What is Eczema and How These Moms Helped Their Kids Get Rid of It
Category: Healthy Body
Does your child or someone you know have inflamed patches of dry, red skin? Do they suffer from severe itching and they won't stop scratching?
These may be signs of atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema.
Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is an inflammatory skin condition that affects an estimated 30 percent of the U.S. population, mostly children and adolescents.
It is a chronic disease characterized by dry, itchy skin that can weep clear fluid when scratched. People with eczema also may be particularly susceptible to bacterial, viral, and fungal skin infections.
About 20 percent of babies and young children have eczema. It usually starts in infancy, with 65 percent of patients developing symptoms in the first year of life and 90 percent develop symptoms before age 5.
Science has yet to find a clear cause for the condition which has hindered the development of an atopic dermatitis cure. There is substantial evidence to suggest that it results from an internal reaction to the combination of environmental triggers, genetics, and a weakened area of the skin.
In what areas does eczema usually appear?
In infants:
On the most exposed areas - the cheeks, forehead, and chin
In children:
Inside folds - elbows, behind the knees, on the upper side of the feet, hands, the torso or neck
In adults:
The face, neck, and hands
Who's At Risk For Developing Eczema among Infants and Children?
- Boys have a 50% increased risk of developing eczema as compared to girls
- Children of African or Asian descent have an increased risk
- Wealthier children and those who come from smaller families have higher incidence of eczema
- Increased risk for babies and children living in a developed country such as the United States, Western Europe or Australia
- Children who have a family history that includes the atopic triad of eczema, allergic rhinitis (hayfever) and asthma
- Colonization of certain type of bacteria on the skin, such as Staphylococcus aureus
*Source: Eczemafree.org
Fortunately, there are simple strategies that can help reduce the risk that your child will develop eczema as well as natural treatments to calm existing lesions.
Prevention And Solutions of Eczema In Infants And Children
Results for treating atopic eczema varies in children depending on the skin's severity and the things that trigger their condition.
Below are some of the practices that have been effective on most children with atopic eczema:
• Don't introduce formula or solid foods too early.
According to research published in 2010 in the journal Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, introducing solid food before 1 year of age and introducing formula before 6 months of age was correlated with increased risk of developing eczema.
The study showed that exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and delayed solid food introduction to 1 year significantly reduced the risk of developing both food allergy and eczema.
• Feed your children diets rich in Vitamin E.
A 2010 study of Japanese children found that those who consumed diets rich in Vitamin E were 67 percent less likely to develop eczema than those who had the lowest intakes of Vitamin E.
However, it can be a struggle to make sure that your child gets enough Vitamin E. This is why I recommend Shaklee's Vita-Lea Ocean Wonders.
Shaklee's Vita-Lea Ocean Wonders doesn't only have your child's needed Vitamin E but it also provides 100% of the daily value of vitamin C, plus calcium, magnesium and more.
Here's blogger, Jessica Ballard's and other moms' testimonials on how Shaklee's products helped their kids get through eczema.
We started Walker on the meal shakes, to get some weight on him.
The probiotic to help heal his gut and help him process his allergens better, and the Vita-Lea Ocean Wonders which all the kids take. He never reacted to the dextrose in any Shaklee products, which I can assume means its higher quality, well-tested and sourced well.
You can see my handsome boy with his almost completely clear skin. We have come such a long way with his health. Once we were able to expose and then test him for fish, we added the OmegaGuard to his protocol. That really made such a big difference for him. Once he did well on that, we added Alfalfa to all the kids during their allergy flare-ups. We can cut out the runny noses, funny breathing, and don't worry about it becoming a sinus infection. We have eliminated all OTC drugs, and keep a little cream around for handling big flare-ups from reactions to unknown exposures, or events that we can't avoid. It's now a rare occurrence.
- Jessica Ballard, blogger, Positive Inspired Living
What Jessica used:
My 8-year-old was born with atopic dermatitis. ..pretty much eczema. Anyway, we have tried so many doctor-recommended creams (even prescription) and they all burn.
BUT, he loves the Shaklee creams (multipurpose and herbal). He also takes Alfalfa every night and his snoring is much better (hardly snores anymore)! He says he can breathe better. Yay!
- Anne Brackett Moore, Mom
What Anne used:
My son used Optiflora, and NutriFeron and his eczema cleared up. This was after many many different attempts to clear it. When the itching was really bad, we would give him a lukewarm bath with Basic H2.
- Theresa Kautz, Mom
What Theresa used:
Here are some other products parents recommend:
• Why probiotics are part of the solution.
These good bacteria decrease the risk of developing a food allergy and also help modulate the immune system, calming the hyper reaction characteristic of eczema eruptions. With this, I highly recommend Shaklee's Optiflora Probiotics.
• Skin care is another important consideration
Always keep your child's skin moisturized.
Many parents claimed they have positive results in using Shakleebaby Massage Oil, Shakleebaby Gentle Wash, and Shakleebaby Lotion.
Shakleebaby Soothing Lotion
Shakleebaby Massage Oil
Shakleebaby Gentle Wash
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Formaldehyde
- Ammonia
So this just happened. My 4-year-old has had mild eczema since she was about 1 year old. A year ago we switched our laundry detergent to Shaklee detergent and she has not had eczema all year! I am so thankful we found Shaklee!
- Sharon Hammond - Saad, Mom
What Sharon used:
Chemicals in cleaning products can cause or irritate asthma, allergies, eczema and other autoimmune disorders. Even if you aren't in direct contact with the chemicals, they can find their way onto your kid's skin in various ways.
I use and highly recommend Shaklee's Get Clean products because they don't have any of those harsh toxic chemicals that can bother your kid's skin.
Get Clean Starter Kit
If you have a child struggling with severe eczema, my heart goes out to you. It's difficult to see your child in such pain and even more exasperating when effective solutions seem elusive.
If you focus on finding natural solutions and building their health naturally you'll have a much better chance of helping them either better cope or get rid of eczema altogether.
To your family's good health,
Gloria
