Climate/Weather and Eczema

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AnnaB
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Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 10:38 pm
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by AnnaB on Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:02 pm

Re: Climate/Weather and Eczema

We battle all year round with my sons eczema. But the winter has not been as bad as previous summers. His face has been under reasonable control, even his pre school staff commented. Then 2 days ago, as soon as we get a bit of sun and he plays out with pollens starting his face is red and flared up. My stomach sank when he came into my room this morning. He looks burnt and when we go out he often has cotton gloves on. In the winter his gloves go un-noticed but I know the looks and comments will now start. I hate it for him. I wish I had his strength.
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ironchef
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by ironchef on Wed Mar 18, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Climate/Weather and Eczema

I just got back from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for 7 days. I was in the sun everyday. I got a nice tan. My face broke out a bit. Ate alot of mangoes, everyday. Now that I'm back home in Toronto, my skin is so much better. I think it was the sun, salty ocean water, mangoes????

Summer is always a better time for my skin.

Julia
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:28 pm
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by Julia on Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:51 pm

Re: Climate/Weather and Eczema

Hi everyone

Just joined this site cos my eczema has flared up lately after a long period of being ok ish - i think the cold weather / air con at work / central heating etc. Anyway it is such a misery that I wanted to share some of the things that have really helped me over the years (I am 29 now and have had eczema since being 2 weeks old).

1) I used to get the awful infected bits of eczema. I went to see a great dermotologist who prescribed me some cream / ointment that you put up your nose! I can't remember what it was called (sorry) but basically it was to kill off the staphylococcal bacteria that exist in your nose and are apparently much more prevalent in people with eczema. Since using that i have NEVER had a bit of infected eczema again. Go ask your GP about this.

2) A book called "The Eczema Solution" by Sue Armstrong-Brown. This taught me about the itch-scratch cycle and how to stop scratching (honestly this can be done)...a lot of the time it is not an itch that provokes a scratch eg for me I would have a big scratch before going to bed / after I'd got undressed. The book helps you realise you are scratching (for me I didn't really consciously realise I was scratching sometimes), helps you realise when your danger times are and then helps you to control the scratching - this allows your skin to heal. The author has suffered with eczema all her life - it is a great, helpful book.

3) It's my face that has flared up - I am slathering it in Epaderm at the moment, but it is very oily so I hope this will just be short term. I used to use the clinique moisturiser (recommended by the dermo who prescrived me the nose thing). It was good for me for a long time but I think my skin got used to it in the end.

4) After years of using emolients on my body I tried Elemis Milk Bath on my body (you can just use it neat on your skin) and it is great for me - I have virtually no eczema on my body. It is pricey but it is so nice to be able to put moisturiser on and not feel really sticky / oily etc afterwards.

I hope some of this helps you - especially points 1 and 2. I think re. creams / moisturisers it is just a question of each of us working out what is best for our skin. trial and (very expensive) error. I have drawers of creams!

good luck, keep smiling

julia xx

shunter10
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Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:14 pm
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by shunter10 on Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:11 am

Re: Climate/Weather and Eczema

Question for the original poster - did you go swimming in the sea a lot when you were in the Carribean? I would presume you did (or hope you did!). I'm 30 and have had eczema my whole life and I've always found my skin improves after a swim in the sea. It can sting like hell if you have a few flare-ups on your body. The stinging normally happens about 5-10 mins after you go in, so I quickly get out and go and lie on the beach and take some deep breaths. If anything, this little bit of pain acts as a bit of a scratch deterrent for me, because I want to be able to swim in the sea pain free right! My skin will dry out pretty quickly afterwards, so I take some moisturiser to apply.

I'm surprised I haven't seen anybody mention this in any posts. I s'pose not all of us have the luxury of being near the sea, and it can be a bit cold, although I'm sure going in in a wetsuit would still expose your skin to the sea water. I was living in the UK since last year so I know how hard it can be to get to the sea. I'm now living in NZ so never far from the sea, I'm going to see how regular swims can help.

