My boys have what our dr said was eczema.?

Question

they have it on their hands and feet. they get what look like blisters, they pop open, and dry up. it can be very itchy. What do you think it is, or does anyone have similar symptoms? what is best to treat this?

Answer 1

There are several types of eczema. I have the type you describe on your son's hands and feet. Moisturize at least twice a day with a non-scented cream (not lotion) like Eucerin or Cetaphil or a generic equivalent.

Provide them with a mild cleansing bar, such as Dove sensitive, for bathing and hand washing. Most people with eczema are very sensitive to chemicals, so apply their sunscreen and such yourself, avoiding the areas with eczema. They should avoid exposing the affected areas to very hot water, as it makes the itch unbearable.

Children's Benadryl, orally, can help with severe itching, and eczema can cause really severe itching, but it may make them sleepy. Running cool water over the affected area helps a lot. I have not found that topical Benadryl creams help much. Aveeno oatmeal products are highly recommended, but they don't help me. They're worth a try, though. Actually, the cool water helps more than anything, but it stops working when the area warms up again.

Over the counter cortisone creams may treat the rash, but their doc may need to prescribe something stronger. (And I'm not sure they're recommended for children.) They shouldn't wash dishes without gloves, or mess around in other chemicals when they are having a flare up.

Many kids outgrow eczema. Unfortunately, we don't all

***EDIT***

I almost forgot! Sunshine (not too much of course) helps many eczema sufferers. Expose the affected area for 10-15 minutes a day. I'm kinda weird about getting too hot, but many people get quite a bit of relief from sunshine. Again, it's worth a try.

Answer 2

I have eczema,or atopic dermatitis,the clinical term for eczema and have had it for 40+ years.You need a better doctor,a dermatologist who treats people with skin conditions to really evaluate your children.A qualified dermatologist will help you choose the right medications for your sons.A regular pediatrician is not good at treating eczema.
Eczema is an hereditary skin condition that leaves patients with hyper-sensitive skin.This means toss out soaps,scented lotions,lotions containing lanolin,aha or sugar acids,retinols,benzocaine...To cleanse the skin your boys will need to use Cetaphil products,the lotion cleanser and the bar cleanser.They will need the Cetaphil moisturizing lotion and apply it several times a day.
Your dermatologist may prescribe hydrocortisone cream or have you buy over-the counter Cortaid;the Cortaid with moisturizers is the best.I've used many prescription medications over the years and the Cortaid works just as well.You just need to know that some of the rashes take a very long time to heal;my worst flare-up lasted for 4 years and I was under a doctor's care and on prescriptions the whole time.I donot recommend the following two medications,though;Protopic and Elidel have been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer.
Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal bathpowder and bath/shower oil are great with soothing itchy skin.
Shampoos that are okay for eczema are Neutragena T-Gel,Denorex Tar Based Shampoo and Nizoral.
Bluborro Powder is a good choice for helping dry out the oozy rashes that one can sometimes get.
Nails must be kept short and clean and your boys must really fight the urge to scratch.Scratching irritates the skin more and acutally worsens the rash.
Wearing soft cotton clothing is recommended.Natural fabrics are considered ideal because they let perspiration evaporate away from the skin;perspiration can have a negative affect o eczema.Wool must be lined and not touch the skin. The newer moisture-wicking fabric are also a good choice. All clothes need to be cleaned using unscented products.

Everyone must learn patience.Fretting over the condition just makes it worse.My dermatologist said that a calm attitude and using the Cetaphil moisturizing cream frequently were the best ways to deal with the rash.
Eczema,allergies and asthma are related in some way.Taking an antihistamine is a good idea.

Answer 3

This sounds like eczema. I have it, but as an adult only. I get it on my hands and feet, particularly when the weather is cold and dry. They itch and there are small blisters that dry up and itch more. There are pinkish red patches as well.

I have used several different remedies, and find they work alternatively:
cortizone cream (use a smaller strength and avoid using over long periods of time)
Nivea cream (the original in the blue jar) - this works when used over a period of time consistently, like a week when applied twice a day.
Use a dandruff shampoo (Neutrogena makes a good one or if it's really bad, try Nizoral which is very effective) to gently wash the affected areas daily. This should help prevent future breakouts.

Also, try to find out if there is any allergic reactions to food, grass, weeds, etc where they play. Eczema is one of those mysterious ailments that has many causes and many treatments but no cure.

