This week is Indoor Allergy Week in the UK and comes at the time of year that we’re all starting to realise that winter really is on its way.
I thought I’d share a few things that we’re doing to prepare for the onslaught of what may well be a frosty winter:
1. Scarf – I have looked high and low for MyItchyBoy’s scarf from last year. It’s hard to lose such a thing, but lose it I have. It’s in the house somewhere and it’s 100% cotton and he’s not grown out of it, so I need to find it. All suggestions welcome! In the meantime, I’m scouring shops for a new one to keep the wind away from his neck on the walk to school
2. We finally bought a tumble dryer. I love it! Not only does it mean that I can finally feel on top with the amount of washing I have to get through on a weekly basis, but it also means no laundry hanging off every airer, radiator, door or door handle in the house. This is good news for a tidy house but also, since we’ve found out that MyItchyBoy is allergic to house dust mites, it should help to improve the air in the house
3. We got MyItchyBoy a fab winter coat in a sale this summer. It’s waterproof and wind proof and has storm cuffs so should make sure he’s toasty warm outside so he’ll be happy to get plenty of fresh air. He usually feels the cold a lot due to him being quite a skinny minny so a warm coat is a must
4. Gloves – am scouring the shops again for a pair that is lined with cotton, but we do have last year’s mittens that still fit. I’m terrible for wearing gloves myself in winter so frequently find my hands are cracked and sore by January. Despite my own reluctance, I do try to instil in MyItchyBoy how important it is to wear his gloves to protect his hands over winter. His hands are never eczema-free so they get sore easily in the cold on the way to school. Long sleeves on a coat is a good substitute to gloves!
5. So far our heating hasn’t been on but when we get to that point, we do try to keep at least one window upstairs and one window downstairs open when we’re at home. We don’t have any vents in our double-glazing unfortunately, but we do live in an old house with an open fireplace so we do get a few draughts!
6. I got a blanket for MyItchyBoy’s bed last winter. It is washable and 100% cotton and we used it last year to layer up his bedding. We use a cotton duvet on his bed which isn’t as warm as other fillings so the blanket helps add an extra layer of warmth on the really cold nights
7. MyItchyBoy uses Epaderm cream and ointment as part of the daily routine for his eczema. Although we usually use the cream in the morning rush as it soaks in quicker so we can put his school uniform on, we make sure we always use the ointment on his face. The thickness of it protects much better against the wind in the cold weather
8. Cotton pyjamas with long sleeves and legs are bought and washed and ready to wear. I always find that Sainsburys has a good selection for boys at a reasonable price.
What do you do to prepare for dealing with eczema and allergies over winter?
Allergy UK have a great symptom checker where you can find out more info on keeping your skin tip top over winter.
For more help and understanding of allergies the whole year round, visit www.allergyuk.org.
dermatitis_overcoming says
I find that using the same pijama more than 2 nights in a row makes me itchy, I need to change my bed linen at least once a week.
Consider removing all carpeting, if sofas have a fabric covering, using a cover, and changing/washing the cover often will help, leather is ideal.
Also, using a water spray with some drops of tea tree oil/eucaliptus and spraying it over carpet/fabric/bed apparently helps kill dust mites.
For topical use, i found bathing regularly in diluted crushed non irradiated garlic helps to heal the skin, but this needs constant use, especially if you have weeping/open wounds.
Also, manuka honey with high UMF rating mixed with a moisturiser applied on the skin helps, it itches a lot when I apply it, but it dries out my wounds very fast. For the worst parts, i use honey without the moisturiser.
Garlic and Manuka honey are strong antibacterial/fungal, this is key with eczema, we essentially have a weak skin defense against staph and fungi, when these get in the skin, it causes the inflamation and itching, then you scratch, it bleeds, it gets more infected, and then it takes a long time to heal.
My favourite moisturisers are, the coconut cream from the body shop in brown, circular container, salcura, and hope’s relief moisturizer. (salcura can give a bit of a burning sensation when applied on open wounds)
Also, vitamin C, D, might help with the skin (i noticed a big improvement when starting to use vitamin C), if the skin is dry, some selenium might help (best source is brazil nuts)
If you child is itching at night, this is either because of the food he/she’s had during the day, or because of environmental causes of allergy (dust, mold, pet dander/mites etc)
All the best !
MyItchyBoy says
Great tips there! Thanks so much. xxx