I’m on a steep learning curve about excema, with my third child having suffered with it from the age of 2.
Excema is a recurring, non-infectious, inflammatory condition in which the skin becomes red, dry, itchy and scaly. It can be exacerbated by dietary factors, heat and emotional turmoil. When present in a very feisty 3-year old prone to tantrums, that spells difficulties.
Earlier this year we had a major intervention after a visit to the dermatologist, which comprised a ‘boot-camp’ period of:
- Minimal bathing – water causes the skin to swell and lose water, hence creating dry, itchy skin;
- Application of thick, vasoline-like ointments – to prevent water loss and sooth any existing dryness;
- Antibiotics – to treat low grade infection in pockets of persistently inflamed and damaged skin, which fuels the excema; and
- Steroid creams – to break the cycle of inflammation by preventing the activities of immune cells…
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