Take the itch out of eczema!

For those of you who have children with eczema, it is probably one of the most frustrating things that you have to deal with on a daily basis. The itching, the scratching, the scathing looks from other moms in the grocery store whose children don’t have eczema and wonder to themselves “has that child had a bath this month, or should I call CPS?” Fear not, because you are definitely not alone! There are several mainstays of treatment for eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis).

The first is proper moisturizing of the skin. This seems like the simplest, but is often the hardest when you have a busy life and a wiggly kid who hates being messed with. But, it is truly important and must be done at least twice a day (preferably more) if you ever hope to see your child get better. There are several options when it comes to moisturizing the skin. The first and cheapest is Vaseline, which is an excellent emollient and is extremely hypoallergenic to even the most sensitive skin. Vaseline can be applied morning and night and once it has soaked in, it is not greasy to the touch. Other options include Cetaphil, Eucerin, Lubriderm and a newer lotion, called CeraVe, which is unique in that it replaces a lipid that eczematous skin is missing, called ceramide. You want to completely avoid the favorites – brand-name scented baby products, or any other lotion that has a fragrance to it, as the fragrance can act as an irritant. Also, you want to leave the skin wet after bath or showers and instead of towel drying your child, let them drip dry for a minute or so and then apply a thick layer of moisturizer to the skin immediately, so that it locks in the moisture.

The second mainstay of treatment of eczema is topical steroid use. Not all steroids are created equally and there is a broad range available today. For minor eczema, simply using 1% hydrocortisone cream twice daily to the affected areas is often helpful after use of moisturizer. For more severe cases, a prescription strength topical steroid used twice daily is often required to combat the problem areas. Parents are often quite worried about the use of any form of steroids for their children due to the well-known side effects that occur. However, what most parents do not know is that those side effects generally occur with long-term use of oral steroids (not topical steroids.) There are 4 classes of topical steroids from Class 1 (most potent and highest potential for side effects) down to Class 4 (over the counter hydrocortisone). Usually, a Class 3 topical steroid will resolve an acute flare-up of eczema and once improved, decreasing back to a Class 4 topical steroid such as hydrocortisone will usually be all that is required. Class 3 and 4 topical steroids have very little if any systemic absorption, meaning that when you put it on the skin, it stays on the skin. With higher classes of steroids, this is not the case and thus, they must be used very cautiously and sparingly. See the following link for more information about topical steroids: http://dermnetnz.org/treatments/topical-steroids.html With that being said, proper use of topical steroids under the care of your child’s pediatrician is very safe and effective. Another medication exists that can be used to combat eczema and it is called Protopic. There is significant controversy surrounding this medication, as there is concern that it may have the potential to cause skin cancer or lymphoma although this is not proven. It is a medication that works on the immune system, preventing it from making substances that cause the eczema. This medication is typically reserved for patients who have failed steroid therapy and who have severe eczema. This medication is usually prescribed by a dermatologist, although many other doctors feel comfortable with its use. It is important to follow for any side effects.

The third mainstay of treatment of eczema is avoidance of irritants. We already discussed avoidance of scented lotions, but this list should include avoidance of scented detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, bath soap or bubbles, hand soap, and any perfumes. Your child’s sheets, pillowcases and all clothing should be washed with a fragrance free detergent and no dryer sheets or fabric softener should be used. A good bath cleanser to use is Cetaphil gentle, as it is unscented and hypoallergenic.

The fourth aspect of eczema treatment is treatment of underlying allergies. In difficult to treat cases, it is important to consider food and environmental allergy testing of the child. Often there is a certain food that the child is allergic to, or many times there are environmental allergens that play a significant role in worsening of eczema. Eczema, allergies and asthma all go hand in hand and form a triad, often referred to as the “atopic triad.” When one aspect of this triad worsens, it can trigger the other aspects to worsen as well. So, if your child has underlying allergies or asthma, it is important to treat those at the same time. Most eczema sufferers benefit from the daily use of an oral antihistamine such as Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec or Benadryl. However, some children have such intense itching that they often claw their skin at night, and these children require a stronger anti-itching medicine called hydroxyzine, which is a close relative of Benadryl. This medication, especially when given at night, can improve symptoms significantly. 

A fifth element to eczema that must be considered is superficial bacterial infection. Eczema in and of itself is not an infectious problem. However, due to the bacteria that live on skin and especially under the nails, it is quite easy to cause a superficial bacterial infection simply by scratching the skin that is already intensely itchy. This is why it is very important to keep the nails cut very short. When an infection does occur, often a doctor will prescribe topical antibiotics such as mupirocin, which is very effective at combating infections even from the feared MRSA bacteria, which is often the culprit of superficial infections. Occasionally, eczema is so severe that oral antibiotics and oral steroids are required to improve symptoms. Rarely, children have to be hospitalized and placed on IV antibiotics and/or steroids and have special dressings placed on the skin. With such severe eczema, a dermatologist will likely need to be involved in the management.

Hopefully, this will be a good overview of the standard therapies for eczema that you can use as a guide when discussing eczema with your doctor. Make sure to seek medical attention for worsening eczema, as it can have multiple complications that should be addressed promptly.