Weeping dermatitis belongs to the group of atopic diathesis. Doctors consider this form of the disease in children the most severe. This is due to the clinical picture and the specific treatment of the disease.
What is wet dermatitis in children
A distinctive feature of this type of dermatitis is the fact that the focus of inflammation is constantly moist, cracks or ulcers that appear are filled with pus, which complicates the process of the disease and its treatment.
Weeping dermatitis in children is of several types. The foci of localization are different for each age group.
According to age, weeping dermatitis is divided:
- Breasts and children under 2 years old. Lesions - the face, elbow and knee bends, occasionally the body.
- Children from 3 to 12 years old - neck, bends of limbs, hands on the back.
- Adolescents from 13 to 18 years old - face, neck, folds of a natural nature.
Do not confuse dermatitis of this type with eczema, which affects only the surface of the skin. Soaking dermatitis ( see photo below) causes swelling due to inflammation of the skin in the deeper layers.
Causes of the disease
The appearance of weeping dermatitis in children can be caused by external and internal causes. These include:
- Problems in the digestive tract. The disease occurs due to insufficient cleavage of food fragments. Such weeping dermatitis in infants occurs most often, which is associated with imperfect development of the digestive system.
- Allergies to food or chemicals and drugs. For example, weeping atopic dermatitis is more common in young children who are fed breast milk.
- The presence of a bacterial infection in the body provokes the appearance of dermatitis with the formation of vesicles with pus.
- Pathologies of the kidneys and liver, as well as malfunctions of the pancreas, are the least common cause of dermatitis in children.
Children's immunity, weakened by any disease or teething, can cause the development of weeping dermatitis.
Symptomatology
The manifestation of the disease is also associated with age groups of children:
- In infants and children up to 3 years of age, the disease begins with the appearance of weeping spots, which then dry to a crust. This group is characterized by dry skin, peeling and severe itching. If bubbles form, then they most often burst.
- Children 3-12 years old are sick longer than babies, even despite the treatment. Dermatitis is characterized by edema of the skin, peeling and hyperemia. Very painful cracks may appear at the site of the lesion. After recovery, dark spots often remain on the skin, which after a few months pass without a trace.
- Teenagers 13-18 years old. A disease can suddenly begin and also end unexpectedly. In the acute stage, large areas of the body are affected.
If you have one or more symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis, especially for infants.
Diagnostics
At the initial stage of the disease, diagnosis is very important. It is necessary to immediately show the child to a pediatrician who will advise any measures to alleviate the symptoms of dermatitis and send him to an allergist.
An allergist will prescribe the necessary tests to clarify the causes of dermatitis. Most often, this is a blood test to determine the level of eosinophils and the presence of IgE. These two indicators are the main ones for establishing the allergic origin of dermatitis.
After this, the child should be examined by a pediatric dermatologist and take scrapings from the wounds for mycotic lesions.
When the results of all tests are known, the pediatrician will determine the type of disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Therapeutic treatments
Soaking dermatitis, the treatment of which must be started immediately, requires a whole range of therapeutic procedures. These include:
- isolation of the allergen from the child;
- thorough hygiene of the affected skin;
- environmental control;
- lubrication of lesions with anti-inflammatory ointments;
- diet.
If the doctor has determined that the disease has occurred due to the presence of any allergen in the house where the child is, it is necessary to eliminate this cause. Such pathogens can be laundry detergent, dust, various chemicals that affect the skin of the child.
A prerequisite is a diet. If the diagnosis is “weeping dermatitis” in infants, treatment should begin with a diet of a nursing mother or a review of the feeding scheme.
Older children should not eat red and yellow foods or a specific allergen.
The foci of dermatitis must be washed with saline and apply a weak solution of manganese. Also, according to the doctor's prescription, external anti-inflammatory and antibacterial ointments, creams or sprays should be used. It could be Bepanten, Solcoseryl.
If a secondary infection occurs, you should use combined and antibacterial drugs - Triderm, Pimafukort.
When treating weeping dermatitis, it is necessary to maintain an air temperature comfortable for the child, ventilate the room and prevent the mucous membrane from drying out. These measures will help prevent the occurrence of other diseases against the background of immunity weakened by dermatitis.
Drug treatment
If complex methods of therapy have not brought the desired result, the doctor prescribes the use of drugs orally.
Such drugs include medicines of the following groups:
- antihistamines;
- probiotics;
- sedatives;
- glucocorticosteroids;
- systemic enzymes;
- immunomodulators.
First of all, antihistamines are prescribed to relieve itchy skin (Claritin, Loratadin).
Children with such skin problems cause great discomfort. They begin to act up and sleep poorly. In such cases, taking mild sedatives (valerian, motherwort) is justified. It is important to strictly observe the dosage.
Probiotics (Dextrin, Lactulose) will help restore the microflora of the stomach and intestines after taking medications.
If the degree of damage to the skin is large, the doctor will prescribe hormonal ointments - glucocorticosteroids. These include Hydrocortisone, Prednisone.
Immunomodulators will support the weakened strength of the child’s body and help fight the disease naturally.
In some cases, a large bladder may form at the site of the appearance of small papules. Doctors recommend an autopsy, but this is necessary only in a hospital setting, where all the rules of sterility are observed.
Other means
Weeping dermatitis is treatable with traditional medicine. Only they must be in combination with medicines and with the permission of the attending physician.
Children up to a year from this complex are only allowed to use a decoction of a string. Children from one year old are recommended a compress of grated potatoes. Only the pulp must first be wrapped in clean gauze.
After 5 years, you can use lotions from a decoction of chamomile or celandine.
Physiotherapy procedures also give a good effect. These include:
- electrophoresis;
- magnetotherapy;
- therapeutic baths;
- laser and mud therapy.
The use of all these methods will allow you to get rid of the disease in a short time and without any special consequences.
Disease prevention
Measures to prevent weeping dermatitis in children are aimed at implementing a set of rules:
- personal hygiene of the child daily;
- monitoring the nutrition of mother and baby if he is no longer breastfeeding;
- avoidance of contact with a stimulus with an existing allergy;
- treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas;
- timely access to a doctor.
Implementation of these simple recommendations will help children and their parents avoid such an unpleasant disease as weeping dermatitis. Even if the disease is in the initial stage, it is necessary to try to carry out preventive measures. This will avoid complications, and the child will suffer from itching much less.