Reviews of the Best Eczema Treatments:

Until a few years ago I had never even heard of eczema, that is until my daughter started showing signs of it when she was about 2 years old. Eczema is a general term for inflamed skin conditions, with the most common being atopic dermatitis. Approximately 10-20% of the world population is affected by this chronic, itchy rash at some time during childhood. Most children find that the disease slowly goes away with age while others are afflicted for life. The cause is truly unknown, except that the condition seems to be an abnormal response of the body's immune system (the inflammatory response overreacts causing itching and scratching). Eczema is not contagiuos and has no cure although there are many treatments available that may help alleviate the symptoms. Baby eczema typically appears on the forehead, cheeks, forearms, legs, and neck. With my daughter I found it always near the jointed areas (elbow, behind the knees, wrists, etc). The real problem was getting the diagnosis of her being a severe case of eczema. Since so many kids have this disorder at some level, pediatricians are quick to write it off as something they will outgrow, but my daughter never did.

---

It wasn't until the condition became so severe that we finally went to a specialist after all the moisurizers and creams from the pediatrician did little to help. We went to a skin doctor/allergist to get her test and find out just what might be causing the itchy rashes. We were happy to get answers, although once we found out that she was allergic to dust mites, cat and dog dander, certain pollens, and some trees, our lifes were forever changed. Now we had to be on the lookout for these irritants and try to protect her. We bought dust mite covers for the beds (that helped a lot), we recently tore out our carpets and replaced them with hardwood floors (eliminate dust mites), and bought new leather furniture and got rid of old upholestered couches and chairs. We also started my daughter on allergy shots a year ago to try and build her bodies immunity up to the exact things she was allergic to. She still has some flare ups due to hot weather or being put in situations where dust mites effect her (you can't put a bubble around your child), but we are aware of what causes her eczema and have reduced the stress levels in our household 10 fold in the last year through treatment. Each day we give our daughter a bath and then rub lots of moisturizer cream on her, we have found that Aquaphor is the best solution (costs about $16 for a large container). All in all, it's been expensive to combat this skin disorder and fight her allergies, but we finally feel like we have a hold of the situation whereas before we were constantly trying to catch up and figure things out after the fact. Food is another key contributor in many cases of childhood eczema with preservatives being the #1 thing to consider.

Elidel vs Protopic:

For a while our daughters eczema was so out of control we had no choice but to try steroidal creams and try to shut down here skin reactions. After a while, we switched to Elidel and Protopic eczema creams that were prescribed. We never saw results using Elidel, but Protopic did a good job at controlling the outbreaks once they showed up. However, we didn't want our daughter on prescribed medicine her whole life, so we got her off those oitments and have been using Aquaphor or vaseline ever since. Periodically we will use a steroid cream if things get out of hand (like a staff infection). Definitely talk with your doctor about which medicine to use since both Elidel and Protopic have been known to cause some severe side effects in rare cases. There are countless creams advertised online that claim they will clearup eczema, including one called Freederm. We are by no means saying the product works or does not work, but that all parents of kids with eczema should be aware of companies trying to sell unproven products that are not FDA approved. Ask your doctor if you have questions about any drug or cream before you buy it and use it on your child.

Eczema Discussion Boards and Pictures/Photos:

Eczema, when it's severe enough, can essentially render your family grounded. You only deal with the child who has eczema and all things in your life revolve around protecting or treating the child from the eczema. I found that there are few support groups designed to help families living with this stressful disease. Many of the sites dedicated to battling this nuisance of a skin disorder originate in the United Kingdom (people in England have a high rate of getting eczema as well). I would read through other parents nightmare scenarios and realize perhaps we didn't have it as bad as I thought. It's a daily routine when your child has eczema (baths, moisturizers, creams, etc) and it can be very stressful on the rest of the family. A top site that I found and recommend highly to anyone dealing with this disorder is Eczemavoice.com. They offer a newsletter, eczema helplines, an eczema discussion board, tips and hints on how to treat and prevent eczema, and facts and case studies on recent scientific findings. It's truly the best resource I found on the Internet with real answers.

How can eczema be prevented?

In order to help avoid eczema "flare ups", try to follow some of the guidelines below:

• Moisturize frequently
• Avoid sudden changes in temperature or humidity
• Avoid sweating or overheating
• Reduce stress
• Avoid scratchy materials like wool
• Avoid harsh soaps, detergents, and solvents
• Avoid environmental factors that trigger allergies (e.g., pollens, molds, mites, and animal dander)
• Be aware of any foods that may cause an outbreak and avoid those foods

Do you have a quality site or product that belongs in this guide? We are always happy to evaluate or review new products and websites. Feel free to contact us at the email address below and let us know about you. If you have a demo product you'd like us to look at, please contact us before sending anything. Thank you.

Review and Internet Guide Index: Cell Phones: - Apple iPhone Review - iPhone Wallpaper - Bluetooth Headsets Computers and Internet: - Amazon Kindle Review - Apple MacBook Air Review - Best Selling Wireless Routers Household/DIY: - Replacing a Furnace - Most Popular Bread Makers - Kitchenaid Mixers Cars and Automobiles

Audio/Video Electronics - Best 50" LCD TVs - What is Tivo and how does it work? - Flip MinoHD Review Top-Rated Digital Cameras and Photos: - Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT DSLR - Top HD Video Cameras - Buying a Digital SLR Camera MP3 Music, Players, Speakers: - Top-Rated Headphones and Popular Earphones Rankings - iPod Touch - Free MP3 Music Downloads Entertainment/Hobbies

Health & Fitness: - Teeter Inversion Tables - Recumbent Exercise Bikes - Adjustable Dumbells Ratings Finance - Car Insurance Quotes - Mortgage Payment Calculator - Debt Consolidation Travel - Disneyland Hotel Guide - Hotels and Lodging - Top 10 Things to Do in New York Fashion/Beauty Sports and Outdoors