October is Eczema Awareness Month and over 16 million adults and 8 million children in the U.S. have eczema in some form. My 2-year-old has eczema and we have been battling it for over a year. If you have this skin condition or care for someone that does, you know how mentally draining it can be. This past year has been the most demanding year of my life. We have come a long way to be sure, but we’re still searching for those last few puzzle pieces to hopefully heal him from the inside out.
Identifying the root cause is not as simple as it sounds. It could be environmental, genetic, food related, a nutritional deficiency, a combination of these, or something else entirely. Again, it’s a complicated puzzle with many variables.
Throughout our journey this past year, we have found a few things to be helpful for our son in particular so I wanted to share some insight, and lessons learned. This is not medical advice, but rather an example of what we’ve done. It’s important to work with knowledgeable health care professionals since everyone is different in how they respond to various treatments.
1. Find a medical professional that will run tests to help identify what is going on internally. For us, the most helpful test has been gut testing to look at the health and diversity of his microbiome. There are several tests out there so speak with your provider for more information. Some will require medical interpretation and others will come with detailed suggestions and next steps to tackle any imbalances. Through testing, we identified an overgrowth of unfriendly microbes that we are tackling with antimicrobials and other supplements. Other tests to consider are allergy tests and food sensitivity tests. Although they may not be 100% accurate, they can still be helpful in identifying triggers.
2. Protect and cover the skin which will allow it to heal. We invested in some scratch sleeves which have been a life saver! These are specially made for children with eczema so they can’t scratch themselves at night or during naps. They have fold-over mittens so they can still eat and play without being restricted. Other therapies to consider are wet wrapping and the soak and seal method. I will link to these in the episode resources.
3. Emotional stress can be a trigger so do your best to stay positive and celebrate every success no matter how small it may seem. Maybe you or your child were able to wear shorts for a few days without scratching or they slept through the night for the first time in months. These are huge victories for some people so celebrate all of the little wins as they come. Remember that it will get better, and the body wants to heal.
If your little one struggles with itch, try reciting this poem. It’s from a fellow eczema warrior and she gave me permission to share.
“Oh look the itchies are tickling,
They’ve come to say hello,
Let’s try and blow them away,
And see if they will go.
(Get them to try blowing the area or just blowing/deep breaths as a distraction)
Next, we can try to tap tap tap,
Tap them 1,2,3
Well done for trying not to scratch
Be kind to your skin yippee!
(Keep tapping hopefully the urge subsides)
If it’s tickling a bit too much,
You can ask for some help with it,
We can find some cream or something cool,
That should help the itchies quit!”
This week, reach out to someone you know who is battling eczema and see what kind of support they need. Having a strong social support network is key to maintaining a positive outlook. For additional resources and a recording of today’s episode, visit wvik.org/wellness. You can also subscribe to Wellness Wake Up Call today wherever you listen to podcasts and never miss out on these weekly wellness tips.
Thank you for listening! I hope you have a happy and healthy day ahead. This has been Kristin Bogdonas, nutrition and wellness educator, with University of Illinois Extension.
Resources and References
· Fact Sheets for eczema resources including steps to soak and seal and wet wrapping instructions.
· Resources for Eczema Awareness Month
