{"id":13801,"date":"2022-08-18T10:55:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-18T02:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/?post_type=media_news&#038;p=13801"},"modified":"2022-08-19T10:58:31","modified_gmt":"2022-08-19T02:58:31","slug":"%e6%bf%95%e7%96%b9%ef%bd%9c%e7%94%a8%e9%a1%9e%e5%9b%ba%e9%86%87%e6%9c%83%e3%80%8c%e6%90%bd%e4%b8%8a%e7%99%ae%e3%80%8d%ef%bc%9f%e6%b0%91%e9%96%93%e5%81%8f%e6%96%b9%e3%80%81%e6%96%b0%e5%bc%8f%e7%84%a1","status":"publish","type":"media_news","link":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/media_news\/%e6%9e%97%e5%98%89%e5%84%80%e9%86%ab%e7%94%9f\/%e6%bf%95%e7%96%b9%ef%bd%9c%e7%94%a8%e9%a1%9e%e5%9b%ba%e9%86%87%e6%9c%83%e3%80%8c%e6%90%bd%e4%b8%8a%e7%99%ae%e3%80%8d%ef%bc%9f%e6%b0%91%e9%96%93%e5%81%8f%e6%96%b9%e3%80%81%e6%96%b0%e5%bc%8f%e7%84%a1\/","title":{"rendered":"Eczema | Will using steroids lead to 'application addiction'? Are folk remedies and new non-steroid ointments effective?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.hk01.com\/di\/media\/images\/dw\/20220810\/634018569109114880729058.jpeg\/NuPTq1i-yWNbQqCjUCa5nFe_ktBHKD2S2oZLpNqGS6Q?v=w1920r16_9\" alt=\"\u6fd5\u75b9\uff5c\u7528\u985e\u56fa\u9187\u6703\u300c\u643d\u4e0a\u766e\u300d\uff1f\u6c11\u9593\u504f\u65b9\u3001\u65b0\u5f0f\u7121\u985e\u56fa\u9187\u85e5\u818f\u6709\u6548\uff1f\" title=\"Eczema | Will using steroids lead to &#039;application addiction&#039;? Are folk remedies and new non-steroid ointments effective?\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Written by: Doctor Easy\nPublished: 2022-08-18 12:00\nUpdated: 2022-08-18 12:00<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eczema is quite common in Hong Kong, and it's particularly distressing for parents when young infants and toddlers develop it. Many parents worry about using steroids, fearing side effects like skin thinning or becoming \"addicted\" to them. As a result, they may decide to use traditional folk remedies to soothe their infant's eczema. But do these folk remedies work for childhood eczema? Who can use the newer, steroid-free creams? Dr. Lam Ka-yi, a paediatrician, discusses various common issues related to childhood eczema in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.hk01.com\/di\/media\/images\/dw\/20220810\/634018902518534144986752.jpeg\/j-hKFQqyHcUJiRvkpJPxTht-6qNZapc_LTSNOi00jTo?v=w1920\" alt=\"\u6fd5\u75b9\u5728\u9999\u6e2f\u9817\u70ba\u5e38\u898b\uff0c\u800c\u76ae\u819a\u5e7c\u5ae9\u7684\u5b30\u5e7c\u5152\u51fa\u73fe\u6fd5\u75b9\u7684\u8a71\uff0c\u66f4\u4ee4\u7236\u6bcd\u5341\u5206\u75db\u5fc3\u3002\uff08\u5716\u7247\uff1aWikimedia\uff09\" title=\"Eczema is quite common in Hong Kong, and the appearance of eczema on the delicate skin of infants and young children is particularly distressing for parents. (Image: Wikimedia)\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eczema is quite common in Hong Kong, and the appearance of eczema on the delicate skin of infants and young children is particularly distressing for parents. (Image: Wikimedia)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Skin's difficulty in retaining moisture; climate and allergens can also trigger eczema<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Lam explained that the main cause of eczema is the weakening of the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin, which impairs the skin's natural functions of retaining moisture and blocking irritants. She likened the cells of the stratum corneum to paving slabs; normally, they should be neatly arranged and tightly connected, preventing moisture loss. However, in eczema patients, the skin cells are chaotically arranged, with gaps between the \"slabs,\" leading to a \"leaky\" effect. Eczema patients' skin easily becomes dry and prone to inflammatory reactions triggered by environmental changes and external irritants, with inflammation manifesting as redness, swelling, and itchiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She continued that eczema is basically visible in all races, and different regions will also cause eczema due to different climates and allergens. Taking Hong Kong as an example, Hong Kong's summers are hot and humid, \"clothes soaked in sweat are difficult to dry, coupled with the city's abundance of dust, sweat mixes with bacteria to continuously stimulate the skin, which can trigger eczema flare-ups, especially in areas like the waistband and back.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.hk01.com\/di\/media\/images\/dw\/20220810\/634018975809802240137692.jpeg\/9Xrj2CMf1ygUS30oLcTCGE-GE7KlI_Rr0opt3dKKbd0?v=w1920\" alt=\"\u91ab\u751f\u7684\u81e8\u5e8a\u89c0\u5bdf\u767c\u73fe\u590f\u5929\u6642\u6fd5\u75b9\u767c\u4f5c\u7684\u60c5\u6cc1\u4e5f\u5f88\u5e38\u898b\uff0c\u800c\u4e14\u60c5\u6cc1\u66f4\u68d8\u624b\u3002\uff08\u5716\u7247\uff1aShutterstock\uff09\" title=\"Doctors&#039; clinical observations have found that eczema flare-ups are also common in the summer, and the condition can be more difficult to manage. (Image: Shutterstock)\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Doctors' clinical observations have found that eczema flare-ups are also common in the summer, and the condition can be more difficult to manage. (Image: Shutterstock)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many parents believe that Hong Kong's winters are dry, making eczema more likely to flare up than in the summer. However, Dr. Lam's clinical observations show that summer flare-ups are also common, and even more troublesome. \"Dryness in winter can be soothed by applying moisturiser, but in summer, the skin is trapped by sweat and clothing, making the situation harder to manage.