In the previous blog: https://drpriyamrsharma.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/cam-children-and-monsoons-i-why-are-monsoons-such-a-potent-season-for-precipitating-a-variety-of-illnesses/ , we saw that there are certain causes that make monsoons such a potent season for precipitating illnesses and as promised at the end of the blog, in the upcoming series “CAM: Children and Monsoons” we will deal with common illnesses encountered during this season and how to prevent/treat them.
And as skin is the largest organ of our body and skin affections are troublesome, what with the itching & scratching and the appearance (that troubles parents more than the kids); in part 2 we will deal with Common Skin ailments seen in Monsoons and how to prevent/treat them.
Let’s begin with the easiest to identify and the one that most of us have suffered with sometime or the other in our lives.
1) PRICKLY HEAT/ MILIARIA:
It is a red, itchy eruption that children can easily get in hot and humid weather in places where they tend to sweat the most.
These are tiny, pinpoint bumps on the skin usually found in the folds of the skin or in the areas where the nappy/clothes fit snugly. This is due to excessive perspiration in the region that does not dry off well. The sweat droplets get trapped in the skin due to blocked pores and hence this condition is also known as “sweat retention syndrome”.
It causes severe itching and children tend to knowingly/unknowingly scratch it leading to pain and burning. This especially occurs if the nails are not trimmed well.
If the nails are long and dirty, then the scratching may lead to infection, festering the already annoying condition.
Prevention:
Keep the child in a cool, dry environment.
Avoid tight clothes. Light, airy clothing helps the sweat to dry off easily from the body as well as from the clothes.
Use absorbent material clothing. Avoid nylons or polyester fabrics.
Keep your child’s nails trimmed and clean.
Sweat should be wiped off from time to time so that the moisture does not persist on the skin.
Management:
It is usually a self resolving condition and keeping the child in a cool, dry environment helps in resolution.
Applying calamine lotion may help to ease the itching.
Give cool baths or clean the skin with a wet cloth followed by gentle patting to dry off the skin.
Bathing should be done with a mild soap so as not to irritate the skin further.
Do not scrub/rub the areas with rashes.
Do not use ointments like Vaseline or other lotions to cover the areas.
If the rash doesn’t go away and appears to get worse, you should see your doctor immediately.
Corticosteroids are generally advocated in persistent cases but a milder method with no side-effects can be a better option for your child.
Homoeopathy is a mild, gentle way of treating persistent and/or infected rashes and should be opted for in cases which do not resolve with the above measures.
2) PUS BOILS/ FURUNCLES:
Pus boils are quite common during the summer and monsoon seasons.
These are caused by an infection of hair follicles by bacteria called staph. Once the infection occurs the body responds by sending WBCs to fight it off. The dead bacteria, dead skin cells and white blood cells build up causing pus.
Most of our skin is covered by tiny hair follicles, so one can get pus boils anywhere. But they are usually found where there is hair, friction and sweat.
A pus boil looks like a small, swollen, red bump to begin with. It may be quite painful. Over a few days it will grow and fill with yellowish-white pus.
These are usually associated with a fever as the infection increases.
Prevention:
The best method is regular bathing and maintaining a dry hygienic skin.
Use of a mild disinfectant might help.
Avoid tight clothing that causes too much sweating and friction.
Management:
Do not squeeze and do not allow your child to scratch the boil.
Visit your doctor immediately.
Hot fomentation 2-3 times a day helps the boil to open up and the pus to drain out.
If the boil is draining on its own, let it drain. Clean the area gently with soap and water and follow all the instructions given by your doctor.
Normally, antibiotics and topical creams are used in such cases with anti-pyretic (medicine to control fever) to control the temperature.
Homoeopathy has a vast array of medicines that can help in treatment and prevention of the tendency to boils in a child who gets them recurrently.It is also safe, sweet and consumed readily by children without a fuss and just one medicine can take care of all the complaints as opposed to loading your child with multiple medications. Most importantly, it takes care of recurrences and tendencies to such infections by strengthening the body’s own defence mechanisms.
3) FUNGAL INFECTIONS:
These are commonest in monsoons as the moist and hot climate helps fungii to thrive and multiply.
Fungal infections often happen in parts of the body that are most prone to sweating, such as the feet, the groin area and the scalp. Although, they may also be seen in the axilla, on the face, back, buttocks and arms etc.
Ringworm/Taenia is the commonest type of fungal infection encountered. It is a contagious, circular or ring-shaped rash.
It usually begins as a small, itchy, red and scaly patch which gradually increases in size and number. At times, several rings appear close together and merge.
Over a period of time it might change colour and appear darker.
They itch severely and sometimes scratching might lead to bleeding and pain.
Nails are at risk of fungal infections during the rainy season, especially if your baby sweats and continually scratches However, nail infections are generally uncommon in babies and young children.
Your baby’s nails can become infected with the same fungus that causes ringworm or athlete’s foot. Nails can become discoloured and turn yellow, brittle and rough. In severe cases, the nail can come away from the nail bed. You may also notice red, swollen and itchy skin around the nails.
A fungal nail infection can result from overexposure to water, damage to the nail, or scratching sweaty or infected skin. Any moisture or debris trapped under the nails encourages the infection to grow.
Prevention:
Maintain dry skin. Towel dry your child’s skin well after a bath.
If your child gets wet in the rain, bathe him/her and change them into dry clothes immediately.
