What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider About Eczema
- How can you tell that I have eczema?
- If I dont have eczema, what other skin condition might I have?
- Is there a specific brand of moisturizer that you recommend?
- Is there a prescription cream that you can prescribe?
- How often should I see a dermatologist regarding my eczema?
- What soaps, lotions, makeup, etc. should I avoid?
- What medications do you recommend?
- What at-home treatments do you recommend?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Eczema is very normal, very common, and very, very uncomfortable. It can affect your quality of life. At its worse it can keep you from sleeping, distract you and make you feel self-conscious in public. See your dermatologist or other healthcare provider as soon as you start to see signs of it. Explore at-home remedies and prescribed treatments.
Youre not alone! 15% to 20% of people experience eczema or another type of dermatitis at some point in their lives.
Treating Eczema In Babies
For babies, medications are not often needed. Instead, application of a fragrance-free cream or ointment several times per day, and immediately after every bath, is often enough to control eczema.
If emollients aren’t doing the trick, your healthcare provider may suggest over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams or, in severe cases, prescription medications. Only very mild steroids are used in babies because of the risk of side effects.
Crisaborole is a non-steroid cream that can be prescribed for FDA-approved indication of mild-to-severe atopic dermatitis in infants as young as 3 months insurance may not cover this medication.
Other things you can do to help control your baby’s eczema include:
If you can’t get your baby’s eczema under control with home treatment, let your child’s pediatrician know.
What Else Should I Know
If you live with eczema, tune in to what triggers it and how to manage it. For example, if you find that some types of makeup irritate your skin, ask a dermatologist to recommend brands that are less likely to do so.
Your self-esteem doesn’t have to suffer because you have eczema, and neither does your social life! Getting involved in your school and extracurricular activities can be a great way to get your mind off the itch.
Don’t forget to exercise. It’s a great way to blow off stress try walking, bike riding, swimming, or another sport that keeps your skin cool and dry while you work out.
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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Eczema
The signs of eczema :
- are mainly dry, itchy skin. Because it is so itchy, it is often called “the itch that rashes.”
- include redness, scales, and bumps that can leak fluid and then crust over
- tend to come and go. When they get worse, it is called a flare-up.
- may be more noticeable at night
Symptoms can vary:
- Infants younger than 1 year old usually have the eczema rash on their cheeks, forehead, or scalp. It may spread to the knees, elbows, and trunk .
- Older kids and teens usually get the rash in the bends of the elbows, behind the knees, on the neck, or on the inner wrists and ankles. Their skin is often scalier and drier than when the eczema first began. It also can be thicker, darker, or scarred from all the scratching .
Tips For Healthy Eating
- As we get older, we often have smaller appetites, so tend to eat less. Its important to maintain a balanced diet, which will help to support tissue healing, particularly when the skin is broken.
- Fats, protein and zinc found in dairy foods all help healing. Vitamin C in fruit and vegetables helps combat infection.
- Its important to drink plenty of fluids, as dehydration can reduce the flow of oxygen and nutrients essential for healing.
- A balanced intake of vitamins will help to boost the immune system.
To obtain the information on this page in a PDF format, please download our Eczema in later life factsheet, below.
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How Is Atopic Dermatitis Diagnosed
Your healthcare provider will ask about your health history and whether you have allergies or asthma. He or she will also ask about any family history of dermatitis, allergies, or asthma.
A healthcare provider can often diagnose atopic dermatitis by examining your skin. You may also have a patch test. This is used to find allergies by placing small amounts of allergens on the skin and watching for a response. A skin biopsy may also be done to rule out other causes of the rash.
Key Points About Atopic Dermatitis
- Atopic dermatitis is commonly called eczema.
- Its an inherited and chronic skin disorder that is most common in infants or very young children.
- Atopic dermatitis causes dry, scaly, red skin that has red bumps that open and weep when scratched.
- Its important to find and avoid things that make atopic dermatitis worse. Triggers include stress, high or low temperatures, bacterial infections, fabrics such as wool, and detergents.
- The goals of treatment are to reduce itching and inflammations of the skin, to keep the skin moisturized, and prevent infection.
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Why Do Kids Get Eczema
Skin has special cells that react when they come in contact with anything that irritates them. They make the skin inflamed to protect it. If you have eczema, these cells overreact when something triggers them and they start to work overtime. That’s what makes your skin red, sore, and itchy.
