What Makes Atopic Eczema Flare
- Many factors in a persons environment can make AE worse these include heat, dust, woollen clothing, pets and irritants such as soaps, detergents and other chemicals.
- Being unwell, for example having a common cold cancause a flare-up.
- Infections with bacteria or viruses can worsen AE. Bacterial infection makes the affected skin yellow, crusty and inflamed, and may need specific treatment. An infection with the cold sore virus can cause a sudden painful widespread flare-up of AE, with weeping small sores.
- Dryness of the skin.
- In some, food allergens may rarely cause a flare up
- Stress
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:
-
Genes. This skin problem can be passed on from parents to a child.
-
Immune system. An immune system that isnt fully developed may affect how much protection the skin can give.
-
External factors. These include being in winter weather, using hot water for bathing, using soap, and being in dry, hot temperatures.
Managing Babys Eczema: Moisturizing
Regular moisturizing is just as crucial for managing baby eczema as the daily bath. In fact, its the seal part of the soak and seal method.
After your baby’s bath, moisturize their skin right away to “seal” the remaining moisture from the bath into their skin, and help prevent it from escaping.
- Follow the 3-minute rule! Moisturize babys skin within 3 minutes after the bath. The moisture from the bath will escape through babys skin barrier if you wait too long to moisturize.
Choose a moisturizer that mimics and supplements the skin’s natural barrier, which is made up of cholesterol, fats, and fatty acids.
This barrier usually lets the skin hold in enough moisture. But babies with eczema have a compromised skin barrier, so they need support from moisturizer to build up their barrier.
- Look for moisturizers that contain ceramides. Ceramides are the fats that the skin naturally makes to form the skin barrier.
- You could also use coconut oil, because it moisturizes, eases inflammation, and helps fight against skin bacteria with lauric acid.
- Ointments that are free from alcohol are also recommended. Avoid creams that contain alcohol, as alcohol can sting and burn the skin.
Please read this article to learn more about the best baby eczema moisturizer ingredients, as well as moisturizer ingredients to avoid.
Liberally moisturize all areas of babys body, especially the areas where the eczema is worst. Theres no such thing as too much moisturizer!
Also Check: Palmar Psoriasis Vs Hand Eczema
Is A Cure Or Better Treatment For Eczema On The Horizon
Without a cure on the near horizon, we here at Johns Hopkins are creating an Eczema Day Treatment Unit to help our patients with moderate to severe eczema keep their symptoms under control and prevent flare-ups. We anticipate that this novel, multidisciplinary program will include experts from Child Life, behavioral psychology, allergy, dermatology and infectious diseases to provide the comprehensive care these children need care that cannot be provided in an average clinic visit.
A primary goal of the day treatment unit will be education children and their families will learn techniques such as wet-wrap therapy, to help deeply moisturize the skin. This therapy involves coating the skin with a topical ointment, followed by a greasy ointment like petroleum jelly, then dressing in wet pajamas, followed by dry pajamas, allowing the skin to soak in the moisture.
Managing Eczema: Knowing And Avoiding Possible Triggers
Although we dont know what causes eczema to develop in the first place, we do know many triggers that can cause baby eczema to suddenly get worse.
If your child has eczema, it may flare up when their skin is exposed to any number of triggers.
Some triggers that may cause eczema flare-ups include:
- Dry skin
- Environmental allergens, especially if your child already has an environmental allergy
- Common allergy-causing foods, especially if your child already has an allergy to that food
One key to baby eczema management is identifying possible triggers that seem to cause eczema to flare up, then keeping babys skin from coming in contact with them.
Some possible triggers should be avoided outright when your baby has eczema.
For example, stay away from shampoos, soaps, lotions, and laundry detergents that contain fragrances and dyes. Opt for unscented, dye-free bath and laundry products instead. Mild, unscented liquid body wash is always a good choice.
Also, dont dress your baby in synthetic fabrics like polyester, wool, and nylon. Dont use blankets and covers made from these fabrics, either. And avoid any other itchy, tight clothing. Opt for natural, loose-fitting cotton clothing instead, and use cotton bedding for their crib.
Be sure to wash new clothing and bedding before their first use as well, since unwashed fabric can contain irritating chemicals.
Also Check: Homeopathic Treatment For Eczema On Face
Known Triggers Of Eczema
It takes dedication and perseverance to keep your eczema controlled, so you remain comfortable and trouble-free. Most sufferers work hard to figure out the known triggers. They are often a challenge to detect, and there might be more than one.
Dry Skin: This is often an annual occurrence. In the winter, your homes HVAC system usually sucks the humidity right out of the home if you run a furnace. A woodstove drys out a house even further. Also, winter sports like skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling dries and damages your skin making you prone towards a breakout. Depending on where you live, the summer can become arid if you reside in locations like Arizona, New Mexico, or other desert landscapes. If your skin feels tight, then you might deal with a flare up soon.
