Wool And Synthetic Fabrics
Some fibers are more irritating to the skin than others. Wool is notoriously prickly, and many synthetic fabric are too abrasive against the skin. Fabrics like wool and polyester can be eczema triggers, according to the NEA. Cotton clothing and bedding are usually recommended for people with atopic dermatitis because cotton is cool and breathable. Bamboo is another eczema-friendly fiber, says the NEA.
Tip: Check the tags before buying. Launder new garments before wearing them to wash away any irritating chemicals and dyes.
Practice Good Bath And Shower Etiquette
Take warm baths or showers and keep them short. Long, hot showers can dry out your skin, making it more prone to flare-ups. Use unscented bath products, and not too much of them. When youre done, use a soft towel to pat yourself dry. Dont rub. Slather moisturizer on your skin immediately after a shower, while your skin is still damp, to help your skin best absorb the moisture and lock it on.
Causes Of The Diseases
Eczema and psoriasis, while two distinct conditions, have something key in common. Both diseases, says Dr. Amy Paller, Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, involve the human immune system, just in different ways.
With psoriasis, the immune system is overactive in a manner that leads to the growth of too many new skin cells, too fast. These cells pile up on the surface of the skin, causing thick scales or plaques that can be dry, flaky and painful. Psoriasis can be triggered or worsened by stress, skin injury, cold/dry weather, medications or infections. Genetics also seem to play a role with psoriasis risks running in families.
While experts dont completely know what causes eczema, a combination of genes, immune system tendencies and triggers are believed to be involved. People with eczema tend to have overly-reactive immune systems that, when triggered by a substance outside or inside the body, respond by causing inflammation. Researchers have also found that some people with eczema have a mutation in a gene that plays an important role in the skin barrier leaving the skin more vulnerable to dryness, irritants and allergens . Similar to psoriasis, stress can also trigger eczema and family history can increase eczema risks.
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Food Allergy And Eczema Flare
- Food allergies are a factor in 30% of young children with severe eczema. This factor is mainly seen in babies.
- The main allergic foods are cow’s milk and eggs.
- The main symptoms are increased skin redness and itching. Some parents report these symptoms start during or soon after the feeding.
- The eczema becomes easier to control if you avoid the allergic food.
What Types Of Eczema Are Linked To Stress
There are many types of eczema, the most common being atopic dermatitis. Atopic eczema runs in families and is linked with likelihood of developing asthma, hay fever and eczema. Other types include:
- contact dermatitis, which develops when allergens or irritants touch the skin
- nummular eczema , which forms round or oval patches
- pompholyx eczema , which starts with a burning sensation followed by a sudden dermatitis blister rash on hands and feet.
There are other forms, and we can also refer to eczema by the part of the body it affects . Regardless of the type, stress can exacerbate eczema symptoms you could see stress-related eczema on hands, for example. Stress is especially associated with triggering flare-ups of atopic, nummular and pompholyx eczema.
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Know Your Childs Eczema Triggers
Regardless of the type of eczema your child has, there are certain things and environmental conditions that make it suddenly appear where it wasnt before or make a relatively calm patch suddenly worse. These are called flare-ups.
Things that trigger eczema flare-ups are not the same for everyone, but the most common are stressful situations, dry air, and sweat. Keep in mind that your childs triggers may change over the years, so be on the lookout for new challenges as they grow. Here are some triggers to watch for:
Outlook For People With Eczema
Eczema is a chronic disease, so you will likely always have flares. You can help control it by learning to avoid triggers, treating it as your healthcare provider recommends, and keeping your skin well-moisturized.
Eczema can make you more prone to skin damage, infections, or scars. It can also be harder to control if it started when you were very young, other people in your family have it, or it’s severe.
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Tips To Help Prevent An Eczema Flare
Eczema is itchy, irritating, and persistent. And its common enough that experts have marked October as Eczema Awareness Month. The good news? From topical therapy to oral medications, there are many successful treatments available that can get this frustrating skin condition under control.
