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Bleach Baths for Eczema

For eczema sufferers, a twenty-minute bleach bath may be an effective way to kill bacteria on the skin and clear up atopic dematitis. According to Cheryl Lee Eberting, M.D., "The active component of bleach is sodium hypochlorite - the same as Dakin's solution, which many doctors have used for years." Dakin's solution is 0.5% sodium hypochlorite and household bleach is 4-6% sodium hypochlorite. When a cup of bleach is diluted in a bath tub full of water, the sodium hypochlorite solution is weaker than Dalkin's but still effective.

Dr. Eberting, a clinical research fellow at the National Cancer Institute, stated, "In the right patient, we think [this treatment] can be very helpful in decreasing the amount of bacteria on the skin that may be contributing to the dermatitis. Soaking in this dilute of a solution for 20 minutes is unlikely to be harmful but is likely to decease the bacterial load on the skin and is likely to be akin to swimming in a swimming pool. We have seen similar benefits (in atopic dermatitis patients) who go swimming several times a week in a chlorinated pool."

Family Practice News, 10/1/04


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