While most cases of psoriasis are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 25, there are children and even infants that suffer from psoriasis. Kids with psoriasis are often not only plagued with the itchy scaly skin, but also emotional effects and sometimes teasing by other kids. It’s important to get support from your doctor and other resources on what the best treatment options are and on what the best way to prepare your child on how to deal with outside aspects and emotions.
Psoriasis and Children: How do they cope is a blog post we wrote a while back, take a peek to learn ways to help your child cope. As far as treatment options, for kids with psoriasis doctors usually take a far less aggressive approach. Reason being that children are still growing and developing and they don’t want to subject them to certain side effects.
1. Moisturize. Moisturizing is usually the best option for small children. You can use lotions and creams and even have the kids carry them with them and teach them not to scratch but just to apply more cream.
2. Bathe your kids in warm not hot water. Baths that are in luke warm water rather than hot water will be much less drying to the skin.
3. Teach your children not to Scratch! Scratching is one of the worst things you can do to psoriasis. So teach your kids that if they itch they can use a cold compress or apply more moisturizer.
4. Natural Oils are great for the skin and help keep the skin moisturized. Add a little olive oil or coconut oil to your child’s bath.
5. Make sure to dress you child in loose light layered cotton clothing. This will help keep them from sweating which can cause itching and will also be a more delicate clothe on their skin.
Infants: Treatment is very conservative. Moisturizers can be a good first step. Oatmeal baths and anti-itch creams can help relieve the itching. Consult a physician before starting any treatment with an infant.
Children: For mild psoriasis, sunlight may be helpful. For moderate cases, regular broad-band or narrow-band ultraviolet light B (UVB) therapy can help clear the lesions. Strep infection can trigger an outbreak, so antibiotics may help clear the bacteria that could have triggered the psoriasis.
Teens: Ultraviolet light B (UVB) therapy can help clear the psoriasis. Oral medications may have different side effects for teens, and potent topical steroids need to be applied with caution because they can be absorbed too quickly.
Visit the National Psoriasis Foundation for more information on treatment for children with psoriasis. www.psoriasis.org.
Related posts:
- Link Between Psoriasis and Childhood Obesity
- Clothing For Psoriasis: Tips From Project Runway’s Tim Gunn
- Psoriasis Diagnosis: 7 Tips to Explain Your Psoriasis
- Children With Psoriasis Aren’t Receiving The Care They Need
- Infant Psoriasis: What You Should Know
Tags: children and psoriasis, kids and psoriasis, psoriasis treatment
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