\" Furthermore, the humid climate fills indoor environments with dust and dust mites, which are also one of the culprits behind eczema in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People with eczema are not necessarily troubled by it for life; \"most eczema improves with age, although the extent of improvement varies from person to person.\" She stated that medical literature indicates that half of eczema that appears in infancy and early childhood almost disappears by adulthood. However, she added, eczema that appears in adulthood tends to be more stubborn and can recur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Steroids are first-line drugs; moderate use has no serious side effects.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eczema may not be curable, but its symptoms can be managed with medication. Topical treatments are the primary approach, followed by oral or injectable medications. Steroid creams are undoubtedly a first-line treatment for eczema, but many parents worry about side effects and drug resistance. Dr. Lam states that, generally, short-term use, low doses, and application to small areas of steroids rarely cause severe side effects. \"For patients with mild conditions, doctors will not prescribe potent steroids.\" She explains that only long-term and widespread use of steroids on a child's skin might cause adverse effects, \"such as skin thinning, telangiectasia, or even endocrine disruption.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.hk01.com\/di\/media\/images\/dw\/20220810\/634019046974558208703521.jpeg\/CqZsv-wV3MscCJ_FGKDMyWrlCo1DHAktQtpPNELaTzQ?v=w1920\" alt=\"\u4e00\u822c\u800c\u8a00\u77ed\u671f\u4f7f\u7528\u3001\u5291\u91cf\u4e0d\u9ad8\u53ca\u5c0f\u7bc4\u570d\u5730\u4f7f\u7528\u985e\u56fa\u9187\uff0c\u5f88\u5c11\u6703\u5c0e\u81f4\u56b4\u91cd\u526f\u4f5c\u7528\u3002\uff08\u5716\u7247\uff1aShutterstock\uff09\" title=\"Generally speaking, short-term, low-dose, and small-area use of corticosteroids rarely leads to serious side effects. (Image: Shutterstock)\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Generally speaking, short-term, low-dose, and small-area use of corticosteroids rarely leads to serious side effects. (Image: Shutterstock)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Non-steroidal creams have similar efficacy and are suitable for mild cases.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Besides steroids, there are now also non-steroidal eczema creams that are suitable for certain situations, such as when patients have been using steroids for a long time, or when the affected areas are not suitable for steroid application. \"For example, the skin around the eyes is thinner and may not be suitable for long-term steroid use.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Non-steroidal creams, like steroid medications, work by targeting inflammatory responses to improve eczema symptoms. Currently, over-the-counter non-steroidal creams are mainly divided into topical calcineurin inhibitors and phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors. Both primarily target inflammatory responses, thereby controlling eczema conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Dr. Lam added that during the treatment of eczema, as the condition will change from time to time, doctors will adjust between corticosteroid and non-corticosteroid medications depending on the patient's condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Misusing folk remedies may worsen the condition, early treatment can break the vicious cycle of inflammation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are many folk remedies for eczema circulating, such as applying honey, calendula, mint, or salt water. Dr. Lam does not recommend parents try these folk remedies randomly. \"There was one parent who strongly resisted medication and tried to treat their baby's eczema with folk remedies, which led to an allergic reaction, causing the baby's skin to turn red all over.\" She pointed out that some folk remedies may even worsen eczema. \"High concentrations of salt water can draw moisture from the skin, having the opposite effect.\" She stated that some folk remedies may have short-term effects for some individuals, but may not have scientific basis or clinical study data. \"For example, products containing mint can temporarily relieve itching, but cannot control inflammation, therefore they do not have a therapeutic effect.\" Dr. Lam suggests that parents should consult a paediatrician if they have any questions about treatment, and should not try folk remedies casually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, Dr. Lam pointed out that delayed treatment is quite common for many paediatric eczema cases. \u201cMany parents only bring their children to see a doctor when the condition is severe, resulting in longer treatment times and the need for higher doses of steroids to control the symptoms.