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Eczema Can Be Simple or Serious—Allergies Can Be The Cause

Simply put, eczema is skin inflammation, often with an itchy, red rash. You can develop it at any age, but it's particularly common in infancy. Sometimes eczema results from dryness and direct, simple irritation that can easily be managed with moisturizers or anti-itch cream. On the other hand, eczema may be caused by an allergic reaction—and can therefore be much more severe. Allergic eczema is highly common (affecting 30% to 60% of eczema patients), and although symptoms appear on your skin's surface, allergic eczema starts deep within your body. In order to prevent it you need to go beneath the surface to detect and target the underlying causes.

29%-66% of eczema patients have an underlying allergic cause of their symptoms.1

Your skin is affected, but it’s not the problem

If you’re changing or bathing your baby and notice her skin is getting chafed, or is cracking and possibly bleeding, it’s probably eczema. The important thing is to find out if it is caused by allergies. A variety of allergic triggers can contribute to inflammation and symptoms of allergic eczema. These include foods such as egg and milk, and sometimes inhalant allergens such as dust mite. Over-the-counter creams and lotions might help relieve some symptoms, but if you have allergic eczema, the only way to stop the cycle is to find the underlying problem. That is why experts recommend that children with eczema be evaluated for potential allergies.

The more you know, the better your treatment will be

Allergy testing can help your clinician determine the true cause of your child’s eczema. With that information in hand, he or she can prescribe the right treatment, which could mean more than just giving medication. By identifying the specific allergens that cause symptoms, you can work to reduce the exposure to specific allergic triggers by reducing or eliminating certain foods from your child’s diet. This can then ease or prevent symptoms by reducing the cumulative allergen load. Talk to your pediatrician about allergy testing. One common blood test can help identify underlying allergies—even in babies as young as 3 months old.

Learn more about allergy testing and ImmunoCAP.

Talk to your doctor about ways to adjust your child’s diet to help manage allergic eczema.

Learn more about the symptom threshold and ways to reduce exposure to allergens.

Reference

  1. Spergel JM. Immunology and treatment of atopic dermatitis. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2008;9:233-244.