Eczema-Free for Life (Paperback)

by Adnan Nasir (Author), Priscilla Burgess (Author)
Key Phrases: itch message, psychogenic itch, invisible irritants, Dead Sea, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Rid yourself of eczema forever! Based on new research, this book has everything the millions of eczema sufferers need to know to free themselves from unbearable itching and unsightly rashes.

Eczema–Free For Life contains the latest medical information about the cause, symptoms, and treatments of eczema and is written both for adults with eczema and the parents of children with eczema. In addition to the most recent medical research, Dr. Nasir offers guidance for home care and ways to cope with the psychological impact of the disorder. None of the popular books about eczema currently on the market is written by a practicing dermatologist and none is based on up–to–date science. New research has conclusively demonstrated that eczema is the result of the abnormal development of some twenty genes responsible for controlling how the skin interacts with the environment. When the skin's barrier function fails, irritants pass through to underlying tissue and trigger the itchy rash that characterizes eczema. Dr. Nasir will explain new and more powerful treatments that are being developed based on these new discoveries as well as point out reliable holistic remedies that have worked for centuries.

About the Author

Adnan Nasir, M.D., teaches dermatology at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and practices in Raleigh, NC. He is a noted clinician and researcher of immune diseases of the skin and has received numerous awards for his work, including the AMS Research Forum Award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (January 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006072224X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060722241
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #218,476 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #52 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Disorders & Diseases > Immune Systems
  #53 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Aging > Skin Ailments

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Some Things That MIGHT Help You but be careful & there is better advice out there., August 26, 2006

By	mama.x (durango.co) - See all my reviews

This book could more aptly be named `What We Think We Know About Eczema & Some Things That Might Help You'. There is some interesting information however this is just another doctor who thinks an Eczema rash is CAUSED by scratching. Those of you that have Eczema know that while scratching makes it worse, the bumps or rash itself comes first.

While I did find a number of his suggestions worth trying [such as washing with oatmeal rather than soap & eliminating B-complex] I found some completely insane like taking a bath in diluted Clorox!

The book is worth reading if you don't know much about Eczema but I caution parents to do further research by talking to someone that HAS Eczema. Some of these ideas can make your child's rash much worse. And the ever present push from western medicine doctors to give you cortisone, then when it doesn't work - stronger cortisone, just hasn't helped me at all - not to mention the side effects & potential birth defects it can cause.

I also don't agree that Eczema has nothing to do with what you eat. There is a lot of information out there about the benefits of Essential Fatty Acids [Omega 3.6.9] to those with eczema. This has been a far more helpful to me & my infant son. You might also want to consider allergy tests. [There are also foods that are irritants that you may need to hold off on during a flare up.] When your system is stressed common sense tells you that it all has something to do with why your Eczema is flaring. Remember Eczema is a symtom not the problem.

The best book I have read on eczema is:
Superimmunity for Kids : What to Feed Your Children to Keep Them Healthy Now, and Prevent Disease in Their Future (Paperback)
by Leo Galland, Dian Dincin Buchman
Superimmunity for Kids is a much better book for adults or children with eczema. After reading the Superimmunity book I wanted to lower the number of stars I gave for this review but it wouldn't let me.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars great science lesson, December 15, 2005

By	D. Emge "eczema for life" (usa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the first book or internet site I've found that explains the science of eczema. Very interesting and useful information. I bathe better now and notice a difference. My complaint with the book is his push to use drugs, like all the other dermatoligists who seems to care less about a person's long term health. "Take these creams and come back next months with your money" I can control my breakouts with the food I eat and there are countless other people saying the same thing. I also use an herbal cream that works as good as the steroid cream I was prescribed. My sister-in-law stopped drinking orange juice and her eczema vanished for good. According to Dr. Nasir we should continue eating our Big Macs and taking his steroids.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chockful of useful info, May 23, 2005

By	vb (NY) - See all my reviews

Since several people here have already sung deserved praises, I will then start with the negatives. The book's title is a commercial come-on. Dr Nasir does not, alas, believe that one can live eczema-free. The book cannot make up its mind if it means to just address atopic eczema or other eczemas as well. As such, there are some statements that do not necessarily apply to other types of eczema, such as that food plays no role, or that eczema is part of the atopic triad. The editors were napping on the job: some statements in the glossary flatly (and wrongly) contradict the main text. A few bits of bad advice crop up, such as the use of bleach as a bath additive. Yuck! Chlorine bleach is an irritant, toxic by inhalation and absorption. When I need a healing disinfectant in my bath water, I pass up the chlorine shelves at my pool supply store and head for the hydrogen peroxide section. No stench, no toxicity.

On a more serious note, I was very disappointed to see Dr Nasir promote the idea that eczema patients often do not get bettter from the meds given us because we do not follow directions properly. I think that this "hypothesis" stems from the dermatology community's self-serving denial of the meager effectiveness of the medications they give us. This is closer to the truth, docs: We are highly motivated to get better, but the stuff you give us is expensive, often dangerous, and works poorly! We need better than that!

But don't get me wrong: the book fills an important niche. It is chockful of interesting information and useful tips. I particularly appreciated the information on daily routine care, on the various conditions that accompany eczema, and on promising treatments. Get it, read it, make notes, and read it again. Then, teach others what works. I recommend this book alongside Dr Atherton's classic Eczema in Childhood: the Facts.