Treating Eczema With Dead Sea Salts

The Dead Sea in Israel offers very effective treatment for eczema patients. They given similar routines as those that are used for psoriasis, although with some important modifications. Local topical applications consisting of simple emollients (Vaseline) oils and moisturisers, although mild tar preparations are sometimes used, and oils and emulsions may be added to bath water.

Like psoriasis patients, corticosteroid preparations are not prescribed and if they are being used by the patient prior to arrival, their application is usually stopped. Occasionally antihistamines are prescribed to help relieve itching.

After the first week of gradual acclimatisation to the local conditions, patients can expose themselves more freely to the sun, avoiding only the midday periods and heat stress.

Results of treatment: - Clearing eczema is usually good to excellent, and more many sufferers exceeds the results achieved by conventional therapies. However, the healing process is usually slower and less dramatic than with psoriasis patients, and for many patients a stay of 6 rather than 4 weeks tends to be more effective. However, a study conducted involving 535 atopic dermatitis patients who stayed at the Dead sea for a period of 4-6 weeks revealed that symptoms cleared or definitely improved in 72.7% of the patients, and a further 24.3% experienced some improvement, and only 3% showed no improvement at all. However, of 177 patients who stayed for 1-4 weeks, the results were not as good; only 50% of them were symptom-free or showed good improvement.