Credit: Kaspars Grinvalds / Shutterstock.com Swim or not swim, that was the question, for children with eczema parents. Some parents thi...
Swim or not swim, that was the question, for children with eczema parents.
Some parents think that frequent bathing can dry the skin and eventually worsen the symptoms of eczema. But others think that the baths are an important way to control the symptoms, to soothe the skin and keep it clean. Meanwhile, doctors in recent years have been the best way to go parents shared with conflicting opinions, offer.
Now a new review of studies on the bathroom and eczema is trying to clarify. affiliated physicians at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) said the daily bath is best, provided it follows by a thick layer of moisturizer. The technique is "soak and smear." As Your review published today (June 29) in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. [7 Myths Debunked Baby]
Eczema, atopic dermatitis, resulting in extremely dry skin and itching. The cause is unknown, but it seems to be triggered by an overactive immune system. The state is on the rise: The percentage of children with eczema or any type of skin allergy between 2000 and 2010 from 8.6 percent to 17.1 percent among black children; from 5.0 percent to 9.9 percent among Hispanic children; and 7.6 percent to 12.6 percent among white children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention of disease.
However, the number of page, the parents often touched to see young children with eczema scratch and scratch until the skin becomes red and painful. You just want relief for their children.
Some health experts have recommended Bad scarcity - less than once per day. The theory is that some soaps also can worsen the symptoms of eczema and frequent bathing the results in the evaporation of water from the skin, drying speeds.
In contrast, other physicians advocated frequent bathing - at least once a day - with soaps pH balanced rather than the symptoms of eczema worse by a slap followed skin to dry, and then applying moisturizer.
has, in the absence of a coherent consultation, a group of allergists Dr. Ivan Cardona, Maine Medical Center conducted in Portland, has carried out a thorough review of the scientific literature.
"Because parents are confused, and because they are often their questions to their allergist wanted to examine the studies that have been published on this subject, and determine whether an agreement on the frequency of bathing children was with eczema," he said Cardona. [9 weird way can hurt children]
During his research, Cardona and his colleagues discovered that the debate "to bathe or swim" For over a century that began in ... and for good reason. Frequent bathing not add shares with aggressive detergents in hot water by aggressive drying to aggravate the symptoms of eczema, because they remove from the skin protective oils and aggravate dry skin, the authors of the study.
In addition, the tingling that some children, eczema occur when immersed in water, and it's easy to see why some doctors and parents were reluctant to bathe the children.
But lately, research has increasingly take advantage of the hot bath shown every day that is followed within 3 minutes for a moisturizer "stop" - it creates a thick protective layer on patches of eczema and skin completely separates from the air - seal in moisture, the researchers found. This process is "soak and smear" as called, a term introduced Dermatology by other researchers in a 2005 article in JAMA. Cardona said he also likes the term "soak and seal."
"The smear [or seal] part is really important, because if the moisturizer is applied immediately, the skin ... probably dry up," said Dr. Neal Jain, principal author of the article and allergist in Phoenix. "Our feeling is that the method of proof which, although favoring limited" soak "method" dry smear "for eczema management," he added.
The authors of the study found that on the basis of his own experience with patients, exacerbation of eczema frequent bathing on the use of detergents is more akin and the lack of cream application sufficient moisture within three minutes after of the frequency of exposure water bathed.
"We believe that an important reason for the development of the rarity of the bath often because the daily [or] approaching frequent bathing takes a little more work favors and often poorly done, resulting in drier and eczematous wider," said Cardona live Science.
Cardona, Jain and third co-author of the study, Dr. Leland Stillman Maine Medical Center, also pointed out that the review of the research is not the last word on the issue of frequency of baths, but a catalyst for further quality is research on this issue and the explanations and instructions of the medical groups of more definitive experts provided.
Follow Christopher Wanjek daily tweets about health and science with an edge of humor. Wanjek is the author of "Food at Work" and "Bad Medicine". His column, Bad Medicine appears regularly on LiveScience.
