Rashes

My kid developed eczema and we suspected it was due to contact allergy. The allergen was still an enigma but most probably came from outside the house, e.g. playschool.

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We have visited the clinic twice. The first one was at a polyclinic and the pediatrician prescribed anti-histamine syrup and steroid cream. The thing about steroid cream was that it didn't help alleviate the itch. Our kid scratched and broke the skin. We tried calamine and it was better than steroid cream. Calamine with menthol that gives off cooling sensation is the best. However, doctors would warn against over-usage of calamine because it will dry off the skin and aggravate the eczema. To prevent that from happening, we would also apply moisturizer intermitently.

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It didn't work. After more than three weeks of itchiness, we decided to bring our baby to see a skin doctor (dermatologist). 

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The doctor asked about our history of allergies and came to the conclusion that our kid's eczema is due to genetics. Although he was right, we know that genetics is not the only factor. Environment and habits are also involved in the development of eczema in children and adults.

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A study on urban versus rural suggested that habits, lifestyle and environment play important contribution to discrepancies in rural versus urban susceptibility to eczema or autoimmune disorders.

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We are currently giving our kid another antihistamine oral medication, steroid anti-inflammatory oral medication, and topical steroid creams for body and face (the distinction is due to the potency of steroid, where the face will have lesser steroid content as compared to body cream). Hope this week will see a better improvement.

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There is a great reference about skin rashes and type of rashes with their associated probabilities. Read "Rashes" by AskDrSears.

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For persistent/chronic eczema, I wouldn't suggest using steroid cream long-term because the side-effects are bad for developing kids. I would use calamine for most time and try to reduce steroid usage. I am willing to try traditional chinese medicine (TCM) or Ayurveda approach.