Treating Eczema

I don't think I've ever blogged about eczema, which is kind of weird. But neither of my kids suffered from it, so I guess I had no reason to think about it. An older child I know does suffer from it, however and I'm writing this because I think I have figured something out. I'm certain that doctors give parents way too much credit. The doctor of this child told her mom that the child should only take short, warm (not hot) showers. That advice is accurate. But the mom makes the child shower daily...which I think is CrAzY. And if the doctor had known this, he may have told her not to. Then I saw the lotion that the child was being slathered in and really grew concerned. It was some Vaseline lotion with a really strong scent. While it smelled good, thankfully I knew that it wasn't good for her eczema. I promptly got a bottle of unscented all natural baby lotion from my stock and handed it over. While lotion doesn't necessarily treat eczema, it does treat the dry skin that is more prone to eczema breakouts. And fragrances and other miscellaneous ingredients are too harsh for children's skin, especially those with eczema.
While what a child uses on her skin is an important factor in controlling eczema flare ups, equally as important is treating the condition internally. Omega-3 oils have worked wonderfully for this, in children as well as adults. You have many options, from flaxseed oil (or whole or ground flaxseed) to fish oil and krill oil. There are others, and each has it's pro and con, but that is something each parent needs to investigate because there are allergy concerns, texture/taste concerns, etc. and every kid is different. I personally use ground flax seeds and can say that they don't have a bad flavor. I would describe them as "nutty." The key is to figure out which one will be taken or consumed the most consistently, because if the kid won't take it, it's not worth it.
Take a trip to your local health food store and check out your various options, or check out the natural foods aisle at your grocer. Flax seeds should be widely available there if you are interested in trying them. Hopefully these suggestions will benefit you and your child in some way. Too bad doctors don't know these things! ;)