And once your eczema has cleared, there are simple steps you can take to help prevent flare-ups in the future. The skin care pros at Specialists in Dermatology have put together seven practical tips for stopping eczema from taking control of your skin.
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Reasons Hand Eczema Flares Up
Hand eczema flare-ups are beyond annoying. It can cause redness, itching, cracks, blisters, and dryness to the point of peeling and flaking, but thats not all. During a bad flare-up of hand eczema, fingers can swell and hands can hurt. Without proper treatment, hand eczema can become chronic. A severe case could even make it hard to button your clothes or use a computer.
So, what causes flares? Here are five of the most common triggers and tips for avoiding them.
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The Connection Between Weather & Skin
The skin acts as a barrier to protect the body from outside elements. Healthy skin offers protection from winter cold and summer heat. When an individual has eczema, the protective barrier fails to work as it should. Moisture leaks from the skin, which causes it to dry out and become more irritated. The weather also affects eczema when wind causes pollen in the air to be blown onto the skin. For people who are allergic, the winter season exposes them to various eczema triggers. The infant skin fails to work at the optimum level due to adverse weather.
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How Is Baby Eczema Treated
Treatment varies for baby eczema based on what caused your childs symptoms to flare up and the severity of their symptoms. Treatment for baby eczema could include:
- Eliminating or avoiding triggers: Avoid scented or fragranced soaps, lotions or detergents. These things can cause eczema to flare. Your provider might test your babys skin to identify if theyre allergic to certain things in their environment that they contact regularly. If youre able to identify what causes your babys eczema triggers, avoiding those causes helps your babys skin heal and prevents future eczema flare-ups.
- Using topical corticosteroids: These are prescription-strength ointments that you rub on your babys skin like a lotion. Corticosteroids help reduce itching and swelling. For mild eczema, apply topical OTC 1% hydrocortisone ointment twice a day for no longer than two weeks. For moderate to severe eczema, your healthcare provider may recommend prescription-strength steroid ointments. Any steroid ointment should not be applied for longer than two weeks since it may lead to discoloration by thinning out the skin.
- Applying moisturizer to your babys skin: Keeping your babys skin hydrated can reduce symptoms, soothe their skin, remove discomfort and prevent flare-ups. Choose moisturizers designed for babies and products that dont contain fragrances. The best time to apply moisturizers to your babys skin is after a bath and a couple of times throughout the day when their skin appears dry.
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Control Inflammation Under Your Skin
If your eczema is mild, your dermatologist may advise you to use hydrocortisone or topical ointment made with corticosteroids to help reduce symptoms.
If youre experiencing an infection from a flare-up, then you may also receive a prescription for antibiotics.
In moderate to severe cases, stronger prescription steroid ointments may be needed to prevent flares and calm inflammation under the skin.
Additional therapies for chronic eczema include:
- Immunomodulators medicines that suppress the activity of your immune system
- Biologics medicines made from substances that naturally occur
- UV light or phototherapy
What Is Eczema And How Do I Know If I Have It
Eczema is a skin condition in which the skin barrier is disrupted. Allergans from the external environment make their way into the skin triggering the body’s immune response. This condition can cause:
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Redness and other skin discoloration
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Itching and discomfort
Eczema symptoms are uncomfortable and persistent and can occur anywhere on the body.
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Using Relaxation To Manage Eczema Stress
When it comes to relaxation and self-care, what works for one person might not work for another. Thankfully there are many options to explore. Practice deep breathing while listening to soothing music or nature sounds. Download a guided meditation app. Enroll in a yoga or tai chi class. Allot a certain amount of time each day to reading a book or cuddling with your pet. Make it a daily habit to stroll along a nature trail. Distract your mind from negative thinking with creative activities to do with your hands, such as writing, painting, knitting, baking or playing video games or chess.
Learn more about using meditation to ease eczemas itch.
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.
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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.
Talk To Your Child About Stress
Its not easy being a kid these days. Between school work, peer pressure, and social media demands, kids face a lot of challenges. Add eczema to the equation and its even tougher. Whats worse: Stress aggravates eczema. They wont be able to eliminate stress altogether, but they can learn to avoid it when possible.
