This blog post is to provide a short and clear understanding of eczema and how best to manage it with children.

First and foremost, what are the signs and symptoms of eczema?

1. Dry & itchy skin
2. Redness, scales, and bumps that can leak fluid
3. Comes and goes – occasional flare-up
4. Maybe more noticeable at night

Symptoms can also vary based on your child’s age bracket. For instance, infants usually experience an eczema rash on their cheeks, forehead, or scalp. It may then spread to the knees, elbows, and trunk (but not usually the diaper area). Older kids and teens, usually get the rash in the bends of their elbows, behind the knees, on their neck, or on their inner wrists and ankles.

While there is no exact knowledge of what could be causing eczema, it is commonly understood that the person’s immune system and allergies may be involved in some forms of the rash.

How can Eczema be treated?
While there is no set cure, there are multiple treatments to manage the symptoms, some of which are topical and others oral.

1. Topical Moisturizers: Skin should be moisturised often. Ointments such as petroleum jelly) and creams are best because they contain a lot of oil. Lotions have too much water to be helpful.
2. Topical Corticosteroids: These ease the skin inflammation and would need to be prescribed by your doctor. To make an appointment please contact the practice to discuss the best solution for your needs.
3. Oral Medication: These include antihistamines and antibiotics, which again need to be discussed with your doctor. Kindly contact the practice to make an appointment.

Other types of treatment include phototherapy which is a treatment with ultraviolet light.

Finally a few helpful tips for parents –

1. Kids should use mild unscented soap or non-soap cleansers and pat skin dry before applying cream or ointment.
2. Keep your child’s fingernails short to avoid harmful scratching
3. Kids should drink plenty of water to keep moisture to the skin
4. Avoid becoming overheated, which can lead to flare-ups.
5. Help your child find ways to deal with stress and anxiety.

Children and teens with eczema are prone to skin infections. Call your doctor right away if you noticed any early skins of skin infection such as –

1. Fever
2. Redness and warmth on or around the affected areas
3. Pus-filled bumps
4. Any sudden change or worsening of the eczema

It is common for babies and children to develop eczema on their faces. Often eczema goes away as a child grows. Adults can develop eczema even if they never had it as a child. Eczema is more common in children who suffer from asthma or hay fever.

People with family members who have eczema are also at higher risk of developing the condition.

There are 11 different types of skin conditions that produce eczema.

1. Atopic dermatitis
2. Irritant dermatitis
3. Allergic contact dermatitis
4. Stasis dermatitis
5. Fungal infections
6. Scabies
7. Pompholyx (dyshidrotic eczema)
8. Lichen simplex
9. Nummular eczema
10. Xerotic eczema
11. Seborrheic dermatitis

The symptoms of eczema include the following –

• Skin is almost always itchy – Sometimes itching starts before a rash appears, but when it does appear, the rash generally appears on the face, the back of knees, the wrists, hands, or feet.
• Dry, sensitive skin
• Red, inflamed skin
• Affected areas usually appear very dry, thickened, or scaly
• Tiny blisters that weep and ooze, eventually produce crusted, thickened plaques of skin.
• Oozing or crusting
• Areas of swelling

You may experience all of these symptoms of eczema or only just one or two.

The exact cause of eczema is unknown. It is thought to be linked to an overactive response by the body’s immune system to an irritant. It is the response that causes the symptoms of eczema. An eczema flare-up is when one or more eczema symptom appears on the skin. Common triggers of eczema flare-ups include –

• Chemicals found in cleaners and detergents that dry out the skin
• Rough scratchy material like wool
• Synthetic fabrics
• Raised body temperature
• Sweating
• Temperature changes
• A sudden drop in humidity
• Stress
• Food allergies
• Animal dander
• Upper respiratory infections

To diagnose eczema, the doctor will order a complete physical exam and ask you questions about your symptoms.

There is no specific test that can be used to diagnose eczema. In most cases, a patch test is used to pinpoint certain allergens that trigger symptoms, like skin allergies associated with contact dermatitis. During a patch test, an allergen is applied to a patch that is placed on the skin. If you are allergic to that allergen, your skin will become inflamed and irritated.

It is important to distinguish the different causes of eczema because effective treatments often differ.

Oral over-the-counter antihistamines may relieve itching. They work by blocking histamine, which triggers allergic reactions.
Cortisone creams and ointments relieve itching and scaling. But they should not be used long-term because of the side effects, which include thinning of the skin, irritation, and discolouration.

If there is an infection, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic.