The Skinny on Itchy Skin

Does your child spend his nights scratching away? He may be one of the 20% of children with eczema. By Sharon Lim.

A recent study showed that onefifth of our cohort of primary and secondary school children in Singapore suffer from a mild to moderate atopic eczema. And if you suspect it's the prawn in your child's diet that's bringing on the rashes, Dr Colin Kwok, Consultant Dermatologist at Changi General Hospital, has this to say: "Most individuals and parents overestimate the role of food in aggravating eczema." However, prawn is among the common aggravating foods which include other seafood, nuts and dairy products. "The particular food vary with different individuals and we see the prevalence of food-triggered eczema in only up to 10-15% in children with atopic eczema under 5 years of age," he says. And as the child grows older, he reacts less to the foods, he adds.

Dr Kwok answers some frequent queries on this skin disease:

WHAT IS ECZEMA?

Eczema is a commonly used term for dermatitis. There are many types, depending on how and where it appears. The commonest form of eczema is atopic eczema which is an itchy, dry, scaly, red rash, usually affecting the skin around the joints, such as on the neck, groin and behind the knees. Sometimes, eczema can be a blister-like rash, and it can be wet or weeping. Different types of eczema can also appear on the face, arms and legs, palms and soles of the feet.

WHAT BRINGS IT ON?

Generally speaking, eczema could be hereditary (endogenous), where a person has an inborn tendency to break out in rashes. Or, it could be the result of direct skin contact with something external (exogenous) that the skin is allergic to or irritated by, for example, detergent or nickel. Other irritants include methylated spirit, turpentine, thinner and bleach.

WHO'S MORE PRONE TO IT?

Those who have a family history of it are more likely to develop a similar type of eczema. Certain occupations, such as hairdressing, construction work or food handling bring you into direct contact with allergic/irritant substances so you may develop eczema.

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