\u201d She reminded parents that if they notice symptoms of eczema such as redness or itchiness on their children's skin, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible to control the inflammatory response early on and break the vicious cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.hk01.com\/di\/media\/images\/dw\/20220810\/634019120781725696237584.jpeg\/dWCyXzN5YhwDEQNKM_0C2Bvn2EfE1fh8KxfurCsX7qw?v=w1920\" alt=\"\u8fd1\u5e74\u4e0d\u5c11\u7522\u54c1\u90fd\u6a19\u699c\u5929\u7136\u3001\u6709\u6a5f\u3001\u6210\u4efd\u70ba\u690d\u7269\u63d0\u7149\u7b49\uff0c\u4f46\u5929\u7136\u6210\u4efd\u540c\u6a23\u6709\u6a5f\u6703\u5f15\u8d77\u654f\u611f\u3002\uff08\u5716\u7247\uff1afreepik\uff09\" title=\"In recent years, many products have advertised themselves as natural, organic, or containing plant-derived ingredients. However, natural ingredients can also cause allergic reactions. (Image: freepik)\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In recent years, many products have advertised themselves as natural, organic, or containing plant-derived ingredients. However, natural ingredients can also cause allergic reactions. (Image: freepik)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Moisturising and avoiding allergens are key preventive measures, while antihistamines can relieve itching.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keeping the skin moisturised and avoiding allergens are the keys to preventing eczema flare-ups. Many parents don't understand why their children's eczema comes back once medication is stopped. Dr. Lam points out that \"the reason is often very simple: parents forget to apply moisturiser to their children.\" Besides moisturiser, Dr. Lam advises parents to choose fragrance-free bath products as much as possible to prevent chemical ingredients from irritating the skin. \"Shower gels are usually better than soap because soap can easily dry out the skin.\" Overall, she believes the safest approach is to use moisturisers and bath products specifically designed for people with eczema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eczema-prone children should preferably wear cotton and breathable fabrics, and avoid materials like wool and synthetic fibres that are not breathable and do not absorb sweat. She also noted that parents, caregivers, and others who are close to children should pay attention to their own clothing materials. \"Some parents are extremely cautious about the clothing materials chosen for their children but overlook wearing wool jumpers themselves, which can also trigger their children's eczema,\" she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.hk01.com\/di\/media\/images\/dw\/20220810\/634019192131031040604283.jpeg\/06kmxrvMRXZQQWxH8tzGfFO7yul9Wb8CKlQVVSpUFVU?v=w1920\" alt=\"\u5bb6\u9577\u3001\u7167\u9867\u8005\u7b49\u8207\u5152\u7ae5\u89aa\u8fd1\u7684\u4eba\u58eb\u540c\u6a23\u61c9\u7559\u610f\u81ea\u5df1\u7684\u8863\u7269\u7269\u6599\u3002\uff08\u5716\u7247\uff1aistock\uff09\" title=\"Parents, caregivers, and other individuals close to children should also pay attention to the materials of their clothing. (Image: iStock)\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parents, caregivers, and other individuals close to children should also pay attention to the materials of their clothing. (Image: iStock)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Young children have weak self-control and may unconsciously scratch themselves during the day and at night. Dr. Lam points out that if the itching affects their emotions, daily life, etc., doctors will prescribe anti-allergy medication to alleviate the itching based on the situation. \"Anti-allergy medication does not have significant side effects, apart from dry mouth and increased drowsiness. Newer generations of anti-allergy drugs do not even cause drowsiness, so parents need not worry too much.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.hk01.com\/di\/media\/images\/dw\/20220810\/634019231226138624460732.png\/huty_KcekuO_CMLodGdKQcCX63dJVCAAwNveosDb3qI?v=w1920\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Registered Paediatric Specialist Dr. Lam Ka-yee (Photo authorised by the doctor)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Original URL: Eczema | Will using steroids lead to 'addiction'? Are folk remedies, new steroid-free ointments effective? | Hong Kong 01 https:\/\/www.hk01.com\/sns\/article\/802305<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u64b0\u6587\uff1a\u91ab\u5e2bEasy\u51fa\u7248\uff1a2022-08-18 12:00\u66f4\u65b0\uff1a2022-08-18 12:00 \u6fd5\u75b9\u5728\u9999\u6e2f\u9817\u70ba [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":13802,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"categories":[68],"interviewee":[91],"class_list":["post-13801","media_news","type-media_news","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eczema","interviewee-91"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_news\/13801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/media_news"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_news\/13801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13804,"href":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_news\/13801\/revisions\/13804"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13801"},{"taxonomy":"interviewee","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.primecare.com.hk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/interviewee?post=13801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}