Irritants: We live in a chemical-based society. Very few products are all natural. Take a few minutes to read the label on your laundry detergent, dishwasher liquid, or shampoo. Half the ingredients you wont be able to pronounce, but you can rest assured they are chemicals. When investigating what causes led to the outbreak, you should focus on chemicals first.
Here are just a few known irritants that you will probably find in your pantry or medicine cabinet?
- How to treat Eczema in infants : diagnosis, symptoms, remedies
- Get rid of Eczema with Apple cider vinegar: Home remedies and Treatments.
Teach Your Child To Avoid Or Cope With Stressful Situations
Stress can cause flare-ups just like environmental triggers can, so you should teach your child to avoid or cope with stressful situations whenever possible.
When major changes in your childs life occurfirst time at daycare, starting preschool or kindergarten, a move to a different townbe sure to reassure your child that everything is going to be okay.
If necessary, teach your child some coping techniques such as deep breathing or visualization. These will help your little one deal with the inevitable stresses that they will encounter throughout life.
Read Also: What Causes Flare Ups In Eczema
Can Atopic Eczema Be Prevented
Regular use of medical moisturisers can help restore the skins barrier in children who might otherwise develop AE.
Although exclusive breast-feeding has been advocated for the prevention of eczema in susceptible infants, there is no evidence that this is effective. There is also no definite evidence that organic dairy products help to reduce the risk of eczema, or that eating fish oil during pregnancy helps to prevent eczema in childhood.
For some patients who flare-up frequently, intermittent use of a topical steroid or calcineurin inhibitors may reduce the number of flare-ups.
Formula Options For Infants With Food Allergies
Of all the options I discussed above regarding the various types of formula, the extensively hydrolyzed formula and amino acid formulas are considered hypoallergenic. These formulas have broken down cows milk proteins into such small pieces that your childs body should not react to them. As great as they are, they are expensive! ,
Read Also: Will My Baby’s Eczema Go Away
What Is Eczema What Does It Look And Feel Like
Eczema is a condition that causes your skin to become dry, red, itchy and bumpy. Its one of many types of dermatitis. Eczema damages the skin barrier function . This loss of barrier function makes your skin more sensitive and more prone to infection and dryness.
Eczema doesnt harm your body. It doesnt mean that your skin is dirty or infected, and its not contagious. There are treatments that can help manage your symptoms.
In the word dermatitis, derm means skin and itis means inflammation. The word as a whole means inflammation of the skin. Eczema originates from the Greek word ekzein which means to boil over or break out.
Medical Treatment For Eczema
Eczema cant be cured. But it can be managed by preventing and treating flare-ups as soon as they appear.
If your childs skin is inflamed and itchy, theyll probably need some corticosteroid ointment or cream. For mild eczema, you can buy mild corticosteroids over the counter at your pharmacy. The most common is hydrocortisone 1% cream. For more serious eczema or if the over-the-counter products arent working, youll need to see your GP to get a prescription for a stronger corticosteroid.
Other eczema treatments include pimecrolimus, a non-steroidal cream. Doctors might prescribe this cream for children with mild to moderate eczema on the face and in body folds.
If your child is scratching at a rash, you could ask your pharmacist or GP about using an antihistamine medication for a few days. Together with a corticosteroid cream, this might give your child some rest and help the flare-up to settle.
If your childs eczema rash gets infected, your doctor will prescribe a course of oral antibiotics.
Read Also: Heat Rash Vs Eczema In Adults
What Happens If You Leave Dry Skin Untreated
What Happens When You Leave Dry Skin Untreated. Other complications of this skin condition include persistent rashes, redness, and swelling. Scratching can also make the rash worse or cause a lesion that may develop into a scar. Individuals who ignore skin care for dry skin or do not seek treatment may develop this complication.
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.
You May Like: Is Eczema Viral Or Bacterial
Managing Eczema In Winter And Year Round: A Parents Guide
Cold, dry outdoor air and indoor heating can rob skin of its natural moisture in the winter. Red, crusty, dry patches can be common on a baby’s skin, particularly in winter, and cause concern for parents. Such symptoms can be treated, however, and many babies and children do outgrow the dry, itchy skin of atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema.
We spoke with pediatric dermatologist Katherine Puttgen to learn more.
How To Prevent Flares
While there is no medication currently available that cures eczema, there are a few ways to prevent and treat flares.
First, knowing your personal eczema triggers can help you make informed choices around diet and activities. Keeping a journal may help you connect certain foods, weather, products, or activities to flares.
Moisturizing your skin as much as possible can also help, as can bathing after exercising or other high-energy activities.
If your eczema is more severe, your doctor may have prescribed topical and/or immunosuppressant medications to reduce itching. Using these medicines as prescribed can help prevent eczema flares.
