This article is the first of three devoted to the topic of atopic eczema. I will focus on the causes of eczema in this first article and then explore the various treatment options available, both medical and alternative therapies, in the last two articles. Be sure and check the links page under Specific Skin Disorders for excellent eczema links. Also, a helpful support group is The Eczema Mailing List,http://www.eczema.ukgateway.net , which communicates with each other via e-mail (membership is free).
The summer my son turned two was the first time I noticed the red, scaly rash on his sweet, soft baby skin. At first I thought nothing of it. A week before the rash appeared, our friend's six-year-old daughter visited our house covered in ringworm. So naturally I assumed that my son had contracted the fungal infection from her. Easily fixable, and gone in a few days. Not something I needed to add to this mother's long list of worries. Right? WRONG! After nearly two weeks, my toddler's "ringworm" hadn't cleared up, and finally the doctor diagnosed him with atopic eczema.
The rash began as two red spots behind both knees and spread to his feet and elbows. The characteristics of the condition are generally red, scaly, dry and inflamed skin predominantly on the face, neck, upper chest, ankles, wrists, and the inside of the elbows and knees. The most irritating symptom in most cases is the persistent itchiness. Continuous scratching of the inflamed areas only compounds the problem by exposing the skin to infection. Once infected, the cracked skin weeps and oozes. At this point, antibiotics are required to clear up the infection. The American Academy of Dermatology, http://aad.org/pamphlets/eczema.html , offers a good description of atopic eczema.
As most concerned parents, I wanted to know all I could about eczema, namely why my son had it, and why wasn't it going away. Looking back, my doctor really didn't seem particularly concerned with the fact that my toddler had been diagnosed with eczema. After performing my own investigation into the skin disorder, I discovered there was ample evidence showing a connection with allergies and eczema. My doctor didn't inquire into whether or not my son suffered from food sensitivities or airborne allergens, or ask if either my husband or I had medical histories of allergies. His advice simply entailed moisturizing my son's skin after bathing him. Well, unfortunately treating his eczema just wasn't that simple.
The summer my son turned two was the first time I noticed the red, scaly rash on his sweet, soft baby skin. At first I thought nothing of it. A week before the rash appeared, our friend's six-year-old daughter visited our house covered in ringworm. So naturally I assumed that my son had contracted the fungal infection from her. Easily fixable, and gone in a few days. Not something I needed to add to this mother's long list of worries. Right? WRONG! After nearly two weeks, my toddler's "ringworm" hadn't cleared up, and finally the doctor diagnosed him with atopic eczema.
The rash began as two red spots behind both knees and spread to his feet and elbows. The characteristics of the condition are generally red, scaly, dry and inflamed skin predominantly on the face, neck, upper chest, ankles, wrists, and the inside of the elbows and knees. The most irritating symptom in most cases is the persistent itchiness. Continuous scratching of the inflamed areas only compounds the problem by exposing the skin to infection. Once infected, the cracked skin weeps and oozes. At this point, antibiotics are required to clear up the infection. The American Academy of Dermatology, http://aad.org/pamphlets/eczema.html , offers a good description of atopic eczema.
As most concerned parents, I wanted to know all I could about eczema, namely why my son had it, and why wasn't it going away. Looking back, my doctor really didn't seem particularly concerned with the fact that my toddler had been diagnosed with eczema. After performing my own investigation into the skin disorder, I discovered there was ample evidence showing a connection with allergies and eczema. My doctor didn't inquire into whether or not my son suffered from food sensitivities or airborne allergens, or ask if either my husband or I had medical histories of allergies. His advice simply entailed moisturizing my son's skin after bathing him. Well, unfortunately treating his eczema just wasn't that simple.
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