Eczema Symptoms

Posted on Jan 28th, 2016

Eczema is a skin disease that first appears as an itchy, red rash. Eczema can appear anywhere on your body and makes it uncomfortable to perform normal daily activities. Worst of all, the more you scratch the rash, the worse it gets. Many people with eczema get rashes on their elbows or behind their knees, but it is also not uncommon to find it on the neck, wrists and ankles. Eczema is very common among infants and children; most people who suffer from eczema will first experience it before they turn five years old. Eczema tends to come and go without warning, making it an irritating and unpredictable disease.

If your child has eczema, you will see dry, scaly red patches on their skin. In infants, they often appear on the scalp, forehead and cheeks. The areas where eczema develops become very itchy, so it’s important to control your child’s impulse to scratch to prevent the situation from getting worse. Scratching will lead to the patches cracking and leaking clear fluid, while leaving your child exposed to germs that could enter through the broken skin.

While scientist and dermatologist don’t know the exact cause of eczema, they do know what all eczema patients lack the ability to hold on to adequate moisture in the skin. The most important step in treating and preventing eczema breakouts is moisturizing with a good moisturizer such as Elta MD lotions and creams. The Elta MD line can infuse dry skin with long-lasting moisture while being gentle for sensitive skin.

The good news is that eczema symptoms in children often fade away with time; only about half of eczema sufferers will carry the disease into adulthood. Not all eczema cases are alike, so effective remedies can vary from case to case. Our dermatologist can examine you or your child and recommend the best course of action based on the specific characteristics of your case. Call today to schedule with one of our specialists.

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