Eczema and Children
Atopic eczema typically develops during early childhood, so it’s easy to see why a parent would show concerns about what they can do to help their children take control of their eczema. And as any parent will tell you, it’s not always an easy road. Eczema is not fun at all, and for your child, it may be more than just the visible lesions you have to worry about, but the well being and emotional stability of your child as well. Today, we’re here to offer help and advice to parents about what they can do about eczema in children.
Children with Eczema
Let’s start at the beginning. If your child has developed eczema from what seems to be out of the blue (that is, good hygiene is maintained, that has been no contact with allergens or irritants, indoor air is clean, and the child is healthy, but still seems to contract a skin rash) chances are that your child has either atopic dermatitis or seborrhoeic dermatitis. For the purpose of this article, we will assume that we are dealing with atopic dermatitis, the leading type of eczema found in children and adults.
Specifically with atopic dermatitis, also known as atopic eczema, children may develop it sometime before the age of five. Atopic eczema is characterized by a red or brownish grey itchy rash that may also show signs of scaling, cracking, crusting and oozing. Now the good news is that most children, up to 75% of children in the world, will “grow out” of eczema. That is to say, when you child reaches the adolescent years, the rash may disappear, or show signs of aggravation in very rare cases. If rashes should persist, they are usually very small. However, there is a chance that your child may not be a part of this group, and many children are not. If this is the case, your child will have to deal with eczema, perhaps chronically, for the rest of their life. Either way, taking responsible care of your child’s eczema is mandatory to assure that best possible health and wellness for all of your children.
How Can I Treat My Child’s Eczema?
When it comes to finding ways to handle eczema in children, the methods used are not unlike those used for adults. Meaning, that the best treatment is usually the one that your doctor prescribes. This is usually a medication of a corticosteroid cream. This is often the best method to use for treating eczema in children.
When you start to notice severe breakouts of rashes on the skin, apply the cream directly to the lesions. Your child should begin feel relief from itching, and the inflammation will begin to die down. However, nervous parents may reach for the cream every time their kid begins to scratch, and for the long term health of your children*, we would recommend trying a few alternatives for mild itching.
Giving your children regular baths is one suggestion to help sooth eczema. This is, of course, followed by moisturizing soon afterword. You can also try a specialty bath such as oatmeal, sea salt, and medicated bath oils. We do not recommend the use of harsh soaps and other emulsifying agents. Use low-Ph or Ph-neutral soaps. When moisturizing after a bath, we would recommend an ointment like Vaseline or Aquaphor, but creams work just as well.
Make sure you know what your childrens allergies are, or if they have allergies. Symptoms of an allergic reaction often include breaking out in rashes and inflammation, which if your child has eczema, will only serve to aggravate it and cause lesions to spread. By knowing what your child is allergic to, you can take precaution as to how to eliminate triggers from your household. This would include the elimination of triggers in diet, airborne artifacts (pet dander and pollen, for example), fabrics, and chemicals such as fabric softener.
A fast acting method to help relief itching is to use antihistamines or histamine blockers such as Benadryl. This is especially useful for scratching at night, or when itching keeps your children from getting a good night’s rest. If this still persists, you may have to have your children wear soft gloves at bedtime. A cold compress may work just as well, too.
Is There Any More I Can Do?
Talk to your children about their eczema. If the doctor doesn’t explain it to them directly, or in a way that the child will understand, than you will have to. Let them know that their eczema is not contagious, which is also good information to give to fretful parents. As will many other disorders or diseases, your children will be able to continue to live their life just as the other children without eczema would. If your child is being teased, it is up to you comfort your child and make sure he or she understands what is going on with their body. You may also want to seek parental advice, a pediatrician or a therapist if your child starts to show signs of depression.
*Medications use mild steroids that, in many cases, will not show a negative effect in patients. However, we must report that there have been cases of patients who have suffered from ill effect from long term overuse of creams. As always, cases are not typical and different from person to person.
Tags: atopic dermatitis, atopic eczema, child eczema, eczema health, eczema in children, eczema treatment
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