No one is really sure why people get eczema. It’s not contagious no one can catch it from you and you can’t catch it from anyone else. Kids who get eczema often have family members with hay fever , asthma , or other things known as “atopic” conditions.
More than half of the kids who get eczema will also someday develop hay fever or asthma themselves. Eczema is not an allergy itself, but allergies can be a trigger for eczema. That means that if you have allergies to things like dust or animal dander, your eczema may flare up sometimes.
Aside from allergies, some things that can set off eczema include:
- soaps, detergents, or perfumes
- dry winter air with little moisture
- other things that can irritate your skin, like scratchy fabrics
Triggers Of Eczema Flare
- Soaps. Never use bubble bath. It can cause a major flare-up.
- Pollens. Keep your child from lying on the grass during grass pollen season.
- Animals. Avoid any animals that make the rash worse.
- Foods. If certain foods cause severe itching , avoid them.
- Wool. Avoid wool fibers and clothes made of other scratchy, rough materials.
- Dry Air. Use a humidifier if the air in your home is dry.
- Herpes Virus Infection . Keep your child away from anyone with fever blisters . The herpes virus can cause a serious skin infection in children with eczema.
- Eczema is not caused by laundry soap you use to wash clothing.
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Treating Eczema In Teens And Adults
As with young children, keeping the skin well moisturized is key to controlling eczema in teens and adults. Apply emollients often throughout the day. Ointments are very effective at sealing in moisture, but because they’re heavier and leave your skin a bit greasy, you may want to save the application of these for nighttime.
Treatments for teens and adults with eczema include many of the same options used for children, namely topical corticosteroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors, and dupilumab. Antihistamines are sometimes used for their sedating properties if itch is impairing sleep, but they are not generally helpful in controlling the itch that comes with eczema.
Remember, too, that good personal care is important to allowing eczema to heal and preventing flareups. For instance, make sure your shower or bath water isn’t too hot. Very hot water can strip the skin of its natural oils. Aim for lukewarm water temperatures for your shower.
And don’t overlook things that may be contributing to skin irritation like perfumes and body sprays, makeup, laundry detergent, or fabric softeners.
Types Of Skin Conditions That Cause Eczema
There are at least 11 distinct types of skin conditions that produce eczema. In order to develop a rational treatment plan, it is important to distinguish them. This is often not easy.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Atopic Dermatitis
The area of the body affected by atopic dermatitis may change with age. In infants and young children, it usually affects the face, outside of the elbows, and on the knees. In older children and adults, it tends to be on the hands and feet, the arms, on the back of the knees, and the folds of the elbows.
Symptoms are slightly different for each person. Common symptoms include:
- Dry, scaly patches on the skin
- Small bumps that open and weep when scratched
- Redness and swelling of the skin
- A thickening of the skin
- Scratch marks on the skin
Too much rubbing and scratching can tear the skin and lead to infection.
The symptoms of atopic dermatitis may look like other skin conditions. Always talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
What Causes Atopic Dermatitis
The exact cause of atopic dermatitis is not known. It runs in families, which suggests a genetic link. Its also linked to asthma and allergies. There is likely an alteration of the proteins in the skin that leads to atopic dermatitis.
Certain triggers can make atopic dermatitis worse. For example, stress, hot or cold temperature, dry conditions, certain fabrics, or detergents can cause a flare-up.
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Eczema Causes And Risk Factors
Experts arenât sure what exactly causes eczema. Things that may make it more likely include:
- An immune system response to something irritating
- Problems in your skinâs barrier that let moisture out and germs in
- A family history of other allergies or asthma
Know more about the link between allergies and eczema.
Q : How Can Itch Be Controlled
The following actions may reduce itch, to help control the scratch and itch cycle of eczema:
- Keep skin well moisturised every day.
- Use cold compresses and wet dressings/wraps, as directed.
- Consider using non-sedating antihistamines, especially if there are hives . Sedating antihistamines are generally not recommended and should not be used in young children without specialist supervision.
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What Causes Atopic Dermatitis In A Child
The exact cause of atopic dermatitis is not known. But some things are linked to it. They include:
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Genes. This skin problem can be passed on from parents to a child.
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Immune system. An immune system that isnt fully developed may affect how much protection the skin can give.
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External factors. These include being in winter weather, using hot water for bathing, using soap, and being in dry, hot temperatures.
Q : What Is The Scratch And Itch Cycle Of Eczema
The scratch and itch cycle of eczema can cause discomfort, disrupt sleep and affect quality of life:
- In people with eczema the skin does not retain moisture very well, which causes it to dry out easily.