Avoid wearing moist/wet clothes.
Keep your child’s nails trimmed and clean and avoid scratching of already infected parts.
Mothers or any other family members if infected must be treated thoroughly and they must maintain adequate distance from the child so as to avoid spread of infection.
Management:
In general measures, trimming the nails and keeping the infected areas clean and dry are a must.
To avoid spread to other parts of the body, scratching must be avoided and body should be maintained dry as these organisms thrive and multiply in moist conditions.
The baby’s clothes should be washed separately. Clothes should be worn only after drying thoroughly.
Medications are given in the form of antifungal tablets, ointments and paints whenever necessary in the allopathic mode of treatment.
Homoeopathy has a major role to play in the treatment of these infections. It takes care of the fungal infection present and prevents persistence and recurrence. It is also a non-suppressive form of treatment and hence, great for preventing and taking care of underlying tendencies to such infections.
4) ATHLETE’S FOOT/TAENIA PEDIS:
Athlete’s foot usually affects children aged 10 years and older. It is also a fungal infection.
It is an infection that looks like a red, itchy and moist rash on the feet.
It usually starts at the toes and moves on to other areas of the feet.
Other symptoms include a burning sensation, cracked skin, blisters and foul-smelling feet.
Children acquire it by running barefoot on contaminated floors, particularly in the monsoon season.
It can also occur if your child shares clothes with someone.
Athlete’s foot flourishes in hot and moist environments like in sweaty socks or shoes or bathing areas. It is highly contagious and can spread through contact with an infected surface.
Prevention:
Keep your child’s feet dry as the fungus tends to increase in a damp and moist environment.
When drying your child post-bathing, pay particular attention to the skin between his toes.
Make sure your child wears clean socks. Socks will prevent scratching and help keep feet dry, clean and healthy. Stick to breathable thin cotton socks, and change them at least once a day or immediately if they get wet/moist.
Make sure your child wears open-toed shoes in the right size. Too-tight shoes cause feet to sweat and cramp, making them the perfect setting for the fungus that triggers athlete’s foot.
5) ECZEMA:
Eczema can make your child’s skin dry, flaky, scaly and itchy, red and inflammed. When it flares up, it sometimes oozes fluid and blood too. The most affected areas are your child’s hands, face, neck, inner elbows and back of the knees.
There are various types of eczemas and none of the types are contagious.
The commonest type in children is atopic dermatitis and is generally referred to as eczema in kids.
The symptoms vary with age, and half of the children go through self-resolution. However, in the other half it might continue into adulthood with flaring up of symptoms at varied intervals.
Eczema is believed to develop due to a combination of hereditary and environmental factors where the environmental factors mainly act as precipitants or aggravating factors. These include allergens, bacteria, irritants like soaps/detergents/food/meats, excessive hot or cold temperatures, excessive humidity, stress and hormonal variations.
Prevention:
Triggering factors should be watched out for and avoided as far as possible.
Avoid extreme hot/cold temperatures.
Wearing cotton and soft fabrics and avoiding rough, scratchy fibres.
Excessive drying of skin should also be avoided and a non-irritant moisturizing agent or an emollient can be used.
Keep fingernails short to prevent scratching and breaking of skin.
Management:
Consulting a doctor is the first and most important step in the management.
Do not try home-remedies without the doctor’s consent as it may lead to unnecessary flare-ups.
Use of emollient lotions is usually enough, however, if the eczema is very severe topical ointments might be prescribed.
The best form of treatment however is Homoeopathy as it helps to treat the underlying tendency and makes it easy to avoid flare-ups thereby curing the disease as a whole and not merely palliating the symptoms. It basically helps by strengthening the immunity of your child so that the body can use its own defence mechanisms to stave off such conditions.
GENERAL PREVENTIVE MEASURES:
As seen in the blog, certain basic preventive measures related to each specific skin condition have been described. In addition to these, you can take certain general steps to reduce your baby’s chances of getting any type of skin infection.
These include,
Avoid overdressing your child. Loose fitting, light cotton clothes are the best. If it gets cold, then a light jacket with some pants or leggings should be just enough to keep him/her warm. Keep a thin blanket handy.
Keep your baby away from people who have skin infections.
See that you and all your family members practice good hand hygiene.
Trim your child’s nails to prevent him scratching and spreading the infection.
Keep your baby clean to prevent the build-up of sweat, dirt and grime on his skin.
Give him regular baths or wipe him often with a clean cloth. Add a few drops of a mild disinfectant recommended by the baby’s paediatrician to the bath water to cleanse their skin.
Keep your baby dry. Ensure that you dry your baby thoroughly after a bath, especially in the areas where the skin folds.
Keep your surroundings clean and insect-free. A bite or sting usually becomes infected when bacteria enter through it.
This may happen when the insect bites or stings your baby, or when your baby scratches it. Check for a growing area of redness around the bite/sting.
An infected bite or sting can also give your baby a high fever. Insect bites, like wasp stings or spider bites, can cause serious allergies or worsen an existing infection. If this happens, consult a doctor immediately.
In conclusion, keep your child safe but do not panic if they do get affected by any of the above mentioned conditions. Trust your doctor, follow their advice and try and reap the benefits of Homoeopathy!
Next week, next part in the series of CAM coming up!
Till then, Stay healthy, Stay happy 🙂
Comments