Does My Child Have a Rash or Eczema?

Kids get rashes all the time, so how do you tell if it’s nothing to be worried about, or the early stages of a potentially lifelong condition? The best thing to do is to consult with experts who can determine if your child just has a common heat rash or if they’re struggling with a more challenging issue.

At Indus Healthcare, with offices in Pomona, West Covina, and Montclair, California, Dr. Amit Reenu Paliwal and his experienced team offer a full range of integrative and alternative medicine services, helping build your child’s health up naturally and making them more resistant to flare-ups of a chronic skin condition like eczema.

Rashes vs. eczema

Rashes are common among children, whose sensitive skin can react suddenly to mild irritants like detergents used to wash their clothes, moist heat, and insect bites. Most of these reactions are easy to identify, may be treated with a simple cream or medicated bath, and go away quickly. 

Eczema, also known as dermatitis, is a much more persistent and ugly type of skin condition. There are several types of eczema, but the most common type is atopical dermatitis. This causes rashes that often show up in the same areas over and over, appearing red or brown depending on skin tone, and causing thickening of the skin under uncomfortably dry, itchy surface patches.

Other types of eczema cause blisters, crusted sores, swelling, scaling, or oozing. They can affect various areas of the body, from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet. Treatment varies depending on the type of eczema. Common atopic dermatitis has fortunately shown to respond to massage and certain changes in diet.

Treating eczema

While eczema is considered a chronic condition that needs to be managed during your child’s entire life, there are a lot of ways you can help reduce their symptoms.

Diet

Various foods can act as triggers for skin conditions, while others support healthy skin. Adapting your child’s diet may help stop eczema flare-ups.

You can use an elimination diet approach to assess your child’s reaction to certain foods. Common foods to remove include:

• Ultra-processed foods
• White flour products
• Certain dairy products like milk and cheese
• Nightshade vegetables (like tomatoes and eggplant)
• Red meat

If flare-ups occur when certain foods are added back in, these are foods to avoid. If a food doesn’t cause a flare-up, it can stay in rotation. Foods you may want to add more of include:

• Berries and cherries
• Apples
• Red grapes
• Yogurt
• Fatty fish (high in omega-3)
• Whole grains
• Legumes

You’ll have some trial and error, since every child is different, but eventually you’ll figure out which foods are safe and which ones aren’t when it comes to controlling your child’s eczema.

Moisturizer is important for kids with eczema. Additionally, gentle massage with a neutral oil or cream, while avoiding areas with active eczema outbreaks, can moisturize the skin more deeply and help reduce future outbreaks.

To learn more about alternative and integrative medicine for eczema, schedule an appointment for your child by calling the location nearest you, or visit our contact page for more information.