What is eczema? The word eczema comes from the ancient Greek word meaning “to boil over” and was originally used to describe a pruritic rash with blisters, but now it is often used to describe an inflammatory skin condition that is red and itchy. The most common type of eczema in children is atopic eczema [atopic eczema is a type of eczema with a clearer pathogenesis and definition]. Atopic eczema is closely related to asthma and cushings fever. Atopic eczema and atopic dermatitis are the same disease, two different names only, do not be confused. Children with eczema are prone to skin irritation due to excessive skin sensitivity. 1. Why do our children get eczema? Atopic eczema is a genetic dysfunction that results in hypersensitivity of the skin (presence of defective skin barrier function). Relatives of affected children often suffer from eczema, asthma or chytridiomycosis (a form of rhinitis or even asthma that is allergic to pollen, etc.), but the probability of occurrence is not very high. Many external factors in daily life can influence the development of eczema. 2. Will eczema get better when the child grows up? The hyper-sensitive skin condition of children may continue into their teenage years. Most children’s eczema will get better as they get older. The age at which eczema gets better, varies from child to child. Many children will show significant improvement by age 5, and most may still have some occasional symptoms in their teens. Only a small percentage of people, all the way into adulthood will have severe eczema. 3. Is eczema caused by allergies? No, eczema is not caused by an atopic allergy. Children with eczema have hypersensitive skin that reacts to a variety of substances that come in contact with the skin’s surface. It is impossible to really find one, two or three allergens that can cause your child’s eczema. And, when we remove “suspected allergens” from a child’s environment, it does not improve the eczema condition. Although many people are convinced that allergies cause eczema, this is only their blind faith and has not been confirmed by scientific research. 4. Does allergen testing help in the diagnosis and treatment of eczema in children? No. Children with eczema often show multiple positive reactions to skin allergen tests, but this does not help much in treatment. Blood allergen testing is also of little value. Treatment of eczema There is no single treatment that can cure eczema, but for most children, eczema can be effectively treated and controlled with a few simple treatment options under the guidance of a doctor. 1. moisturizers and emollients These products keep the skin moisturized and soft, restore elasticity and flexibility, and help reduce itching and scratching. moisturizing emollients are safe and should be used topically often as a first-line treatment option. ▲ Take a shower at most once a day ▲ Use a mild moisturizing soap such as dove (Dove), or a soap substitute such as Cetaphil (Stave) ▲ Moisturizing emollients, which can be used freely and in larger amounts on all areas of dry skin, should be used at least twice a day and as often as possible. Just as you should brush your teeth every day, children with eczema need daily moisturization because they have sensitive skin. Moisturizing measures can prevent dry skin and keep it smooth, and also significantly reduce itching and skin redness. 2, topical use of glucocorticoid ointment Reasonable topical use of glucocorticoid ointment is safe and is the most basic treatment. Ointments, such as petroleum jelly are grayish and thick. And creams are white and watery. These preparations, on red inflamed areas, should be rubbed 1 or 2 times a day. In particular, they should be rubbed once immediately after bathing, when the skin is still wet (within 3 minutes after bathing). Topical rubs of a weak glucocorticoid ointment such as 1% hydrocortisone, deferiprone or Westcort (hydrocortisone butyrate) will be effective enough for most children. Occasionally, your doctor may give your child a more potent glucocorticosteroid ointment. 3. Topical immunomodulatory drugs If topical treatment with weak glucocorticosteroids does not work, or if you need to use such drugs for a long time, it is time to consider topical immunomodulatory drugs such as Elidel (Pimecrolimus-Eninta) and Protopic (Tacrolimus-Protopic) are two products that can be used in children. 4. Antihistamines Oral administration 30-60 minutes before going to bed, such as Benadryl, Advil, Centrum (Cetirizine), can help your child have a comfortable night and a good night’s sleep. Some younger infants and children may become more irritable and irritable after taking antihistamines. If this happens, you should inform your doctor and stop using the drug. 5. Wet compresses Wet compresses soften the skin and relieve itching. The following six steps are necessary: 1) Rub glucocorticoid ointment on your child’s skin 2) Take a baby sleeper (a thin cotton towel is fine) and dip it in warm water 3) Twist the dry baby sleeper until it is slightly moist 4) Place the moist baby sleeper on your child and cover the outside with a dry baby sleeper. Be careful never to wrap it in a plastic bag outside. The moisture on the baby’s pajamas must remain in a state of constant evaporation. 5) Keep the room warm enough. 6) Your child may be uncomfortable at first, but you have to hold on to it for a while, and then it will become comfortable. Wet compresses exert their therapeutic effect through several mechanisms. The continuous evaporation of water causes a drop in skin temperature, which has a calming effect on the temperature-sensitive nerve endings in the skin. This continuous cold stimulation prevents the onset of itchiness. Wet compresses also restore moisture to the skin surface and allow glucocorticoid ointments to work more effectively. When applied wet, it also prevents the child from scratching the skin incessantly, which is a vicious cycle between dermatosis-scratching. Your doctor may want you to apply wet compresses continuously every night (all night) for a course of 5-10 nights, or change the wet dressing every 8 hours for 24 to 72 hours. If your child has an acute eczema flare-up, using the wet compress method will stop the flare-up in one to two nights.