How to Lower Inflammation from Eczema

In previous blog posts, we’ve explained how children dealing with eczema are at a higher risk for depression, anxiety, and stress. Our skin care experts also looked at the science behind the body’s inflammatory response and how that directly relates to emotional well-being. This post, however, will be geared toward how your child can lower their inflammation while also boosting overall mental health. We also invite you to check out stress reduction tips in this article from the National Eczema Association.

1. Meditate - Take a moment to consider how your child manages his or her stress. Do they become outwardly frustrated? It could also be that they resort to scratching, which only makes their eczema worse. As explained by the NEA, changing how we cope with stress is the first step to lowering the body’s inflammatory response. You may be thinking, “We are stocked up on the products that actually work for my child’s skin. What good is meditation going to do?” Well, Dr. Charles Raison affirms that mindfulness training is proven to reduce inflammation in the skin. Says the professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health’s Department of Psychiatry, “This suggests that mindfulness and meditation practices have real potential for not only making people feel better emotionally but possibly quelling inflammatory responses in the body.” Now is the perfect time to get your child started on a meditation routine. Here’s an example: Once they get home from school, encourage them to sit and relax in a quiet room for several minutes. If necessary, teach your child how to breathe deeply. You can even take things a step further by using a diffuser with peppermint and/or lavender for relaxation purposes.
2. Exercise - It may be getting chilly outside, but that shouldn’t prevent your child from exercising on a regular basis. Dr. Raison notes that exercise works to combat the effects of depression and anxiety. An added benefit of exercise is that it turns down the inflammation that comes with eczema. Ideally, your child should be exercising for at least one hour every day.
3. Sleep - Being sleep-deprived is an invitation for inflammation. Unfortunately, it’s anything but easy for a child with eczema to sleep through the night. In many cases, the eczema itch becomes most intense at bedtime. Note that sleep pattern disruption leads to additional stress which may intensify the eczema flare-up. The lack of your child’s sleep not only affects them, though. It can also make for a tough time around the house and at school. At Soothems, we understand that it may be hard for your child to sleep if they’re depressed or anxious. But there are things you can do on their behalf. Shortly after dinner, begin to power down any of their electronics so they can get into a state of relaxation. Your child needs to be getting around nine hours of sleep.
4. Spend time with friends - Studies show that children who have positive social connections enjoy lower levels of inflammation than those who don’t. If your child doesn’t have many friends, there are several steps you can take. One idea is to get them involved in sports, music, and/or the arts. Be sure to encourage your son or daughter to be social at school as well. Of course, it doesn’t hurt either to arrange play dates on occasion.      
5. Wear Soothems clothing - There’s quite the selection of therapeutic clothing for eczema out there. How do you know which is best? At Soothems, we’re thrilled to offer a wide selection of eczema suits, eczema sleeves, eczema bottoms, and eczema sleepwear. Not only that but Soothems bedtime story books entertain, empathize and normalize life with eczema and other skin conditions. We’re confident that your child’s skin will be less inflamed when they get into a routine of wearing their Soothems garment and enjoying the storybook you read to them. Think about how much happier your child will be when they have a more restful night’s sleep! That also means the entire family will be less stressed and happier in the morning. The TEWLTect smart fabric that goes into our garments will therapeutically help make your child’s skin healthier.

With Soothems, we’re all about less itch and more smile! Shop now.