Cold weather and eczema go together for many of us. Simple tips to pre-empt and reduce eczema breakouts, and remedies to cure thereafter!

Anyone who has eczema breakouts understands the pain. Living with it over years, one tends to figure out ways to reduce or prevent and quickly cure it when it does flare up!

causes and remedies

1. Stress – Be is schoolwork or the pressure of completing a huge task list, or the fear of the unknown. Any of these when pushed beyond limits, sometimes flares up as a skin breakout.
2. Life changes – Losing or switching jobs, financial loss, and any other major life changes involving emotions, can result in a skin breakout.
3. Hormonal imbalance – Early childhood, getting into and out of teens, puberty and menopause are all times when our bodies have a higher tendency of hormonal imbalances. For some, when combined with environmental factors / diet, it results in eczema breakouts
4. Diet – Lack or excess of a particular type of food item (be it citrus fruits, bread, eggs, some spices). Switching to a simple porridge or soup with salads helps bring back the balance in the diet
5. Temperature at home – Some families are used to keeping their central heating at a high temperature (75o or above). Without drinking enough fluids, one starts losing the water content in the body, triggering eczema breakouts. Keep your temperature levels between 68-72o max.
6. Thyroid issues – Those who have thyroid imbalance tend to increase heating levels at home. However, this might have an impact on the rest of the members in the household, who end up with eczema breakouts
7. Clothes – Wearing thick clothing and sweaters all the time, helps keep one warm, however, excess of this leads to breakouts.
8. Baths and soaps – Long baths, long hot water baths, and use of scented soaps do not work well with some immune systems. Changing to a simple soap – start with baby soap to test your tolerance levels. Johnson and Johnson baby soap works for many. If not, Aveeno helps. Scented Dove soaps do not work. Check and change appropriately.
9. Fabric softener – Fabric softener sheets tend to increase the breakouts in children and teens. Not using it significantly helps (retain our sanity while recovering as well!)
10. Using different detergents in quick succession – Hand wash soap, fabric detergent, dishwashing detergent – using different brands in all three in quick succession triggers breakouts in hands. If you must use all of them, using a hand glove helps!
11. Moisturize – Body needs moisture, skin needs moisture, wiping ourselves after a bath reduces the moisture content in our body. So, moisturizing right after helps.
    • For babies – Aveeno lotion works well for eczema conditions
    • For adults – Vaseline helps. Nivea works well as it is thick and tends to stay for longer duration
12. Cortizone – Over the counter creams help in reducing the rashes and pain and bleeding.

If you are going through eczema rashes, use the simple tips below

1. Try cold water showers instead of long / hot water baths
2. Moisturize with Vaseline / Nivea cream right after
3. Include moisture content food in your diet (salads, diluted soups)
4. Laugh (watch a comedy show or movie if needed)
5. Try to maintain your sleep time
6. Talk to your physician and apply cortizone / get medication
7. Remember that this too shall pass!

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