s beside the point…I’m just trying to provide some thorough information here. A couple of the common brands of hydrocortisone cream that are out there are Enzone and Pramosone. The debate about potential side effects of using corticosteroids is definitely significant, and due to the fact that they metabolize mainly in the liver. Many doctors caution people who have had any degree of liver disease due to this very fact, and they also advise those who have had any type of blood disorder to use caution as well, because there is a faint possibility (not very likely according to the reports that I’ve read) that the medication could infiltrate the bloodstream as well. At any rate, if you use hydrocortisone cream and experience any type of dizziness or light-headedness, blurred or otherwise problematic vision, consistent headaches, or other unusual physical conditions such as weakness or even weight loss, you definitely need to seek the aid of a physician. Hydrocortisone cream is also very useful when it comes to treating baby eczema. I remember when our 2nd daughter was very little (she’s 16 months now), she had a fairly mild case of eczema, and we had heard of hydrocortisone cream, so being desperate for a solution, my wife & I tried it out. True indeed, it worked pretty well, but we had minor concerns about using too much of it due to the possible side effects it may have on her sensitive skin. Thankfully, she never suffered any kind of ill effects from the cream. Many parents have voiced concerns about the possibility of the cream thinning their child’s skin out, due to the fact that it is a steroid, but much of those concerns can be alleviated by choosing the right strength level of cream. Our doctor prescribed the 25% strength level for our cream, and it would do a great job of clearing up the eczema virtually instantaneously. Although it was very effective, we were still mindful of the dosage due to the fact that we didn’t want to “overload” our baby’s system in any way with synthetic substances, although the cream was topical and nothing that she had to ingest. Please always allow your doctor to prescribe the correct amount of hydrocortisone cream for eczema; you don’t want to push it and do more harm than good.