When a skin rash cannot be blamed on poison ivy or
chicken pox, the culprit is eczema. In this condition,
the skin turns red, scaly and develops sores. The
itching is beyond the limit and the skins starts to shed
in the form of scales. Dermatitis is the other name for
eczema. Dermatitis actually means inflammation of the
skin and the skin turns pink and sore. Eczema is a
common child problem as out of ten kids at least one kid
gets eczema and majority of them get it before they turn
five years old. Children who are above five years are
also at a risk of developing eczema, but once they
become teenagers, the chances are negligible.
Not only does eczema dries the skin, it also makes it
itch horribly. The skin break out can even take the form
of rashes. Eczema is a condition which comes and goes
frequently and therefore it is chronic. When any foreign
bodies come in contact with the skin, a special kind of
cells present in the skin will react to them. Basically,
they inflame the skin as a measure of protection. The
harmful foreign objects trigger the reaction and make
these special cells to over react. This turns the skin
itchy, sore and red. Children, who get eczema
frequently, have a larger quantity of these special
cells.
Usually, people who have family members with asthma, hay
fever or any allergies are more prone to getting eczema.
It is in their genes to get eczema and this problem is
passed over to them by their parent. Some scientists say
that people, who as children have had eczema, are at a
higher risk of developing asthma or hay fever later in
their life. Allergies can only make eczema worse. The
good news is that eczema is not contagious, so children
can be happy about not catching the infection. The first
symptom of eczema is rash development. These rashes may
seem to go away in the beginning, but will return back.
Although eczema itches badly, not all rashes will itch.
Eczema will start to develop behind the knees and inside
of the elbows. It will slowly spread to the face and
other body parts.
Because rashes can be caused due to many other reasons
apart from eczema, the doctor will examine the rashes
and its cause very carefully. If eczema is confirmed,
the child may have to use a moisturizing cream or lotion
to stop the itchiness and drying of the skin. In serious
cases, the patient will be recommended corticosteroids.
It is a steroid cream or ointment which needs to applied
to check skin inflammation. If the itching is really
irritating, antihistamine can be taken in either liquid
or pill form. And if the scratching had resulted in an
infection, antibiotics will also be prescribed. The
problem doesn’t get solved forever, but it makes the
condition better for the time being.
There are certain things which trigger eczema and should
be avoided by children who get eczema frequently.
Perfumes, detergents, soap, dry air in winters with very
little moisture, and sweaty and hot skin. Also when
coming in contact with dust mites and scratchy fabrics
can increase skin irritation. The child must abstain
from scratching even if the skin is itching badly, as
that will make the skin itch more badly. The skin can
also get infected with bacteria because of skin breaking
and bleeding. A washcloth can be dipped on cool water
and placed on the area of itchiness. The parents should
cut the nails short of the child so that he/she doesn’t
hurt himself while scratching. Lastly, lots of water
should be consumed to provide moisture to the dry skin.