- This makes the skin more open to allergens and irritants, which can trigger the skin to release chemicals that make the skin itchy.
- Scratching itchy skin causes more chemicals to be released, making the skin feel itchier.
- If eczema is well managed this can avoid the scratch and itch cycle. It is therefore important to keep skin that is prone to eczema well moisturised, by using moisturising creams on the skin every day.
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How Allergic Reactions Happen
Allergic reactions occur when your body comes in contact with something that it internally believes is harmful. This can be a food or any substance, such as pollen. As a reaction, the body produces immunoglobulin E or IgE, which are antibodies. These antibodies, in turn, attach themselves to cells which then release histamine. Histamine causes reactions such as inflammation, redness in the eyes, along with tears and an itchy feeling. If the reaction is strong enough anaphylactic shock can result. The IgE antibodies typically serve to fight infections but sometimes they attack the allergens instead.
There is also a condition called oral allergy syndrome, which is a reaction to pollen, not to a particular food. In this case, the immune system recognizes the pollen and similar proteins in the food and then causes an allergic reaction to it. This is not a true food allergy but is often confused as one.
Eczema Symptoms & Signs
Eczema is an inflammatory condition of the skin that is very common. There are different types of eczema, including atopic dermatitis, contact eczema, neurodermatitis, allergic contact eczema, and others.
Symptoms, signs, and severity can depend upon the exact type of eczema that is present. The location of the skin inflammation also varies according to the type and cause of eczema. Signs and symptoms associated with eczema include patches of chronically itchy, dry, thickened skin, usually on the hands, neck, face, and legs, inner creases of the knees and elbows. If the irritated areas are scratched, dry patches of skin and open sores with crusts may develop and may become infected.
Almost all patients with eczema complain of itching. Since the appearance of most types of eczema is similar, elevated plaques of red, bumpy skin, the distribution of the eruption can be of great help in distinguishing one type from another. For example, stasis dermatitis occurs most often on the lower leg while atopic dermatitis occurs in the front of the elbow and behind the knee.
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What Foods Should I Eat Or Avoid To Reduce My Risk Of Eczema
The connection between eczema and food allergies is unclear. If you have food allergies, then one of the reasons why you must avoid that food is that it may cause or worsen dermatitis. Examples of common allergies include peanuts, dairy, eggs, sugar, alcohol and gluten. Pay attention to what you eat. If your eczema flares up after you eat a certain food, then you might have an allergy to it.
If you dont have a food allergy then there are no foods, including chicken, that will cause or worsen your eczema.
What Are The Current Treatment Options For Adults With Eczema
There are various types of treatments to manage eczema. A doctor can go over the different options with you and create a treatment plan that works for your specific type of eczema and symptoms.
Treatments can include lifestyle changes, medications , and alternative treatments. Well discuss each of these options in more detail below.
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How Long Do Eczema Flare
The length of a flare-up will depend on what type of eczema you have, as well as the severity of the flare. With proper treatment, flare-ups may last one to three weeks, notes Harvard Health Publishing.
Chronic eczema such as atopic dermatitis can go into remission with the help of a good preventative treatment plan. Remission means that the disease is not active and you remain free of symptoms. Periods of remission can last for weeks or even years, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
The Potential Effects Causes
Examples of learning disabilities connected to eczema include dyslexia and nonverbal learning disabilities, causing children trouble in interpreting nonverbal clues.
This is interesting for many reasons, Dr. Puja Uppal, a family practitioner in Michigan, told Healthline. Both are genetic conditions, so perhaps were seeing symptoms of ADHD, such as sleep disturbances, and relating them to AD. The study shows children, regardless of their skin severity, report some symptoms of a learning disability.
A growing discipline in medicine is neuro-dermatology. So, Im sure well see good data in the future with respect to seeing if there are any neural pathway involvement, Uppal added. One condition may make the symptoms of the other worse, or we just start seeing symptoms at the same time. But I dont suspect there isnt a causal relationship.
Dr. David Beatty, a general practitioner in Essex, England, told Healthline the correlation could go both ways.
Children with learning disabilities may be less likely to understand they shouldnt scratch, Beatty said. Someone with learning disabilities is more likely to be on other psychopharmacologic medication. Many drugs can cause skin reactions. Stress is a known trigger for eczema I think its reasonable to assume those with learning disabilities are more likely to be under stress.
Certainly, people with eczema rashes are scratching in their sleep, said Horspool, a marketing executive in Yorba Linda, California.
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