Understanding eczema triggers in children
Does your child’s eczema get worse by things like stress, overheating, or certain soaps? These factors, often called “triggers” among the eczema community, can make navigating the world difficult. But why does this happen?
The skin’s primary function is to act as a barrier to the outside world, to prevent germs and irritants from entering the body through physical contact. With eczema, that barrier is leaky, meaning it lets irritants pass through and cause an immune response like inflammation – i.e., irritants can “trigger” an eczema flare.
For some people, their eczema may be triggered by itchy wool clothing, for others dust or grass. Many substances in our environment can be an eczema trigger.
What’s challenging – and often maddening – about eczema is what may trigger one child’s eczema, may not bother another, and triggers can be hard to track. It can help to do some detective work to identify your triggers, and to keep a list. However, it is important to keep in mind that some eczema flares happen without a discernible trigger.
During a recent ESC webinar, we asked Toronto-based paediatric dermatologist Dr. Marissa Joseph, MD, FRCPC to share her advice on this topic. She told us: “Regardless of the trigger, barrier protection is key. For example, children who are outside often may experience flare ups because they’re overheating, or perhaps because their skin is directly contacting the grass and becoming irritated. So, if you know your kids are going to be playing outside, you can help reduce irritation by wearing long pants and to limit direct contact with the grass to reduce the likelihood of a flare up.”
Other tips include:
- Keeping the skin moisturized – hydrated skin will reduce the chance of outside irritants entering the skin barrier and causing irritation
- Bathing in clean, warm water, as hot temperatures and overheating are common triggers
- Wearing loose, breathable clothes in fabrics like cotton, and avoiding scratchy and synthetic materials
- Practicing self-care and relaxation strategies to help reduce stress, which is also a very common trigger
- Working with your doctor to develop a treatment plan to help manage your eczema as a whole
Dr. Joseph added: “Doctors need to evaluate each patient’s situation individually to develop the best possible management plan for that individual. Keeping a trigger ‘chart’ can help identify possible triggers and evaluate what helps and what causes irritation.”
If you or your child is struggling with eczema, speak with a qualified health care professionals like a doctor or dermatologist. They can help you identify what’s triggering the eczema and build a plan to help manage the condition.
Eczema Society of Canada (ESC) thanks Dr. Marissa Joseph, MD, FRCPC, for sharing her expertise during ESC’s March 2022 Life with Eczema virtual event series and on this content. Funding for the Life with Eczema Winter 2022 event series was generously provided by Pfizer Canada and Sanofi Genzyme, a division of sanofi-aventis Canada Inc.
Disclaimer: Information provided in this resource does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to be used as a diagnostic tool. The information is up-to-date at time of publication. All medications, interventions, and treatment plans have risks and benefits, and it is important that individuals discuss their or their child’s specific health care needs with a qualified health care professional.
March 2022
