Dyshidrotic Eczema

A big terrible sounding name. I guess it is fitting. Dyshidrotic Eczema, or DE, as I will call it for short is a terrible disease that attacks the palms of your hands and sometimes the bottom of your feet. Sometimes it attacks both at the same time. It is a horrible skin condition that doctors have a hard time explaining. The doctors are also unsure of what causes the disease and how to treat it. DE causes small fluid-filled blisters to form. The blisters can last up to three to four weeks, and cause intense itching.

The treatments most commonly used are topical creams, wet compresses and ultraviolet light therapy. Most of the treatments are ineffectual. Once the blisters pop and dry up it often leaves cracks and grooves in the skin. They are very painful.

Even with treatment recurrence of DE is very common.

Some of the signs and symptoms can be:

• • Small bumps begin to form on your hands or the bottom of your feet.
  • Intense itching that can almost be unbearable.
  • Cracks and grooves (fissures) form on your hands, feet or toes.
  • The small bumps form into blisters and can become very painful.

The cause is not known. There are theories, associations with allergies and asthma. But, all of that is conjecture and no one really knows what the cause is.

Treatment too is spotty at best. Mostly because so little is known about the disease. Here are some of the most common treatments.

• Corticosteroid creams and ointments. These must be prescribed by your doctor. They are given to help speed the disappearance and improve the appearance of the blisters. The creams also help the cracks and fissures left when the blisters disappear.
• Compresses. Use wet or cold compresses to help with the itching and increase the effectiveness of the topical creams and minimize the bumps and blisters.
• Antihistamines. These may be prescribed to help with the intense itching. You can also try the over the counter products like Benadryl. This will save you some money.

If these are not helpful the doctor may prescribe the use of a special ultraviolet light. This can be very expensive and the effectiveness is widely debated.

I hope this helps bring some light to a disease that is often slid under the rug.