Here's a quick list of my triggers: lack of sleep, air con, stress, heat. I was exposed to all 4 at the same time in a 3 month period in Oz just before Xmas and I was a wreck. My skin seemed to break down over a 3 week period and nothing I did could restore it and the circle got even more vicious, as I couldn't sleep for the itching and pain, so less sleep, plus I got eczema in places I had never had it before. Detaching myself from the situation, it was fascinating to watch my skin just break down like that. I had to completely remove myself from that situation and even then it's taken until now to slowly build it back up. Looking back I probably could have used a bit more self control but its easy to say that looking back. My self confidence took a big hit. Be interested to hear if anyone else has experienced this.

rupert
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Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 5:09 pm
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by rupert on Thu Mar 26, 2009 5:22 pm

Re: Climate/Weather and Eczema

As soon as I moved to the UK from Florida my eczema went crazy. For the original poster, it sounds to me like the missing factor is the humidity. High humidity levels actually keep moisture in your skin.

ironchef
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2009 2:02 am
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by ironchef on Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:17 pm

Re: Climate/Weather and Eczema

Shunter10,

Totally agree about swimming in salt water. I actually bathe in epsom salts sometimes and it helps as well!

gavinsmom
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Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 5:17 am
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by gavinsmom on Thu Sep 17, 2009 4:42 am

Hawaii

If I move to Hawaii, will my son's eczema get better? Just wondering.

1635Mary
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun May 18, 2008 5:00 pm
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by 1635Mary on Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:31 pm

Re: Hawaii

Funny kinda question!!!

Who knows! We holiday'd in France about 3 years ago and my son's eczema cleared up brilliant but last year we holiday'd in Italy and had an awful time battling with his skin.

Both times we had constant sunshine so what was the difference? Or did the sun or environmental factors have anything to do with it at all? Maybe it was more to do with changes in his skin at the time rather than any external factors.

So many questions!!!

We can only keep going, keep battling and keep smiling :D

Mary

Stuy
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:59 pm
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by Stuy on Sun Sep 27, 2009 12:03 am

Re: Hawaii

:idea: Hi, I think there is more to look into with with regards to climate and eczema. Ive mostly worked in outdoor jobs in the UK and can still suffer badly with my facial and scalp eczema during our summer. This is the strange thing ,, my folks have a home in Southern Spain aswell as Northern England so luckily I have had an opportunity to really see how my eczema behaves in both countries and climates. In Southern Spain the eczema and related infection on my face and scalp rapidly burns out, heals and completely dissapears, this happens every time without fail Spring, Summer,Autumn ,Winter. In the UK i'm basically sick of my life suffering with it day in day out for years as it reapperers after a few days or weeks of arriving back in the UK.

After listening and talking to people who also suffer eczema locally, this "warm humid sea laden" holidaying cure for eczema comes up again and again and can't be ignored (too many people report the same cure). The areas seem to be Southern Spain, Portugal & Florida, USA.

I recently worked for a company that supplies medicinal drugs to all the chemists and the NHS and noticed just how much steroid cream and other numerous eczema treatments we actually take in the UK (Northern Region on this ocassion) as opposed to other warmer countries. Is it because of the climate, is it also a genetic fault with people from similar historic lineages or something else?

I'm sorry to hear that Mary's son suffered in Italy, i thought Italy would of been healing and preventative, I can only vouch for my experience in Spain. Hawaii I would think be highly benificial to the sufferer and would love to know more about seborrohic ezcema sufferers in Hawaii if there are any at all.

sorry to ramble but this constant prescription of various possibly harmfull drugs for ezcema isn't curing the affliction at all in my opinion.

kind regards
stuy

curechildeczema
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:45 am
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by curechildeczema on Tue Aug 24, 2010 2:32 pm

Re: Climate/Weather and Eczema

Several factors are known to trigger or aggravate eczema, and should be avoided. Some of these factors are weather conditions as well as air-borne allergens, certain foods, skin irritants, and stress.
Natural Eczema Remedies For Children. Download Free Report at http://www.CureChildEczema.com

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