Have you noticed red, itchy patches developing on the folds of your child’s elbows, their scalp or the back of their ears? If so, your child could be dealing with eczema. This is a common skin disorder that affects one in 10 children. Unfortunately, these symptoms can be rather unpleasant for your child, making it difficult to sleep. Children are also more likely to scratch these itchy patches of skin, which can lead to infection.
How to Treat Childhood Eczema
When it comes to managing eczema in your child, we focus on ways to properly manage the most common symptoms, which include dryness, itching and inflammation. Our treatment plan will map out lifestyle changes, home remedies and simple conservative skin care. We will provide gentler treatment options in the beginning, but if symptoms don’t improve then we will need to consider more aggressive options.
Managing Your Child’s Eczema
Here are some simple habits to adopt to reduce dryness, itching and other eczema symptoms:
- Make sure that your child is bathing in lukewarm and not hot water, as hot water can dry their skin out.
- Keep your child’s skin moisturized every day. You can apply a moisturizer daily, particularly to the areas more likely to develop these itchy, red patches of skin. It’s best to apply moisturizer to your child’s skin immediately after toweling off from a shower or bath.
- Use mild, fragrance-free detergents and products, which are less likely to cause irritation. Avoid dryer sheets or softeners when cleaning your child’s clothes.
- Keep your child’s nails trimmed so they are less likely to scratch their skin. Scratching will only make the itching worse and can lead to an infection. If necessary, you may want to have your child wear cotton gloves to bed, to prevent them from scratching in the middle of the night.
- Know what triggers your child’s eczema. Common triggers include smoke, pollen, heat, fragrances, pet dander and dust mites.
We may need to prescribe a topical steroid medicine (if your child is dealing with more severe inflammation) or other medications including antihistamines. Since eczema flares can still occur even with the proper treatment and care in place, it’s important that you have an immunologist that you can turn to in order to continuously monitor your child’s symptoms and health.
If your child is showing signs of eczema, it’s a good idea to bring them in for a proper evaluation. We offer allergy testing and treatment options to help get your child’s eczema under control. Call Peekaboo Pediatrics in Houston, TX today at (713) 861-4800.