Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is a chronic and hereditary skin condition that affects mostly infants and very young children, which may last until adolescence or adulthood. The condition causes skin to turn red, itch, and flake. Since it is a hereditary condition, parents who have eczema have a greater chance of having children who also have eczema. It is highly common, with more than 15 million Americans, including adults and kids, having the condition. In fact, the Academy of Dermatology estimates a minimum of 20 percent of children and infants experiencing symptoms of the skin condition.
Of course, eczema reacts to many different triggers, such as allergies, stress, and environmental irritants. Studies show that times of stress typically cause the condition to flare up. Other triggers include extremely low or high temperature, a bacterial infection, or irritation from fabrics, especially wool, and detergents. Among the children diagnosed with eczema, a majority will continue to manifest the condition for the first year of their lives and about 90% are expected to manifest the condition over the first five years of their lives.
What are the symptoms of this condition? Eczema distribution may change as the child gets older. In young children and infants, eczema is typically located on their faces, outside of their elbows, and on their knees. For older kids and adults, the skin condition typically occurs on the feet and hands, on the arms, and on the back of their knees. Although each person tends to experience symptoms in a different way, the most common manifestations of the condition include dry, scaly skin, redness or swelling of the skin, and small bumps that “weep” when they are scratched. Chronic eczema may have a thickening of the skin as a symptom. Excessive scratching or rubbing of the skin can cause tears and subsequently infections.
How do you know if it is eczema? The difficult part of self-diagnosis is that eczema typically has symptoms that resemble other conditions of the skin. As such it is important to consult a medical practitioner for an accurate diagnosis. A doctor will typically require a physical exam and a complete medical history. A family history helps in detecting the condition, as a mother who has allergic conditions is likely to have children who tend to have eczema. The patient’s personal history or asthma or allergies also gives an important clue. Blood tests may also be performed.
Once eczema has been diagnosed, your doctor may recommend specific treatment according to your age, medical history, and overall health. The extent of the skin’s reaction will also be taken into account, as are your tolerance of specific therapies, procedures, and medication. Since there is no cure for the condition, treatment is largely limited to minimizing the itching and inflammation on the skin, to moisturize the person’s skin, and to avoid infection.
How are eczema symptoms best managed? The following tips should help you better manage your eczema:
1. Avoiding contact with irritants which your physician helps to pinpoint;
2. Taking brief showers or baths and using water that is lukewarm;
3. Practicing good techniques of skin care, including avoiding the use of harsh soaps (your doctor may recommend a brand which is less likely to trigger a reaction);
4. Dressing in clothes that are light and are less prone to sweating, as perspiration tends to make the condition worse;
5. Using moisturizing lotions daily, with your physician’s possible recommendation of a brand;
6. Avoiding scratching the areas affected;
7. Minimizing stress;
8. Possibly taking prescribed medications, such as antihistamines, steroid creams, oral antibiotics, or submitting to phototherapy;
Although there is still virtually no cure for eczema, being able to manage the condition will spell a tremendous difference in the level of comfort that a person has in his day-to-day life. Take note, though, that the more serious treatments like medications and therapies will need to be supervised by a medical practitioner, so it is best to turn to them only as a last recourse. After all, they are meant only to relieve the symptoms and will still not get rid of the condition anyway. If you are able to make necessary lifestyle adjustments, you may even find the condition becoming easier to live with, possibly reaching a point when you do not even notice it anymore.