Its good to let your childs teachers know about the problem as well. They can help guide situations that are prone to stress and recognize the signs when your child might need help.
In general, the rule of thumb for kids with eczema is: Moisturize often and reduce triggers. When those efforts alone are not enough to control your childs flare-ups, us to schedule an appointment with Dr. Lubega or book one online. We can help you calm the worst of it and learn to manage your childs eczema so they live more comfortably.
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Eczema Affects Everyone Differently
Eczema affects everyone differently. One persons triggers may not be the same as anothers. You might experience eczema symptoms at certain times of the year or on different areas of your body.
Symptoms of eczema are as varied as the potential environmental factors that can lead to irritation: everyone is affected by this skin disease differently. Regardless of vaccine status, Covid-19 is also a potential trigger for eczema, possibly due to the stress of recovering from the virus, or the bodys heightened immune system response to the virus.
The Importance Of Sleep When You Have Eczema
Easier said than done, right? People living with eczema know how difficult it is to sleep when your skin is itchy and uncomfortable. If eczema is keeping you or your child awake at night, talk with your doctor about how to get a better handle on your symptoms. Taking an antihistamine before bed can help you become drowsy. Enjoying warm, relaxing baths or showers and lathering on the moisturizer before bed can induce sleepiness and stave off itch. It also helps to turn your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary by keeping the room dark, cool and clean, and limiting the use of electronics an hour or two before bedtime.
Learn more about how to get a good nights sleep even when your eczema is flaring.
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What Is The Difference Between Baby Eczema And Acne
Symptoms of baby eczema and acne can look similar but there are differences between the two conditions. Baby acne causes pimples to form on your babys skin, specifically coming from the oil glands in their hair follicles. Eczema causes dry and itchy patches of skin that form a rash. Eczema can also cause bumps on your babys skin. These bumps arent filled with fluid. Some acne pimples are fluid-filled. Baby acne can resolve on its own, but baby eczema needs treatment to rehydrate your babys skin.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Baby eczema usually affects your childs face and it can be concerning to see a rash suddenly form on your babys cheeks. Avoiding irritants and triggers and keeping your babys skin moisturized and hydrated helps improve their skins healing time and prevent future flare-ups. While your baby isnt able to vocalize that theyre itchy, you can stay a step ahead of their condition by scheduling times throughout the day to put moisturizer on their skin to keep them from scratching their eczema rash. You might also consider putting mittens on your babys hands so they cant scratch at their skin, which can make their symptoms worse.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 07/05/2022.
References
Trigger : Exposure To Water
Constantly wetting and drying your hands can break down skins protective barrier, especially when you have sensitive skin that is prone to dryness. Even after hands are dried, theres some water left that evaporates. When it does, it reduces skins natural oils, said Dr. Alissa OBrien, a dermatologist at Waters Edge Dermatology. If the water is piping hot, its even more irritating and drying.
How to dodge it: For dishwashing and other wet tasks, wear vinyl gloves with a cotton lining . Latex gloves can cause allergic reactions, so its best to avoid them. When you wash your hands, use a mild, low-lathering soap free of fragrances, preservatives, and dyes, and use lukewarm water, not hot. After washing and gently drying your hands, apply moisturizer, preferably an ointment. Aquaphor Healing Ointment is probably one of the best, said Dr. OBrien. Other ointment brands she recommends include Vaseline, Cetaphil, CeraVe, Eucerin, and Aveeno. If you find ointments too greasy to use during the day, use a cream moisturizer instead and an ointment at night, under a pair of cotton gloves.
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The Treatment Pillars For Atopic Eczema
A combination of two treatments is used to reduce the frequency and severity of atopic dermatitis flare-ups.
Together, they form a dream team capable of providing incredible relief from itching and delaying the next flare-up.
Calm flare-ups with an extinguishing treatment
Cortisone cream
Delay the onset of the next flare-up: repair your skin
Emollient skin care
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Seattle Children’s Urgent Care Locations
If your childâs illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.
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