![Water Baths as Good as Bleach Baths for Eczema Water Baths as Good as Bleach Baths for Eczema](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/rash-on-hands.jpg)
‘Bleach baths can cause stinging and burning of skin, and occasionally even trigger asthma flare-ups in patients.’
![pinterest](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/pinterest.png)
Silverberg is an assistant professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, a dermatologist at Northwestern Medicine and director of Northwestern Medicine's Multidisciplinary Eczema Center.![twitter](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/twitter.png)
![facebook](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/facebook.png)
![whatsapp](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/whatsapp.png)
![linkedin](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/linkedin.png)
![pinterest](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/pinterest.png)
The results should encourage patients with eczema to bathe regularly, Silverberg said. Many shy away from bathing for fear that it will dry out their skin, he noted.
A bleach bath is a bath with warm or cool water mixed with a small amount of bleach. Patients are instructed to submerge in the bath from the neck down and to avoid exposure to bleach near the eyes. Water baths contain only warm or cool water, and patients can use a bleach-free washcloth to wash their face.
Soap may not be necessary during water baths because it can be hard on sensitive skin, and Silverberg said soaking for 10 minutes in only water will effectively "wash away most the germs and crud from your skin." After the bath is complete, patients are encouraged to apply ample moisturizer.
The study, a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available studies comparing bleach and water baths (four in total), showed water baths were just as effective as bleach baths at reducing the severity of the visible signs and extent of eczema and bacterial infection.
Advertisement
"Patients with eczema have much higher rates of asthma than non-eczema patients," Silverberg said. "Everyone's home setting is going to be different, and many bathrooms don't have great ventilation, so a warm bath that causes the bleach to fume can be the perfect setup to potentially have an asthma flare-up."
Advertisement
"This study provides a blueprint for improving future bleach bath studies," Silverberg said.
The complete study is published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Source-Eurekalert