Eczema

It's a painful skin condition usually requiring creams and medicine. But a simple household solution might hold one key to relief from eczema.

Eczema can be itchy, painful. And for children in particular, this skin disease can keep them from even getting a good nights sleep.

Millions of people suffer from this skin disorder and they usually treat it with lotions, creams, prescription ointments or oral medication. And sometimes the skin around eczema can crack, leading to a bacterial skin infection---then they need antibiotics.

But now researchers have found that a simple household item—bleach, used in a diluted bath, can dramatically cut back both on the eczema rash itself and on infections that can accompany it. Dermatologists found that adding a small amount of household bleach to a child's bath can provide this relief. They added half a cup of bleach to a full tub of water and had the children bath in it for ten minutes every day.

This simple solution cut down on eczema symptoms in over two thirds of the children using it. These researchers do caution to not apply the bleach directly to the skin---make sure it's only the diluted form you use---and to check with your child's doctor first.

But this simple homemade solution might be one time that kids won't have
to be convinced to take their bath.