Is it possible to control eczema?

Yes, it is possible to control eczema. And, controlling eczema has benefits.

Controlling eczema can:

• Decrease flares
• Improve your child’s health and quality of life
• Reduce the amount of medicine needed — and the need for medicine

1^st step: Understand eczema

Before learning how to control eczema, it’s helpful to learn a bit about eczema. This can help you understand what your child is experiencing. It can also help you care for your child’s eczema.

Basic facts about eczema

• Eczema causes inflammation in the skin.
• The skin becomes intensely itchy.
• Scratching tends to worsen the eczema, but it can be difficult to stop scratching because the skin is so itchy.
• Eczema is not contagious, but the dry, itchy, and inflamed skin may cause people to think it is.
• This common skin condition often begins before age 5.
• The medical name for this type of eczema is atopic dermatitis.

Questions parents often ask a dermatologist about eczema

• Can eczema be cured?
• Do vaccines cause eczema?
• What causes eczema?
• What’s the difference between eczema and psoriasis?
• Will treating eczema improve my child’s health?
• How do dermatologists control eczema?
• How will I know what to do to control the eczema?
• Is it possible to keep eczema under control?
• How can I keep my child's eczema under control?
• Eczema Action Plan
• Should a child who has eczema see a dermatologist?

Reference
Maguiness S, “Severe and refractory eczema: What now?” (2012, August). In Lio PA (Chair), “What's boiling over: Atopic dermatitis and other eczematous conditions.” Forum presented at the Summer Academy Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, Boston, MA.