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Bleach Bath Helps Ease Eczema Pain

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Jul 4, 2009 6:49 am US/Mountain

Bleach Bath Helps Ease Eczema Pain

 CBS News Interactive: Healthwatch
BOSTON (CBS) ― Eczema is a common skin affliction that makes millions of American children miserable. But doctors have found a simple but unusual solution to help ease this painful condition, CBS station WBZ-TV reports.

Dylan Schneider was less than a year old when his mother first noticed patches of eczema on his skin. And now, at 7, he's still bothered by itchy, painful flare-ups.

The condition is usually treated with topical antibiotics, but a few weeks ago, his mother started a new regimen -- adding half a cup of regular household bleach to his bath water.

"He hasn't had any recent flare-ups," she said.

Eczema is caused by a mix-up in the immune system that triggers the body to fight off even normal collections of bacteria on the skin. That's what brings the rashes, which are so itchy, children sometimes scratch until they bleed.

"The immune system is so hyper excitable that it attacks the skin," said Pediatric dermatologist Dr. Robert Buka with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. "It unnecessarily, is trying to drive off this colonization, this bacteria that's on the surface."

Researchers at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine found that soaking for a couple of minutes in a bleach bath -- even once a week -- cuts down the frequency of the flare-ups.

"By adding a half cup of bleach to a full bath, we drop the bacteria counts on the surface of the skin, and the immune system is a lot happier," Dr. Buka said.

Doctors warn to protect the eyes, but because the bleach is so diluted, they're not worried about long-term risk.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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