7 Tips To Prevent Skin Infections In Children With Eczema

You may have already suspected this.   Eczema is not just a skin disease.

One of the concerns for children with eczema is that they are more likely to get skin infections and other illnesses.

Children with eczema have broken a skin barrier that makes them susceptible to viruses and bacteria from the environment and other kids.

Furthermore, some of the children do not sleep well at night, which can compromise their immune system to fight off any infection.

To make matters worse, when children with eczema get an infection, their eczema may become more severe disease and harder to treat.

So, what can you, a parent, do to prevent illnesses and infections?

Here are 7 Tips to Prevent Infection in people with eczema.

1. Be vigilant of any cuts or scrapes. If your child has sustained a fall and has a small wound, be sure to clean it with gentle soap and water. Apply topical antibiotics and bandaids if needed. If you see the surrounding skin is getting red, painful and oozing yellowish fluid, contact your doctor for a quick checkup. He or she may need antibiotics.
2. Hand washing is essential to prevent infection. Children touch all kinds of objects. The most common way to get sick is by touching a surface with germs, and then touching the face, eyes, or mouth. Proper hand washing can remove that reservoir of germs and help prevent infections. Please note that excessive and inappropriate hand washing may make your hand eczema worse.
3. Encourage your child NOT to share cups, bowls, and utensils with other children. Some parents may feel awkward and want their children to learn to be generous. You can still do so. Just don’t use the same eating wares.
4. Avoid anyone who is ill. Although all children need some degree of exposure to germs, bacteria, and viruses to build up immunity, it is a good idea to still exercise caution and limit your child’s exposure to people who are sick.
5. Don’t share towels, blankets, and stuffed animals. The fibers on those items entrap germs and are a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Also, it is a good idea to wash those items periodically.
6. Be aware of cold airs and drafts. Changing air temperature can lead to congestion of sinuses and airways. When the nose and ear are congested, they are less effective at flushing out germs.
7. If your child has multiple and repeated episodes of skin infection, be sure to check the inside of the nose and make sure he or she is not a carrier of a certain strain of bacteria.

So what are the common illnesses your child has? If your child has eczema, what do you do to limit exposure and prevent skin and other types of infection? Please share any good tips you have that works.