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Itchy Skin Tips

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Do you suffer from itchy skin that is considered a “chronic itch”? (lasting longer than 6 weeks)? The American Academy of Dermatology has great tips to help soothe that itchy skin, no matter what the cause!

 

10 January 2017

Itchy skin? Dermatologists share tips for relief

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (Jan. 10, 2017) — Everyone gets an itch once in a while. Usually it only lasts for a short time and is often caused by annoyances like a mosquito bite or scratchy fabric. However, if an itch lasts for more than six weeks, say dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology, it is considered a chronic itch and is more likely to disrupt your life.“There are many reasons for itchy skin,” said board-certified dermatologist Hassan Galadari, MD, FAAD, who maintains a private practice in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “It could be the result of a skin condition, such as eczema, shingles, hives or psoriasis, or it could be a sign of a contagious disease, like scabies or ringworm.”

To help soothe itchy skin, Dr. Galadari recommends the following tips:

    1. Apply a cold, wet cloth or ice pack to the skin that itches. Do this for about five to 10 minutes or until the itch subsides.
    1. Take an oatmeal bath. This can be very soothing, especially for blisters or oozing skin due to chickenpox, hives, poison ivy or sunburn.
    1. Moisturize your skin. Always choose a moisturizer free of additives, fragrances and perfumes.
    1. Apply topical anesthetics that contain pramoxine. 
  1. Apply cooling agents, such as menthol or calamine. You could also place your moisturizer in the refrigerator to help achieve this cooling effect.

“While treating your skin, try to avoid scratching, as this will further irritate your skin and could increase your risk for a skin infection,” said Dr. Galadari. “It’s also a good idea to take steps to help prevent your skin from itching.”

To help prevent itching, Dr. Galadari recommends the following tips:

    1. Bathe with lukewarm – not hot – water. Try to limit your bath or shower to just 10 minutes.
    1. Always use “fragrance-free” lotions, soaps and detergents to minimize irritation. Be wary of products labeled “unscented,” as they might still have chemicals that can irritate your skin.
    1. As directed by your dermatologist, apply medications before moisturizing. Then, apply your moisturizer to all areas of your skin, including areas treated with medication.
    1. Wear loose-fitting, cotton clothes. Wool and other rough-feeling fabrics can irritate your skin, causing intense itching.
    1. Avoid extreme temperature changes. Maintain a relatively cool, neutral humidity environment in your house. Use a humidifier during winter if you are prone to dry skin and eczema.
  1. Reduce stress, as stress can make your itch worse.

“If your itch does not go away with home treatment, see a board-certified dermatologist,” said Dr. Galadari. “Some people have more than one reason to scratch, and a dermatologist can work with you to find the cause and relieve your itching.”

Link to original article

Video: ” How to Relieve Itchy Skin”

Eczema Facts

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Eczema

  • Rashes (also known as dermatitis or eczema) have many causes, including allergic reactions, friction, prolonged exposure to heat and moisture, or contact with irritants, such as harsh chemicals.
  • See your dermatologist for the successful diagnosis and treatment of eczema.

Allergic contact dermatitis

  • The itching and blistering of allergic contact dermatitis can occur after contact with an allergen, a substance that causes an allergic reaction. These reactions typically appear within a few days of exposure.
  • Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are the most common causes of allergic reactions in the United States. Each year, millions of Americans will be affected by contact with these poisonous plants.
  • Other common causes of allergic contact dermatitis include metals (such as nickel), rubber, dyes, cosmetics, preservatives and fragrances.
  • Treatment to relieve symptoms includes identification and removal of potential allergens to prevent future reactions. Corticosteroids and topical immunomodulators (tacrolimus or pimecrolimus) may be prescribed to reduce symptoms. Additional treatment options are available for recurrent/persistent forms of allergic contact dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis

  • Atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, is frequently described as “the itch that rashes.” It is characterized by patches of dry, red skin that may have scales and/or crust. Often, there is intense itchiness, accompanied by the desire to scratch.
  • Eczema usually occurs on the face, neck, and the insides of the elbows, knees and ankles.
  • Approximately 10 to 20 percent of children age 10 and younger in the United States develop atopic dermatitis, as do 1 to 3 percent of adults across the world.1-3 In the United States alone, atopic dermatitis affects at least 28 million people of all ages.4
  • An estimated 60 percent of people with this condition develop it in their first year of life, and 90 percent develop it before age 5.5 However, atopic dermatitis can begin during puberty or later.
  • While there is no cure for atopic dermatitis, most cases can be controlled with proper treatment. The goals of treatment are to keep the skin moist, reduce inflammation and the risk of infection, and minimize the itch associated with the rash.
  • Effective treatment often requires a multifaceted approach that includes medication, proper skin care, trigger avoidance and coping mechanisms.
  • Treatment to relieve symptoms may include:
    • Moisturizers to help relieve dry skin.
    • Cold compresses applied directly to the skin to help relieve the itch.
    • Corticosteroids to help reduce inflammation.
    • Topical calcineurin inhibitors to help reduce inflammation.
    • Short-term, intermittent use of sedative antihistamines to help the patient get a good night’s sleep.
    • Non-sedating antihistamines during the day, if needed.
    • Phototherapy or immune-suppressing oral medications to help relieve moderate to severe cases that do not respond to other therapies.

Link to original article: 

Winter Allergies

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Most people are familiar with the allergies that come with spring and summertime such as pollen, grass, and trees.  It is this season that you see all the commercials of people with hay fever symptoms (sniffling, sneezing, coughing, watery eyes) frolicking through the grass and flowery meadows.

What some of us don’t realize is that we are also exposed to a lot of allergens during the winter time.  Ask any person that suffers with eczema, allergies and asthma for that matter, and they will tell you that fall and winter pose a different threat to their disease when it comes to allergies.