Read Also: Crema Para Eczema En Las Manos
Managing Babys Eczema: Other Lifestyle Tips
Bathing and moisturizing are the cornerstones of baby eczema management, but they arent the only ways to manage baby eczema. Follow these other tips to help soothe your babys skin:
Moderate or severe eczema requires more in-depth care than mild eczema. The tips in the linked article may help you develop a detailed routine based on babys eczema severity.
Can Atopic Eczema Be Cured
The bad news is that atopic eczema cannot be cured but there are many ways of controlling it. Most children with atopic eczema improve as they get older . However, many of those who have had eczema continue to have dry skin and need to avoid irritants such as soaps or bubble baths. Eczema may persist in adults but it should be controllable with the right treatment.
Read Also: How To Clear Up Baby Eczema
What You Can Do
You can help reduce your child’s discomfort by:
- keeping their fingernails short to reduce the damage to their skin from scratching
- washing them with aqueous cream instead of soap – ask your pharmacist about aqueous creams and always follow the instructions on the product
- using non-biological detergent and a double rinse cycle when washing their clothes or bedding
- avoiding herbal, ‘natural’ or alternative creams – these can make eczema worse, as they may contain bacteria or high doses of steroids
- rinsing and drying them well after swimming
- dressing them in cool, breathable fabrics like cotton
- keeping them away from anyone with a cold sore – as the cold sore virus can cause eczema to become infected
- using extra moisturiser on areas your child scratches a lot
- avoiding anything you know that causes your childs eczema to get worse
Around 6 out of 10 children with eczema will grow out of it by the time they’re teenagers.
When To Visit A Doctor
Theres often no need to visit a doctor or pediatrician at the first sign of an eczema flare-up. In most cases, applying an emollient cream or balm multiple times throughout the day should be enough to treat the flare-up. Its also important to inspect your childs environment to see if any triggers are present.
Does a new piece of clothing rub the wrong way or is it too rough? Is it time to give your childs room a thorough cleaning? Identifying and removing these triggers can help decrease the duration of the flare-up.
If the eczema flare-up is still present after seven days despite using an emollient product, or if you notice a yellow or light-brown crust or blisters on top of the flare-up, call your doctor as soon as possible.
This could be a sign that your child has a bacterial infection. In these cases, your doctor may prescribe an antihistamine or an antibiotic. These medications will reduce the swelling, irritation, and itchiness that are causing your child so much discomfort. With the flare-up gone, your child will feel better, sleep better, and be happier overall.
Read Also: Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Lotion
What Causes Eczema In Infants And Children
Eczema is brought about by the complex interplay of a genetic predisposition and the childs environment. Many things from the climate to possible allergens can cause eczema to flare. We know that eczema tends to run in the families with a predisposition to other atopic diseases, such as food allergies, asthma and hay fever. Individuals with atopic dermatitis may lack certain proteins in the skin, which leads to greater sensitivity. Parents with eczema are more likely to have children with eczema. However, the exact way it passes from parents to children is still not known. Most children who have eczema will show signs of the condition in the first year of life. It tends to wax and wane in severity.
Whats The Outlook For People With Eczema
Eczema is considered a chronic health condition. That means you may have symptoms off and on for many years.
The good news is that eczema symptoms can often be managed with daily care and medications to prevent and treat flares.
Even with treatment, you may notice some long-lasting changes to areas of your skin that have been affected by eczema. The color of your skin could be darker in patches, and you may notice some thickening in places where youve scratched or rubbed a lot.
Keeping up with your treatments is important because people with eczema are more likely to develop viral and bacterial infections. Some infections can be serious or even life threatening.
Recommended Reading: What Causes Eczema In Toddlers
Don’t Miss: How To Heal Broken Skin From Eczema
How Is Eczema Treated
There is no cure for eczema. But treatments can help with symptoms. The doctor will recommend different treatments based on how severe the symptoms are, the child’s age, and where the rash is. Some are “topical” and applied to the skin. Others are taken by mouth.
Topical moisturizers. Skin should be moisturized often . The best time to apply moisturizer is after a bath or shower, with the skin patted dry gently. Ointments and creams are best because they contain a lot of oil. Lotions have too much water to be helpful.
Topical corticosteroids, also called cortisone or steroid creams or ointments. These ease skin inflammation. It’s important not to use a topical steroid prescribed for someone else. These creams and ointments vary in strength, and using the wrong strength in sensitive areas can damage the skin, especially in infants.
Other topical anti-inflammatory medicines. These include medicines that change the way the skin’s immune system reacts.
Medicine taken by mouth. These can include antihistamines to help itchy kids sleep better at night, antibiotics if a rash gets infected by bacteria, and corticosteroid pills or other medicines that suppress the immune system.
Other types of treatment can include:
- wet wraps: damp cloths placed on irritated areas of skin
- bleach baths: bathing in very diluted bleach solution