Information for Tweens Suffering with Eczema

Overview, Prevention, and Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis

Jan 5, 2009

Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is annoying, as well as sometimes painful. Get an overview of this condition, so you can help your tween feel better fast.

Rashes and kids go hand in hand, and tweens are subject to having transient rashes many times during childhood. One relatively benign rash common in tweens is eczema. It’s a nuisance rash that often itches and sometimes burns. Take a look at this overview of eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, and see what you can do to help a tween suffering with this type of rash.

Overview of Eczema

This rash is also sometimes referred to as infantile eczema, but it actually occurs in older children as well. It occurs when a child becomes overly sensitive to environmental allergens such as tree or grass pollens, mold, animal dander, dust, or certain foods. The appearance is that of inflamed, red skin that may or may not have small fluid-filled bumps in the middle of it. The bumps ooze and dry flakes appear, all of which are itchy.

Interestingly, tweens with eczema often have co-existing diseases like hay fever, miscellaneous allergies, or even asthma. Eczema is believed to have some genetic component as parents and children can have it together. Statistics show that children who develop eczema have a fifty percent chance of also developing hay fever or some type of asthma as well. Even so, eczema is not considered an allergy itself. It just seems to be triggered by allergies.

Eczema occurs in about one out of every ten children. The first symptoms usually occur within the first few months of a child's life and is rare after the age of five. Fortunately, it almost always resolves itself completely when a tween reaches the teen years.

Specific Signs and Symptoms of Eczema

Eczema does not look the same in each individual. It can be more severe in some, and less severe in others. Tweens generally get less oozy and more scaly rashes than infants. The main signs and symptoms include:

It can appear in all of these places or just one or two places. It is no less uncomfortable wherever it strikes.

The symptoms come and go, and sometimes clear up all on their own. Scratching makes the lesions worse. When it clears up, it can clear for months or even years before flaring again, if there is a trigger. Some children have the rash go away in childhood, only to come back again when the hormones of puberty trigger the rash all over again. There is no evidence that eczema is at all contagious and does not spread by itching.

Prevention of Eczema

As eczema is highly hereditary, there are few things your tween can do to make the rash completely disappear. There are triggers, however, that can be avoided to prevent the worsening of the rash. These include avoiding:

Since some of the items listed above may be impossible for your tween to avoid, at least try to minimize contact as much as possible. This may help deter eczema from coming back for longer periods of time.

Diagnosing Eczema

It is difficult to diagnose eczema because it is a nonspecific rash that doesn't look the same in everyone. In some, it can look like seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, or contact dermatitis. There is no blood or skin test that definitively diagnoses eczema. The best answer is getting a good history and trying to link the rash to allergic phenomena or family history. You can sometimes link the rash to recently getting a pet or starting a new lotion or soap.

The frequency of recurrence of the rash does help doctors pinpoint eczema as the proper diagnosis. Help your tween maintain a journal of when he first notices the rash coming back to show to his doctor. A pattern of occurrences can prove very helpful.

Treatment for Eczema

The best treatment is the use of topical steroid creams that seem to improve the itching and the appearance of the rash. It is used daily for several days or up to a couple of weeks to control the rash’s appearance. Steroid creams should not be used indefinitely so you should talk to your doctor if you feel you are taking it too long.

Often times over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream can work wonders in less severe cases of eczema. Used twice a day, it can control the rash nicely. There are other treatments for the specific symptoms that eczema causes. Talk with your doctor about which treatment is right for your tween.

Eczema is no fun for a thriving, on-the-go tween. Knowing what might be your child's triggers, and getting the proper treatment can make all the difference to him leading a perfectly normal life.

Note: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be valued medical advice. Always consult your child's doctor for a correct diagnosis, and follow a prescribed plan of treatment.

The copyright of the article Information for Tweens Suffering with Eczema in Parenting Tweens is owned by Denise Oliveri. Permission to republish Information for Tweens Suffering with Eczema in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.