Eczema

1. Eczema Module 2 Young Children's Health Issues

2. Brief overview of the condition Eczema is a kind of skin disease that causes itching and irritation, reddishness and dryness over the affected area. The eczema disease can affect people of all the ages but however, it is most common among the children. Firstly the eczema affects the most upper coat of the skin.    Some experts think kids may be genetically predisposed to get eczema, which means characteristics have been passed on from parents through genes that make a child more likely to get it.

3. Brief overview Cont. About 1 out of every 10 kids develops eczema. Typically, symptoms appear within the first few months of life, and almost always before a child turns 5. But the good news is that more than half of the kids who have eczema today will be over it by the time they're teenagers. In some kids, the condition may improve and then resurface at the onset of puberty when hormones, stress, and irritating skin products or cosmetics are introduced.

4. Signs/Symptoms In most cases, eczema begins as intense itchiness, followed by a patchy skin rash that is red, inflamed, dry and scaly. The rash most often appears on the face, arms, and legs, and particularly affects the creases of the hands and feet. The rash often itches or burns and may ooze or become crusty when scratched. In some cases, infections can occur. Eczema is often so itchy that children will scratch themselves until they break the skin and bleed. Open sores and cracks associated with eczema frequently are the source of secondary infections of the skin.

5. Signs/Symptoms About half of the kids who get eczema will also someday develop hay fever or asthma themselves. Eczema is not an allergy itself, but allergies can trigger eczema. Some environmental factors (such as excessive heat or emotional stress) can also trigger the condition. They may also experience circular, slightly raised, itchy, and scaly rashes in the bends of the elbows, behind the knees, or on the backs of the wrists and ankles.

6. Management of the condition. Because specific triggers can make it worse, flare-ups can be prevented or improved by avoiding possible triggers such as: -Pollen -Mold -Dust -Animal dander -Dry winter air with little moisture -Allowing the skin to become too dry -Certain harsh soaps and detergents -Certain fabrics (such as wool or coarsely woven materials) -Emotional Stress -Excessive Heat/ Sweating.

7. Treatment • Topical corticosteroids, also called cortisone or steroid creams or ointments, are commonly used to treat eczema. These medicines are usually applied directly to the affected areas twice a day.

8. How I as a teacher would address this in the classroom Explain it is not contagious Since emotional stress can cause outbreaks I would make sure that the child did not get picked on because of his or her rashes. Explaining the skin disease would be helpful for them to understand what it is. Do a group discussion and answer any of their questions

9. Teaching Modifications If there are any activities that require a student to use products with alcohol or perfumes I would need to make sure that my student had special products without those ingredients. Since clothing such as wool is harsh on the skin, I would make sure in my dramatic play area that the clothes are all made up of cotton. I would keep the child monitored outside during activities since heat can cause them to sweat which can cause irritations. Offer plenty of water breaks. Water offers moister to the skin.