EczemaZones - Patient and Carer Zone
What causes my child's eczema to flare-up?
Your doctor or nurse should talk to you about any trigger factors that might be affecting your child's eczema.
Many factors can make eczema worse or trigger a flare-up – these are often referred to as 'triggers'. Some of the most common ones are:
Avoiding trigger factors is the best way to prevent eczema flares, however, we know that this is not always possible. That's why we've given you some practical ways to avoid each of the triggers below.
House dust mites
For many children, house dust mites (in actual fact their droppings) can make their eczema worse. They like to live in warm, damp places, such as mattresses, carpets and soft furnishings, and live off skin cells that we shed. While you can't get rid of them completely, there are things you can do to reduce dust mites, such as:
- Vacuum your carpets, sofas and arm chairs, and mattresses at least once a week (preferably with a model that has a HEPA filter)
- Wash your child’s bedding once a week at a high temperature – at least 60°C
- Put cuddly toys in the freezer overnight to kill any dust mites inside
- Fit barrier covers to mattresses, pillows and duvets
- Remove household clutter to make dusting easier – but do it thoroughly just a couple of times a week (dusting every day can increase dust in the air)
- Consider swapping carpets for laminate or stone flooring
Pets
Pets make us happy, so we're not suggesting for one minute that you get rid of yours, if you have one. But something called dander and the saliva of animals, can be a problem for some children.
Reducing the amount of time that your child spends with their pet and the type of contact they have with them can help, for example:
If you don't have any pets and are thinking about getting one, why not consider a fish, bird or reptile? Or you could get a rabbit or guinea pig that lives in a cage outside, which would allow you to control the level of contact your child has with it.
- Discourage your child from letting themselves be licked by your pet
- Encourage them to play outside with your pet
- Remind your child to wash their hands (and any other body part) if they have been licked, and after stroking or playing with your pet
- Keep pets off the furniture and out of bedrooms
- Wash pet bedding regularly
Heat
When your child's skin gets warm it can also become incredibly itchy and uncomfortable. Itching leads to scratching, which makes the itching worse, and can lead to even more scratching. This is known as the itch-scratch cycle. Your child may have a tendency to overheat on warm, sunny days, when they are running around or playing, as well as at night. Never fear, there are things you can do to help:
- Buy them cotton clothing (rather than clothes made from synthetic, man-made fibres)
- Remind them to wear layers so they can take a layer off if they get too hot
- Keep their bedroom temperature cool – around 10-16°C, open a window if necessary and use a fan in the summer
- Give thick duvets a miss and go for lighter bedding instead
- Avoid letting smaller children sleep in your bed – your body heat is more likely to make them over heat (and there may well be lots of dust mites in there too!)
Soaps and bubble baths
Your child's doctor or nurse should talk to you about your bathing and skincare routines and prescribe your child emollient wash products as an alternative to cosmetic wash products.
Soaps, shower gels, bubble baths and other cosmetic products used to wash and moisturise, may contain ingredients that aggravate sore skin.
In some cases, the ingredients themselves can cause an allergic or irritant reaction. You can find out more about replacement emollient wash products in our How treatment works section.
Back to topFood
Talk to your doctor or nurse if you suspect a food allergy. They can work with you to identify problem foods or refer you to a specialist if necessary. If your child is under 6 months old and bottle fed, your doctor may suggest trying formula that is free from cow's milk.
For some children, having an allergy to certain foods can trigger flare-ups. The most common culprits are: cow's milk (found in many dairy products), eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soya, fish and shellfish.
You may suspect that a particular food is a trigger for your child. Keeping a diary of what they eat and the condition of their eczema may help you to see if certain foods are causing a problem. However, it's really important that you don't try to exclude any foods without talking to your doctor or nurse first, as this could have a negative impact on your child's health long-term.
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