We’ve all experienced itchy skin or a rash caused by an allergy or illness, but having a chronic skin condition, which may seem like something of a minor ailment to non-sufferers, can be incredibly debilitating both physically and mentally for those going through it every single day.
Conditions such as eczema affect people all year round, but for some the winter months can be particularly triggering as we spend a lot of time indoors in centrally heated rooms, which can make dry skin even worse.
This discomfort is exacerbated even further when the sufferer is a child, as it is much harder for them to deal with the physical sensations and, if very young, they may be unable to articulate what they are experiencing.
This is true for Anna Kenneally who suffered from severe eczema for the first few years of her life. “Anna was only six months old when we first noticed what looked like sore red patches on the backs of her knees,” says Glenn, Anna’s father. “We obviously brought her to our GP, who diagnosed eczema and prescribed topical treatments, and began using emulsifying ointment as a moisturiser and steroid creams to try to alleviate these symptoms.
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“But the eczema continued to spread until it eventually covered about 90 per cent of her body. We must have used every steroid cream available on the market, from the mildest to the strongest, but they rarely did much to combat the spread and due to infections caused by the eczema, even though she was also on regular antibiotics as well.
“So the treatments did little to ease Anna’s suffering and I think the GPs just weren’t used to seeing a case as severe as hers – her skin was extremely sore and the worst time was usually at night when she only slept for short periods due to the discomfort she was in. She had silk-lined scratch sleeves to reduce the damage from any scratching, but even with these she would rub her skin non-stop to the point where it would actually start to bleed. This meant us having to take turns holding her hands while she slept so, as you can imagine, we were all completely exhausted.”
Glenn, who lives in Cork with his wife, Cora, and their two daughters, Jenny (13) and Anna (11), says there were times when his youngest child looked like she had been involved in an accident or a fire. She regularly visited hospital for treatment and on one occasion was admitted for several weeks.
“When the eczema was at its worst, Anna’s skin looked like it had been badly burned and she once had to spend three weeks in hospital to have treatment,” he says. “We were referred to see Prof Alan Irvine in his clinic in Dublin, and when he saw the extent of her eczema he immediately offered to have her admitted to Crumlin hospital where he could treat her directly. This really was the turning point in our battle against this condition, because as well as more antibiotics and steroid cream, we were shown how to wrap Anna’s whole body in wet cotton bandaging which helped to give her relief and we continued this daily.
“Prof Irvine also started her on a course of immunosuppressants and we finally found one called Methotrexate, which seemed to work for her, and within six months of starting this treatment we noticed an improvement in Anna’s skin, and within 12 months it had completely cleared up her condition. She is now 11 years old and although we still need to use moisturiser regularly to keep on top of things, and we use a steroid cream the odd time when she has a bit of dry itchy skin, that is all we need to use now, so life has improved immensely from when she was at her worst.”
The father of two says that when his daughter was very young, her skin condition played a huge impact in her day-to-day life. But now that she is older and has received the right treatment, the major disruptions and feelings of discomfort are a thing of the past.
Anna was spending so much energy fighting the condition that she probably wasn’t growing at the same rate as other kids her age
“During the period when Anna was two and three years old, the eczema had a huge affect on her life and she couldn’t do many of the things that other little kids get to enjoy, like going to a swimming pool, because her skin was just too sore,” he says. “We always found that summer months were the worst time for her as the heat would really aggravate her skin, so for years we avoided going on holidays to the sun and instead holidayed in Ireland, but this was a small price to pay for her comfort.
“Also, because she wasn’t sleeping too well during this time, we did worry about how her development might be affected. She was spending so much energy fighting the condition that she probably wasn’t growing at the same rate as other kids her age.
“However, we needn’t have worried though because she has definitely caught up and enjoys sport and other activities like any child her own age. It is probably a small blessing that she was so young when she went through the worst of the problems with eczema, so she doesn’t really have any recollection of what she had to go through. Sometimes in public places people used to stare due to the condition of her skin, and I’m glad she doesn’t have to face that now heading into her teenage years. Also, her condition had cleared up before she ever started school so she never had to endure comments on her appearance from other kids.”
Glenn says that while Anna went through a lot of discomfort during her younger years and still has to work to keep on top of her eczema, she has always been supported by her medical team and would advise anyone else whose child has just been diagnosed with the same thing, or with any other skin condition, to seek advice and avail of all the supports on offer.
It was their care which really turned things around for us and led to Anna leading a perfectly happy and healthy life today
“We put our whole faith in the dermatology staff in Crumlin who were really fantastic and in particular Prof Alan Irvine,” he says. “It was their care which really turned things around for us and led to Anna leading a perfectly happy and healthy life today. So I would advise anyone to trust in the medical professionals who have the experience of dealing with this condition.”
The Irish Skin Foundation (ISF) echoes this advice and urges anyone who is new to caring for a child with a skin problem or condition, like eczema, to begin by seeing professional advice from a community pharmacist and GP. “The ISF website can also help and has an abundance of resources available, including detailed information on common skin conditions which have been carefully created with people living with or caring for a skin condition, as well as parents, nurses, GPs, dermatologists, other specialists and allied healthcare professionals,” says a spokesperson for the organisation.
“In addition, ISF operates a free Ask-a-Nurse service, where our dermatology nurses offer free, specialist guidance to people struggling to manage skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, rosacea and many other skin problems. You can find more information on eczema by logging on to irishskin.ie/eczema.”
About eczema
- Eczema is non-contagious and affects one in five children and one in 10 adults in Ireland.
- Exact causes are unknown but genetics, defects in the skin barrier, environmental allergens and abnormal function of the immune system all contribute.
- Atopic eczema is the most common form and may run in families.
- Symptoms include itchy, dry and scaly skin and/or a rash, all of which can be painful and become infected. Pigmentation of people with darker skin may also be affected.
- Atopic eczema can be triggered by an exposure to environmental irritants or allergens including cosmetics, detergents, toiletries, dust mites, pollen, animal dander and certain clothing materials.
- It can also be triggered by emotional stress and if the skin gets infected.
- Treatment includes moisturising, steroids, antihistamines, wet bandages, phototherapy, antibiotics and topical immunosuppressants.
- Eczema cannot be cured but it can be controlled.
- If skin becomes wet or weepy with yellow or brownish crusts, or if it becomes sore with painful, itchy blisters, seek medical advice.
- For more information call 01 486-6280 or visit irishskin.ie
- To request a call back from a specialist nurse or for information videos on how to apply creams and treat eczema, visit irishskin.ie
