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Mental health affects everyone. If you find yourself or your child are struggling, have a look at some of these fantastic resources.
And remember, if you need help urgently and feel you are crisis.
You can call Childline free on 0800 1111, or start a live chat with a counsellor.
For useful resources for young people and families on a huge range of topics including anxiety, depression, eating disorders and self harm.
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Eczema is a common skin condition which usually first presents in childhood, affecting 1 in 5 children in the UK. It often runs in families and can be associated with other allergic-type conditions (also known as atopic conditions) such as hayfever, food allergies and asthma. Eczema can be variable from person to person, affecting different parts of the body and with different levels of impact on the individual.
Your skin is a natural barrier which protects you from the outside world whilst also keeping the moisture in. In eczema, the barrier doesn’t work as well as it should, allowing moisture to seep out and things from the environment to get in. This results in skin which is dry, inflamed and itchy due to a loss of moisture and irritation from particles in the environment.
Click here to watch a video on what eczema is and its symptoms
The skin in eczema is usually itchy and dry, and if severe can cause difficulties with sleeping and participating in regular activities. Sometimes the skin will bleed due to scratching, and over time the skin can become thickened due to repeated scratching.
Often these symptoms fluctuate, with episodes called ‘flares’; sometimes flares occur due to exposure to a trigger, at other times there is no clear cause.
Eczema can affect anywhere on the body, but typically is found in the joint creases in children, for example the knees and elbows. In babies it often begins on the cheeks.
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After an injury or operation, it is natural for the sore area to swell up.
If the swelling gets too much this can get sore, and pressure can build up under dressings or plaster casts. This may mean you need to come back to hospital or need more treatment.
There is a very simple trick to prevent this happening so your arm or leg gets better sooner. You can use the power of gravity to help the swelling go away.
After lifting (elevating) the sore bit above the level of your heart, gravity does the rest.
You will be told how long you need to elevate your arm or leg, but this is often for a few days after your injury or operation.
