If you need another reason to adopt a dog from the Oregon Humane Society, consider this: Research has shown that prenatal and early life exposure to dogs may reduce a baby’s chances of developing eczema!
What Is Eczema?
Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that often appears in childhood. Common symptoms include:
- Itchiness
- Dry skin
- Redness
- Scaly patches
- Blisters that ooze and crust over
In infants, eczema is most commonly seen on the face, elbows and knees. The condition can come and go throughout life and vary in severity. Some children also manage to outgrow it. However, others will continue to deal with symptoms into adulthood.
How Dogs Can Affect Eczema Risk in Infants
Eczema is an unpleasant and uncomfortable condition, so any time something is shown to reduce a person’s risk of developing it, it’s exciting news.
A recent study published last year examined the association between prenatal and first-year dog exposure to eczema in early childhood (age two years) and late childhood (age 10 years). The results of the study found “that prenatal and early-life dog exposure has a significant protective effect on eczema development at or before age 2 years.”
While researchers don’t know yet exactly why this is the case, they suggest that it might be because children exposed to dogs may have “altered early-life immune development triggered by microbial exposures.”
Do Allergies Cause Eczema?
While having allergies does not directly cause eczema, the two conditions are linked. If you have allergies, you are more likely to develop eczema. Eczema also tends to run in families who have a history of other allergic conditions like food allergies, seasonal allergies (hay fever) and asthma. Relatedly, being exposed to your allergy triggers may cause your eczema to flare up along with other allergy symptoms like sneezing or nasal congestion.
Treatment Options
There is no cure for eczema, but various treatment options exist to manage your symptoms. It can be helpful to make an appointment with an allergist to see if your symptoms are linked to allergies. If you’re unsure of your specific triggers, allergy testing can be done to help identify them.
Additional eczema treatment options include:
- Avoid your allergy triggers
- Regularly moisturize your skin (at least twice a day)
- Use gentle soaps and cleansers
- Use over-the-counter corticosteroid gels or creams
- For more severe cases, prescription medications like topical steroids or antihistamines may be used
If you would like more information or wish to schedule an appointment, contact Willamette ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery today.
“I have been going to Willamette ENT on and off for most of my life. The staff is always so friendly, and the doctors and nurses show a lot of care and compassion!”