What is that? How does it start? When does the madness end? Does it end?
These are some of the many questions that cloud parents’ minds after their child has been diagnosed with eczema. If you have never experienced eczema before, it can be shocking to see the inflammed patches take over your little ones body. And the scratching can be literally nonstop! Not to mention, the bewildered looks from strangers looking at your child’s skin. So what’s a parent to do?
So what exactly is eczema?
Eczema goes far beyond dry skin or a bit of an itch. It’s most common form being Atopic Dermatitis. It is considered a type of skin disease or allergy triggered by various types of food, the environment and/or asthma. It can show itself as thick, red, patchy, inflamed skin that can also lead to skin pigmentation changes. Some doctors have said that eczema gives parents a clue that their child is allergic to something and/or will have asthma. Eczema typically affects the joints, e.g. elbows, knees, ankles, etc but it is not limited to those locations.
What makes eczema such a problematic condition is that there is no catch-all remedy and the constant itch that babies and children experience can uncontrollable. The scratching alone leads to open wounds in which bacteria can be introduced. Once it’s healed, there’s scarring. And somehow this vicious cycle starts all over again when a flare up occurs. (e.g. The dominio effect)
Eczema is a condition that only those who experience it, seem to understand the severity of it. Thanks to research and trial & error, each family can create a unique map to their own eczema success.
An excerpt from an upcoming ScratchMeNot Ebook. Stay Tuned…