One of the most annoying things about having eczema is having to deal with the extremely itchy rashes. Sometimes the itching can be so fierce that the rash begins to sting and swell. If you scratch the patch of skin that is breaking out, you will most likely open the rash, thereby exposing it to oxygen and making it susceptible to infectious bacteria. This is probably the worst effect of eczema, because if the rash becomes infected, then you are dealing with a real danger to your health. Once the rash becomes infected, unless it is treated with antibiotics, the infection spreads into the blood stream and eventually to your heart and brain, causing heart attack and/or stroke leading to permanent organ damage (including brain), and/or death!

So you can see why it is so important to stop the scratching, to not only to avoid infection but to heal the patch of skin that is being affected by the rash.

Before you go to bed every night, make sure you you drink at least two 8oz glasses of water. This will keep your body hydrated and prevent your skin from drying up so much overnight. Most of the time, the rashes become worse overnight because you do not drink anything while you are asleep. Plus when people sleep they tend to shift from time to time. This combined with dehydration of the skin during sleep, is why you should always make sure you are well hydrated before going to bed. Also note, unless you want to wake up in the middle of the night often to use the restroom, make sure you urinate before you go to bed.

You should also apply lotion at night. Try to use a lotion that is chemical free and natural, like coconut oil and hemp oil. If you have an existing rash, then gently rub aloe vera on it before you go to sleep. Also try to sleep in sheets and blankets that do not irritate your skin.

The reason why doing these things before you go to sleep is so important, is because most people scratch while they are sleeping. Usually if you are itching very badly at night, you will scratch it to get back to sleep. To prevent yourself from irritating the rash and turning it into an open wound, you should wear cotton gloves. If you do not have a pair of gloves, then use cotton sock on your hands to make sure you do not open a rash with your fingernails.