QUESTION: Our young son, age 9, suffers with a terrible, itchy rash, that our doctor calls a dermatitis.
We have been using creams and salves which work sometimes, but the rash keeps returning.
I want to be sure I am doing everything I can.
Can you please tell me what to do?
ANSWER: It sounds like you are on the right path, combatting the chronic and difficult to manage skin disease that from your description I believe falls into the classification of an atopic dermatitis.
Sometimes called eczema, it is one of the most common skin disorders affecting children, with from 3% to 5% of all children in the United States affected.
Generally there is a history of allergy, either in the child or family, problems such as asthma, allergic runny noses and allergic conjunctivitis.
The skin tends to be dry and scaly, and of course the itch is ever present.
The use of emollient creams or skin softeners can be combined with hydrocortisone that is useful in reducing both the rash and itch.
The medicines to be effective must be applied frequently (as many as 5 to 6 times a day) and regularly.
Skipping an application or two, or forgetting to apply medications regularly, is a most common reason for treatments to fail.
A few other precautions may help. Don't use harsh or drying soap, but try Dove or Neutrogena instead.
Be careful in the choice of clothing as wool and some synthetic fibers may irritate sensitive skin.
Observe carefully to see if particular foods, such as eggs, milk or peanuts may be causing allergic reactions that increase the rash problem.
Stress and emotional upset can also trigger an acute episode. When the itch is so severe that sleep is disturbed, the use of an antihistamine as bedtime medication is indicated, and can be most helpful. But the good news is that about 80% of patients with this affliction are symptom free by age 20.
Until then your care, understanding of the proper usage of medications, and consultations with your physician when flare ups occur can make the course of the disease easier and more bearable.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
