Eczema is a common skin condition found in over 10% of children up until about the age of 10, and quite prevalent in the 0-5 age range. Also known as atopic dermatitis, eczema is an immunological disease that causes inflammation under the skin, and can be attributed to a reaction from various substances ranging from allergens to chemicals.
Because eczema commonly presents itself when we’re very young, it can sometimes mean that dealing with eczema symptoms often fly under the radar as your child may be too young to express their level of discomfort. Eczema can also commonly be mistaken for a simple drool or skin rash, so being able to correctly identify your child’s symptoms will mean you get the right treatment for them.
Both drool rash and eczema appear early, usually within the first 6 months of a baby’s life. Both skin conditions appear as slightly raised, itchy and red skin. Here we look at the identifiers of both a drool skin rash and eczema, so you can identify eczema early and start treatment as soon as possible.
HOW TO IDENTIFY A DROOL/SKIN RASH
As we all know, babies drool as they develop their mouth skills and can be more common in babies that use pacifiers. Some people also call teething rash a drool rash.
A drool rash appears because of the large amount of saliva coming out from your baby’s mouth and often located around the mouth, in the folds of your baby’s neck, on the cheeks, or on your baby’s chest. Drool rash has a rough appearance and shows up as an even or slightly swollen patch of skin with little red bumps – similar, but not the same as eczema.
HOW TO IDENTIFY ECZEMA
Eczema in babies is caused usually caused by external factors that make the skin to be dry, affecting the skin’s barrier function. These irritants can be from coldness, dryness, soaps or detergents, wool clothing, sweat, and stress – to name a few.
It can also be caused by genetic mutations or an immune system dysfunction that triggers an inflammatory response.
Eczema can appear as a red rash on the face, elbow, and knee, it can also be found in other parts of the body too. Appearing as small bumps which may weep or ooze fluid, eczema makes the skin scaly, dry and itchy.
In the very young, eczema can be spotted in a few ways, such as when you see the skin is thickened, signs of redness and swelling in the skin, and commonly when there are changes to the skin around the ears, mouth or eyes.
Eczema in babies can increase the risk of them developing other allergic conditions such as asthma, hay fever and food allergies, so it’s very important to get the right treatment early on.
TREATMENT OPTIONS
Both drool rash and eczema have a range of treatment options available. Fortunately for drool rash, treatment is easy! Wash gently the affected areas with warm water and pat dry softly. Ointments such as petroleum jelly create a thin coating that creates a barrier between drool and your baby’s skin.
So what can we do when we identify eczema in our kids? Eczema does not have a one size fits all treatment option, but thankfully there is a range of different treatments out there. For babies, light creams and lotions to moisturise the skin right after a bath can help with symptoms, as well as avoiding certain clothes and dry conditions.
When kids get a bit older, further treatments can range from antihistamines to topical corticosteroid creams, or even both. It’s good to try everything you can to alleviate eczema symptoms, and there are natural supplements that can help boost the fight against eczema.
Supplementing western medical treatments with Traditional Chinese Medicines can help augment the relief from the symptoms of eczema and improve your overall skin condition. ThisHerb’s Eczema Free Capsules are 100% natural herbal medicines that aid in the fight against dry, itchy skin.
Read more information on how Eczema Free Capsules can help you.
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