According to the Southern Cross Medical Library, “Eczema is a common form of skin inflammation that causes the skin to become itchy, red, swollen and painful.” There are 7 different types of Eczema, Atopic dermatitis, Contact dermatitis, Dyshidrotic eczema, Hand eczema, Neurodermatitis, Nummular eczema and Stasis dermatitis but the most common eczema is Atopic dermatitis which to many people mean one and the same thing.
Because of its common nature Atopic dermatitis is what many describe as eczema; it has a 15% occurrence in children which is quite high compared to the 9% occurrence experienced in adults. The symptoms vary from on and off mild rashes to pronounced itchy and irritating rashes with a red skin. It announces its presence from the face and later legs before spreading to the rest of the body.
Eczema is not contagious but experts feel it’s hereditary and has a parent to child channel, this means it is fairly common in families where it has a history. Research has it that people battling eczema always have prior history with some form of atopic conditions, could either be asthma, hay fever or a strong allergy. So, basically eczema affects people with over sensitive allergies which make the skin vulnerable to infections.
What Causes Eczema?
Speaking to a dermatologist at Avenues Hospital, Dr. Rono had this to say, “Eczema has no known causes even though i know for a fact that it is hereditary. I have every reason to believe that it is triggered by genetic mutations that affect barrier functions of the skin.” He further explained that “Any factor that hinders the skin from acting as an effective barrier causes it loss of moisture which then irritates the bacteria, triggers itchiness and finally results to total dryness hence inflammation.” This means that anything that causes the skin to completely dry up triggers eczema, it could be low humidity, skin infections, sweat, soaps and detergents or heat.
What are the Signs and symptoms?
First and foremost, eczema has different symptoms in each one, your eczema may have a completely different look from what you see on your child and may also affect in different places. Yes, eczema is itchy but there is much more to look out for beyond the itchy skin.
Dark colored patches on the skin
- Dry and sensitive skin
- Swelling of the skin around the itchy areas
- Red and inflamed skin
- Rough and leathery skin
- Extreme itching
You may either experience all or a couple of these symptoms, Alternatively, they may show up in bits one after another and in the process some may fade away. Whichever the case, do not assume please visit a doctor before you get to an itch-scratch cycle (this is the extreme itch that gets to bleeding).
Treatment
Borrowing from Dr. Rono’s words, “Eczema has no registered cure but can be managed; the treatment administered will depend entirely on both the age of the patient and severity of the eczema.” Treatments differ from oral medicines, bath soak ointments to body creams, but mainly eczema depends on routine management. This is what managing eczema looks like:
Avoid anything that may irritate the skin and cause dryness, be it clothes or lotion and in regard to medication, use antihistamines to help reduce the itching. The drowsiness may also be helpful at night for an uninterrupted sleep.
Moisturize the skin ideally three times a day; apply the moisturizer immediately after bath on a semi dry body to trap in the moisture. Use the oil based ointments like petroleum jelly or bath emollients.
Apply a thin layer of corticosteroids like hydrocortisone on an already moisturized skin to reduce inflammation and control the allergic reaction. Run this by your doctor before use as the skin type is a major factor. Alternatively use pimecrolimus, which is a steroid free cream that serves the same purpose as hydrocortisone but more skin friendly. It can be used in places where hydrocortisone is not wanted like the face, but in both aspects consult your doctor on the appropriate time and period of use.
Practice diet therapy; eliminate allergy triggering foods from your child’s diet. Talk to your doctor, nutritionist or dietitian for information of the suitable foods to eliminate. In case of serious irritation, opt for the immune system suppressing medications.
When better gets to worse, check in for a full photo therapy or ultraviolet treatment. This will involve exposing of the ultraviolet for a few minutes to control the irritation. Like I said, it has no cure so controlling is the main target. This treatment can last for a couple of months because it involves therapy.
Always work hand in hand with your doctor no matter how mild it is.
Preventative measures
Being in cognizant of the existence of eczema in your family may give you an upper hand towards preventing it. You may not be able to do away with it but at least try preventing it by:
- Dress and cover the baby in pure cotton clothes instead of woolen and synthetic materials.
- Instead of using the perfumed bath soaps that you prefer for the baby, use emulsifying ointments and bath oils.
- Avoid using fabric softeners and detergents during laundry to reduce skin irritation.
- Eliminate allergy triggering foods from the diet. Avoid direct use of solvents and antiseptics on accessible
- Protect the child from both heat and cold, meaning you dress them to suit the weather but do not overdo it.
- Invest in humidifier for use during winter and summer.
- Moisturize the skin at least three times a day.
- Dress the child in mittens to reduce rough scratching and irritation of the skin.
- Keep the finger nails short all the time.
“Eczema is an umbrella term that covers the numerous inflammation conditions experienced on the skin; it’s mainly detected in children and has a high chance of fading away before teenage if managed well. It is possible to have more than one type of eczema concurrently, so before settling on a treatment plan consult a dermatologist.” Says Dr. Rono
Have you had a baby with eczema? How was your experience?