A woman whose eczema covered her entire body and caused a 'snowstorm' when she walked says porridge oats have dramatically improved her skin. Amy-Louise James, 25, had such severe eczema she had to change her bed sheets every day because of her weeping wounds. She also scratched so much that flakes of skin fell from her body - forcing her to apologise to strangers for being 'disgusting'. Now she has treated her eczema using Quaker's oats – bought from Tesco for £1.99. Amy-Louise James, 25, had such severe eczema she had to change her bed sheets every day because of her weeping wounds . She also scratched so much that flakes of skin fell from her body - forcing her to apologise to strangers for being 'disgusting' Now, Miss James, with her partner Nicola, says one of the best remedies she has tried is Quaker oats – bought from Tesco for £1.99 . Miss James said spreading porridge over her body has improved her skin - and she is healthier than she has been in years. She said: 'People don't realise how serious eczema is, they think it's just red skin that's a bit itchy. 'I had to change my bed every day because there would be so much skin and my eczema wept so much the sheets got all sticky. 'I itched constantly and there would be blood on the sheets too. It was just permanently painful.' Miss James, who works for a recovery firm in Northampton, first suffered from a small flare up aged three. She said: 'I can't remember not having eczema. It started in the creases of my arms when I was little.' The eczema gradually spread over her arms and patches appeared on the back of her knees, followed by her hands, stomach and over her legs. In her teens, the eczema progressed and by aged 15, it had spread to her neck and her face. She said: 'I was teased for having 'lovebites' on my neck but it was the eczema. 'I used scarves to try and cover it up but then people thought I was covering the lovebites.' And while most distraught teenagers would reach for the foundation, Miss James had no idea how to use cosmetics. She said: 'I wasn't one of those girls who knew how to use make up. I didn't know how to cover it up. 'When I got to college and started going out, I just saw so many girls on nights out who were beautiful and I looked disgusting. 'I just couldn't even hide it, so on a bad day I wouldn't even leave my room. 'I thought it was down to stress with exams.' Miss James' eczema used to cover her entire body and caused a 'snowstorm' when she walked . Even sat at her desk, Miss James was faced with problems. She said: 'At the office I would have to go to the bathroom and have a scratch for 20 minutes. 'My fashion sense went downhill because I couldn't wear anything that wasn't cotton.' Despite trying countless treatments, nothing worked. Skin diseases such as eczema are the most common reason we go to the GP, according to figures from the British Skin Foundation. The condition, characterised by dry, itchy red skin, is now estimated to affect up to 20 per cent of school children and up to 10 per cent of adults. Eczema is an inflammatory condition of the skin characterised by dryness and itching . The skin barrier is unable to function properly, which leads to water loss from the skin, triggering itching. Bacteria readily gain entry to the skin -especially if it has been scratched - and cause infection. Moisturisers or emollients are the first line in treatment and contain humectants. These contain ingredients that draw water from the lower levels of skin to rehydrate the upper levels and those which prevent further water loss from the surface while the barrier repairs. The inflammation is treated by topical steroids. Oatmeal baths have long been recommended for people with sensitive skin conditions including eczema. Oats have properties which meant they are able to naturally moisturise the skin and relieve itching. They also contain antioxidants which have an anti-inflammatory effect. 'I'd used light treatment, different creams, medication, herbal remedies - I'd tried everything,' she said. And in desperation to keep her condition at bay, she became reliant on steroid cream, which if used incorrectly, can thin skin and increase the risk of skin infections. Miss James said: 'If I had a flare up, I would use the cream all over then it would be at bay for two weeks. 'But when it came back it would be worse than ever.' Eventually, Miss James came across the International Topical Steroid Awareness Network (ITSAN) which has research showing a link between steroid cream and worsening eczema.' After discussing with her doctor, Miss James stopped using the treatment in May 2014 and is now using other skin creams to calm the eczema. But one of the most surprising and effective treatments she has found is porridge oats. She said: 'Now I make a face mask using goat's milk and porridge oats, it's really soothing. 'I have oat baths, you just use a pair of old tights to put the oats inside. 'The water looks disgusting but it works for me.' Her home treatment, along with anti-histamines from her GP, have cleared up her eczema on some of her body. She said: 'My face is much better now, and my stomach and legs you can't even tell I've got it.' However she still has severe eczema on her hands, neck and arms but is hopeful she will have further recovery. Despite porridge having helped her, she still wears cotton whenever she can. Miss James also credits her the support of her partner of six years, Nicola Wilson, 26, with her progress. She said: 'People don't realise how serious eczema is, they think it's just red skin that's a bit itchy' She said: 'Nicola is a teacher so she works long hours and then she comes home and looks after me. 'I can't bathe myself because of the condition so she washes me. 'We joke that she's become my carer.' However, due to the stress her body is under, and because she scratches patches of eczema on her head, for the past nine months Miss James' hair and eyebrows have been falling out. She now washes her hair just once a week – with shampoo for thin hair and to stimulate hair growth – so not to irritate her scalp further and cause more hair loss. She said: 'I have to be careful with my hair as it's holding on by a thread. I think others in my condition would have shaved their heads. 'It upsets me as I got my hair really long and healthy and then one day it started to fall out. I back-comb it to cover up bald patches. I'm trying to make the best of it.' She added: 'I started a blog to document my journey and so many people have been supportive. 'I'm no longer just the girl with the eczema.' Visit Miss James' blog here: https://didsomeonesaycheese.wordpress.com/.
Amy-Louise James, 25, has had severe eczema since she was a child . She scratched so much that flakes of skin continually fell from her body . 'People don't realise how serious eczema is, they think it's just red skin'
Now treating her eczema using Quaker's oats, bought from supermarket .