There are lots of diseases that have no cure; some of them are life-threatening while some just generally make our lives more complicated. Their symptoms can be managed, but the medical profession has yet to pinpoint a definitive cure for them. The majority of these medical conditions are not associated with one another in any way; developing one will not cause someone to develop another. Yet in a couple of instances, such as when it comes to eczema and asthma, there is reason to think that having one will result in the other one too.
Eczema can be described as a condition that impacts the skin - the epidermis, or outer layer of the skin, gets inflamed and tends to be very uncomfortable. The indicators can range from rather minor to exceedingly severe, and consist of skin blistering, cracking, flaking, crusting, redness, itchiness and skin swelling, as well as bleeding and oozing in more advanced situations. There are certain medications which are helpful to heal eczema, which are called corticosteroids. These kinds of medications are quite effective at managing the patient's eczema; but the disease cannot be entirely eliminated at this point in time.
Asthma, on the other hand, involves long term irritation of the lungs in which the airways end up constricted so that inhalation becomes difficult or practically impossible. Roughly 7% of the US population is afflicted with asthma and 300 million people globally are afflicted with it. Warning signs of asthma include shortness of breath, even when resting; nocturnal coughing; a chronic cough that sounds similar to clearing of the throat; and tightness in the chest. Asthma has assorted degrees of severity also; attacks range from mild to moderate. While as a general rule it can be managed by means of medication, it can't be cured, either.
So how do these conditions, that are apparently so different, have any relationship to one another? The relation isn't completely understood, yet it's been established that half of all young children who acquire eczema will go on to acquire asthma also. Doctors have determined that when eczema occurs, it triggers a substance to be secreted by the body's injured skin. This substance winds up flowing through the bloodstream and through the lungs, and then sets off asthma-like problems that ultimately develop into the full-blown disease. That's why young children who suffer from eczema will regularly go on to experience asthma too.
For the medical society, this is a tremendous step forward. They now think that if they start treating eczema more aggressively and make sure that the body doesn't begin manufacturing that substance to start with, then many of the kids who have eczema won't go on to develop asthma. As long as they are victorious, thousands of youngsters will be able to enjoy their lives without this debilitating affliction. - 31822
Eczema can be described as a condition that impacts the skin - the epidermis, or outer layer of the skin, gets inflamed and tends to be very uncomfortable. The indicators can range from rather minor to exceedingly severe, and consist of skin blistering, cracking, flaking, crusting, redness, itchiness and skin swelling, as well as bleeding and oozing in more advanced situations. There are certain medications which are helpful to heal eczema, which are called corticosteroids. These kinds of medications are quite effective at managing the patient's eczema; but the disease cannot be entirely eliminated at this point in time.
Asthma, on the other hand, involves long term irritation of the lungs in which the airways end up constricted so that inhalation becomes difficult or practically impossible. Roughly 7% of the US population is afflicted with asthma and 300 million people globally are afflicted with it. Warning signs of asthma include shortness of breath, even when resting; nocturnal coughing; a chronic cough that sounds similar to clearing of the throat; and tightness in the chest. Asthma has assorted degrees of severity also; attacks range from mild to moderate. While as a general rule it can be managed by means of medication, it can't be cured, either.
So how do these conditions, that are apparently so different, have any relationship to one another? The relation isn't completely understood, yet it's been established that half of all young children who acquire eczema will go on to acquire asthma also. Doctors have determined that when eczema occurs, it triggers a substance to be secreted by the body's injured skin. This substance winds up flowing through the bloodstream and through the lungs, and then sets off asthma-like problems that ultimately develop into the full-blown disease. That's why young children who suffer from eczema will regularly go on to experience asthma too.
For the medical society, this is a tremendous step forward. They now think that if they start treating eczema more aggressively and make sure that the body doesn't begin manufacturing that substance to start with, then many of the kids who have eczema won't go on to develop asthma. As long as they are victorious, thousands of youngsters will be able to enjoy their lives without this debilitating affliction. - 31822
About the Author:
Eczema is a medical condition that encompasses a number of different skin ailments, from nummular eczema to atopic dermatitis. Although there isn't actually a cure for it, there are various treatment methods that will give you some relief. Learn more about treatment options including dyshidrotic eczema treatment at the Eczema Treatment site.
