Child Eczema

When you have a child with severe eczema you can feel as if your own life is on hold. Constant doctor trips, all night up comforting your irritable child. Loads of creams but nothing works. You want relief not just for your child but for the whole family. There are myriads of treatments many of which are harmful for your child. In this press release I outline the main treatments available to treat childhood eczema, along with their pros and cons, so that you can make an informed choice for your child's eczema. Shelley found a better path, while desperately searching for a way to get rid of her son's eczema, and she wants to share that with you. However, before we get to that. Let's get a reminder of what is available for treating your child's eczema. I am sure in the end you will make the right choice for your child. Severe eczema not only has physical effects, but psychological effects on children affected. It can affect every area of their lives. Very often their self esteem suffers, especially if they are bullied. Because of the condition of their skin, and the types of treatment they may have to receive, they may miss school a lot. This together with the lack of sleep they may have as a direct result of the symptoms of their eczema can have a negative impact on their education. While there is no specific definition for severe eczema, you can consider your child to have severe eczema, if first line treatments do not work, it affects a large part of the child's body, there is constant itching and skin redness, there are recurrent skin infections, or serious psychological problems. With severe eczema, the first priority is to ensure the child's comfort. Secondly, try to find the root cause if possible; and take steps to avoid this. Severe eczema should be managed by a dermatologist or pediatrician. Your child may need to receive certain medications that may have side effects that have to be monitored. How to address the initial discomforts of severe eczema There is no denying that the easiest way to deal with eczema is to find the root cause. However, because of the complexity of the factors that contribute to eczema this is not always possible. In this situation it will be necessary to use medical treatment. The first line of treatment is usually potent steroids. When these fail Calcineurin inhibitors can be used. Occlusive Dressings Occlusive treatments such as wet wraps help to increase skin hydration, and act as a barrier to scratching, helping the child to sleep. Wet wraps also help with the penetration of steroids. The drawback of using wet wraps to treat severe eczema is that they can cause the skin to be more prone to infection. The wraps are usually made from a wet cotton bottom layer and a dry cotton top layer. They should be left in place over night and used for about 5-7 days in a row. Over use can lead to infection and paradoxically, dryness of the skin. Ultraviolet Light Therapy Ultraviolet light therapy has been shown to work for some children with severe eczema. Its use may be impractical for some, as it has to be given 3 times a week for several months in a specialist centre. There is also the risk of skin cancer later on in life. Systemic Immunomodulatory Treatment This type of treatment for severe eczema in children should not be undertaken lightly. Before your child's doctor thinks about using this treatment, al possible reasons for the failure of other treatments should be considered. These should only be used as a last resort. These treatments basically suppress the immune system, leaving the child vulnerable to developing other immune related illnesses. The main ones in use are ciclosporin A, azathioprine and methotrexate. These drugs are fast acting and quickly induce remission in severe eczema. Ciclosporin can cause kidney problems, and therefore should only be used for very short periods. In addition to these azathioprine may cause headache and tummy upset. If possible it is best to avoid having to use these drugs to treat severe eczema in children. There are also many natural remedies that are gentler, that others have used with success in treating severe eczema in children. However, you should never give a child herbal remedies, as these can also have serious side effects. Most natural remedies for eczema in children revolve around a very healthy diet. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables contain natural substances that boost the body's natural immunity. At the same time it is important not to give the child refined and processed foods with additives. Many children are sensitive to the chemicals in these foods. Also try to go organic, and use as many foods as possible in their natural state. Coping with severe eczema in children can be just as devastating for the parent, as it is for the child. There is the agony of watching your child suffer, and many work days lost, as the child may have to stay home from school or attend doctors regularly. Parents have to make decisions about what course of treatment to use for their child's severe eczema. The purpose of this article was to lay out the main treatments and their dangers, to help parents to make informed choices, on treating severe eczema in their child. There are many ways in which you can help your children. Shelley has helped her own son and other children get over their eczema by using natural methods. To find out more you can visit http://youreasyeczemaremedies.com Original Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelley_M_Rock