Pediatric Eczema Treatment Clinic in Georgia

The cause of eczema development in kids is not entirely clear, although genetic and environmental factors seem to play a significant role. It may also have to do with how an individual’s immune system reacts to allergens, bacteria, or environmental irritants.

With that being said, the physical cause of eczema development has to do with problems with the skin barrier, or more specifically, a lack of a particular protein known as filaggrin. This protein is found on the outer layer of skin and helps protect the skin from environmental substances and particles that could harm it. When the skin lacks filaggrin, it has difficulty holding in water and keeping out bacteria and environmental irritants.

Eczema can manifest itself in several different ways in a child. As such, it can appear in a few isolated spots or all over the body. Moreover, eczema may appear differently in babies or toddlers than in school-aged children. With that in mind, the way that eczema typically appears on babies or toddlers and young school-aged children is as follows:

– With babies, eczema often begins as a rash on the scalp or face, with dry and red rashes showing up around the cheeks, forehead, and mouth. Eczema does not typically occur from diaper rash or spread to the diaper area.

– With school-aged children, eczema often develops in elbow creases, the backs of their knees, inner wrists, ankles, around the eyes, or on their neck. The rashes can appear as red, scaly, or as bumps that leak fluid and eventually crust over.

The best treatment for eczema varies from patient to patient, as it ultimately depends on several different factors, including the sensitivity of the patient’s skin, the age of the patient, any medications or medical conditions the patient has or is taking, and how well the patient’s skin responds to various treatments. With that in mind, some commonly effective treatments for eczema include the following:

– Antibiotic treatment, for bacterial causes of eczema
– Antihistamines
– At-home therapies
– Immunotherapy
– Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as tacrolimus (Protopic) and pimecrolimus (Elidel)
– Oral or topical corticosteroids
– Topical moisturizers to help with skin barrier repair

If you decide to bring your child to The Allergy & Asthma Center for eczema treatment, our pediatric allergists can evaluate your child’s symptoms and review their medical history to determine the best treatment plan and help eliminate the eczema rash. We can also provide you with the best information about at-home therapies that you can try to alleviate symptoms of eczema.

The simple answer is no; eczema is not contagious. However, if the eczema rash becomes infected, the rash could become contagious depending on the nature of the infecting agent. At the same time, eczema would not be the contagion in such situations but rather the secondary infection.

For more information about eczema in children or an appointment with us at The Allergy & Asthma Center, we welcome you to contact us or schedule an appointment right here on our website. We serve patients from Lawrenceville GA, Atlanta GA, Conyers GA, Suwanee GA, Duluth GA, Grayson GA, Decatur GA, Brookhaven GA, Lithonia GA and Covington GA.