I have used Elidel (a prescription creme to treat eczema) but stopped when my health insurance company recommended discontinuing using because it was linked to several cases of skin cancer. It didn't always work either.
Good luck!

Answer 4

My children also have eczema. Eczema usually goes hand in hand with allergies (food allergies esp) and asthma. So if they have any of these conditions-it very well could be eczema.

The way that it appears on my kids is a small, red, bumby rash. Looks like little pimples that very inflamed. Although it can appear in various ways. Blisters on the hands and feet could be a ton of different diseases. If they are very small blisters on the hands and feet and they itch-it could be eczema.

Although blisters on the hands and feet is common for adults-it sounds a little strange for children. Was it a primary care DR or a dermatologist? If you can afford to-please bring your children to a dermatologist-you will get definate answers then.

I suffer from a skin condition called epidermismolyosis bullosa simplex. It causes blistering anywhere on the skin that results from friction. It especially appears on the hands and feet-where there is the most friction. But, the blisters can get very large and are very painful. They itch when healing. It doesn't sound like your children have this-but it just goes to show that there are myriad of different skin conditions.

As for most skin conditions; especially ezcema-get rid of any scented lotions, shampoos, soaps, ect. Use Eucerin, Lubiderm, Aveeno, or aquaphor creams/lotions. Use Dove unscented soap and Aveeno has a great kids shampoo/body wash that has no scents or yucky stuff that will make your kids break out.

Get rid of any laundry detergents that have any scents or unnecessary ingredients. I personally use All Free and Clear and it does a great job!

In your question, it seems that you are questioning whether this really is eczema. I definatly recommend going to a dermatologist and getting a biopsy if necessary.

There are many different skin creams that you can get with a RX. Over the counter-I find hydrocortisone ointment works best. If the rash is on their hands and feet you might want to use the hydrocortisone cream instead of the ointment since the ointment will make a mess.

God Bless and Good luck!

Please see the following web site to get more info. :

http://www.elidel.com/info/diagnosing/eczema_pictures.jsp?creative=10002&site=100041&source=01030&campaign=ELI-9314

Answer 5

My son had terrible eczema and what we had to do for him was make sure his fingernails were clipped really short. We bathed him every other day at the most and then right after his bath we (my husband and I) would slather him in Eucerin (not the calming creme because that one stings terribly). We would put his pajamas on him right after to try to keep the creme from rubbing off. Our allergist recommended using the Eucerin 3 to 5 times a day. Also as for detergents and soaps and such I have always used tide and then the bounce "free" dryer sheets as it is the only one my son seems to do well with. Also if your son is still in diapers I found that my son could only wear pampers because all others irritated his skin so I would check on that. Our allergist told us to only use Dove soaps and shampoos because they are the most gentle. So we use the Dove shampoo and the Dove sensitive body wash. We had problems when we tried the Johnsons baby stuff after he was born so I originally switched it to the walmart hypoallergenic baby wash which was okay, but once we found Dove I will never switch back. Now it is the only thing I use on any of my kids. Good luck. I remember those days were not fun because you feel so bad for your baby and you just want to take all that discomfort away. As for the allergies it is said that if your child has eczema then they have a higher chance of having food allergies. My son is allergic to eggs and nuts.

Answer 6

My little boy had eczema on his cheeks. I was not sure what method to use but I didn't want to make my boy go through any surgery treatments at this young age. Some suggested a plastic surgeon since it was in a very visible location but our family doctor recommend this natural guide.

Best Eczema Treatment?

Answer 7

My granddaughter age 1yr.8mo. has eczema.
Hers is just dry patches, it does not blister and pop open as you described.
This sounds more like posion ivy, oak, or sumac.
Eczema is not usually on the hands, especially in younger children.
If I were you I would get another Dr. to look at these blisters.

Answer 8

It's a very common skin condition that they may even end up growing out of. It isn't dangerous of contagious, just kind of painful & really annoying. Keeping hydrated and using a very thick moistureizer will help alleviate. There are over the counter and Rx solutions. There are even generic over the counter creams that are very helpful & inexpensive. Try to use a hand cream that doesn't have perfumes, because they can irritate open skin. Hopefully your doctor can answer more questions. If the doctor doesn't give you the time to ask or brushes your questions off, see about a new doctor. They should inform you while they diagnose you.

Answer 9

it sounds like eczema my son had it as an infant on his face and his pediatrician gave him Eucerin lotion and believe it or not it cleared his face up but please see a dermatologist

Answer 10

eczema maybe