Is Your Office Causing Your Eczema?

New research suggests that our offices may be dirtier than they look, and may be leading to skin problems and skin conditions.

Although your office may seem benign, it may actually be a hotbed of irritants which can worsen your dry skin or eczema.

Charles Gerba, professor of Microbiology (University of Arizona at Tucson) is a well-known researcher of microbes in the workplace.

He's taken samples from offices, conference rooms, cubicles, keyboards, chairs, and carpeting from offices all across the U.S. and has found that office environments have 400 times more bacteria than bathrooms. Office germs can be a hidden reason for dry skin, eczema, asthma, and other health conditions.

How to combat these unseen germs?

Clean your office weekly. Make sure your office carpet is vacuumed and your chairs, desk, and other equipment are wiped down with alcohol.

(One side note: regularly wiping down your phone receiver and cell phone/Blackberry with alcohol wipes will reduce the number of colds you catch, as well as reducing the number of skin breakouts you have, especially if you prone to breakouts along your chin or jaw).

You can keep your office clean by wiping down keyboards, phones, calculators, and office supplies. You can keep it cleaner by eating away from your desk, and keeping your desk free of papers and clutter.

Invest in office approved air cleaner, stay well hydrated, and keep your office cleaner. This may be just what you need to reduce, or even completely eliminate your eczema.