There are other year round allergens to be aware of.  During the winter months, most people stay indoors and are exposed to allergens that have been lurking there the whole time.  With windows shut and the heating system on, these allergens are circulated throughout the house.

Some of these year round allergies include pollen, dust mites and dander.

·         Pollens: Pollen from trees and grass float through the air in spring, summer and fall.  Ragweed, is the most common allergen in the fall.  This plant, in the daisy family, produces copious amounts of pollen that travel through the air from mid-August through early October or November in our area.  Not only are people exposed to these pollens outdoors, but pollens hitch hike on you and your clothing, into the home, onto your furniture, and into your air vents.

·         Dust mites: Dust Mites exist in every room of every home and building.  They are found everywhere, but most commonly on bedding, pillows, and soft/fabric items.  Proteins in the eggs and the waste product of these mites are the allergens that many people are allergic to.  You can rid of these by laundering items regularly in very hot water and by vacuuming regularly.

·         Dander: If you have pets in the home, your exposure to pet dander increases significantly as your pet spends more time in the home.  Your exposure increases if your beloved pet sleeps in the bed with you!  You can decrease the amount of pet dander in the home by washing your pet and vacuuming regularly.

Furnaces and heat pumps make a difference also.  These ensure that warm air is pumped throughout the house, and whatever harbors in your air vent is pumped along with it (ie. pollen, dust, and dander).  The National Eczema Association advises “against buying low efficiency, inexpensive air filters since they do a poor job of trapping ultrafine particles, which are the biggest culprits at triggering allergic and asthmatic reactions”.

You can look for CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly bedding, vacuums, furnace filters and other products by going to asthmaandallergyfriendly.com.

So, it appears that no season is safe when it comes to environmental allergens.

So why is this important?  Some patients with allergies, asthma and or eczema have hypersensitive cells in the sinus tract, the lungs, and in the skin.  Exposure to these allergies could trigger an allergy, asthma or eczema flare.  Avoiding allergens, and other non-allergic triggers, is the best way to avoid having disease flares requiring medical attention.

Tips for Curbing Spring Skin Allergies and Rashes

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spring1

With the beginning of spring, often comes an increase in allergy triggers for some children and adults who suffer from eczema (atopic dermatitis)

It all starts when the dry skin of a person with eczema comes in contact with an allergen or other triggers and becomes inflamed and starts to itch. The more the person scratches the more the eczema inflammation flares up.

Keep your windows closed.  We all love to have the warm fresh air coming in our homes after a long cold winter, but keeping the windows closed will keep the pollen outside from coming inside.

Change air filters: Change the air filters in your air conditioner. It will help filter out a lot of the pollen that comes in through your a/c system.

Wear long sleeves and pants: During the high pollen season, keeping a layer of clothes, (especially a soft cotton) between the skin and the outdoors will help reduce the exposure to the pollen and allergy triggers that start the cycle.

Bathe kids after playing outside: Don’t wait till near bedtime to bathe the children if they have been outside playing. Taking a bath and following that up with a good moisturizer immediately after is essential to removing allergens from the skin.   Follow our 3 Minute Rule for Bathing and Moisturizing:  https://www.comderm.com/11/06/2014/treating-dry-irritated-skin/

Clean your house and pets more frequently:  It is important to remove as much dust, dander and pollen from your home and pets as possible during spring allergy season.  For more information on this topic here is a good source for information:  http://www.acaai.org/allergies/types/dust-allergy

 

Sometimes even with the best of cleaning and moisturizing routines, eczema still flares up. Patients should seek out medical care from their physician or dermatologist if they feel the eczema is not improving or getting worse.

Pollen and Allergies in the Spring

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Spring is finally here! Along with the beautiful flowers and sunshine comes sneezing, itchy, watery eyes and itchy skin.  How can we manage to enjoy being outside without being miserable?

Starting the beginning of April, tree pollen has been on the rise.  Over the last week tree pollen counts have been very high causing a lot of respiratory discomfort.  We have also started seeing a lot of rashes and an increase in eczema flares.   Tree pollen starts the allergy season, which for some can start as early as February, depending on the winter temperatures.

When the pollen contacts our skin, eyes or nose, our bodies release a chemical called histamine.  Histamine causes allergy symptoms such as itchy skin, runny nose and watery, itchy eyes.

If you are suffering from spring allergies, the best way to stay comfortable is to try to avoid pollen as best you can.   Currently tree pollen peaks from 5-10 am daily.  Try to stay indoors during these peak hours if possible.  Do not open your windows to try to get fresh air in the home, as pollen can enter through the screens, and you can continue to have allergic symptoms.  When driving in the car, use the air conditioner rather than rolling down the windows so that pollen stays out of the car.

Many of us enjoy doing yard work and planting flowers at this time of year, but, unfortunately, mowing the grass and weeding can flare your allergies!  Try to wear a mask if working out in the yard or mowing, this can help prevent the nasal symptoms.  If you are suffering from itchy skin after being outdoors, you will need to rinse the pollen off of your skin as soon as possible.

The providers at Commonwealth Dermatology suggest people who suffer from eczema take a bath or shower at the end of the day to rinse the pollen off of the skin.  It may be necessary to bathe more frequently if you are experiencing increased rash, itchiness, or if you can’t avoid exposure to allergens, and be sure to moisturize after bathing to prevent dry skin. If you are having trouble controlling your symptoms, contact your health care provider to get a plan so that you can survive the season.  You may need to add an oral anti-histamine to help with allergy symptoms.

Local pollen count information and pollen/ allergy forecasts are available on weather.com.  Enjoy your spring, but don’t take the time to stop and smell the flowers!


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