Mild Chronic Excema

[NotQuiteCockney]

Just wondering if anyone had any tips/knowledge about mild chronic excema. I was diagnosed at least 10 years ago, but haven't actually suffered for ages. I come up in tiny very itchy red bumps on the soles of my feet and the palms of my hands, but only really in hot weather.

I know I can get cortico-steroid cream, but leaving that smeared on my hands isn't very tempting, particularly with two kids. Anyway, I don't think it's very good for you, is it?

Other than wearing light shoes/socks and washing my feet often, should I be using cream? What would help?

Do you peel? What you describe reminds me of something that my mum described having when she lived in Israel. It was apparently caused by some imbalance in the blood, IIRC, that caused the rash and peeling during hot weather. Shall I ask her?

No peeling. Just bumps and lots of itching.

The bumps feel like they're under ths skin, not in it, if you see what I mean.

I'm pretty sure it's a reaction to my own sweat. As long as I avoid anything synthetic on my feet, so the sweat doesn't stay on the skin, they tend to be under control.

Only it's been too hot lately, and I keep forgetting to regularly wash my feet ... wearing sandals doesn't seem to help, either.

I only know it's excema because a GP told me. I don't even really know what excema is. It certainly doesn't look like excema as I know it.

Hmm. I wonder whether the bumps you feel are the sweat glands themselves. If so, then changing your diet would affect the makeup of the perspiration, and maybe prevent the rash. Only thing is, I haven't a clue what you could do with your diet! I'm fairly sure mum was told to avoid tomatoes, chiles, peppers and aubergines. Could you try that - at least it couldn't do any harm.

Hang on a sec - the tomatoes etc may have been for arthritis. I'll have to ask her!

Try probitic tablets and flax seed oil and see if there is an improvement, it can take a few weeks though.

Can i suggest,

emollient therapy is the key to treating eczema.
lightest emollients are lotions(ie-simple baby lotion), then creams (ie- aqueous cream) then ointments (ie white petroleum jelly) all pretty cheap from chemist. the dryer the skin the heavier the emollient you should use and all should be applied frequently.(at least four times a day).
the emollient traps fluid in the skin, keeping it hydrated.

morning and evening-you could try using emollient first then half hour later apply steroid cream thinly. then put cotton socks on (not an attractive look with sandals )

In a couple of weeks, the weather had better change, and it'll get better on its own. If I had it more often, a diet change would maybe help.

I will try more oiling, and wearing socks to bed. I remember wearing socks before, and that helping because it kept me from scratching. The skin isn't very dry, I don't think.

If the skin isn't broken then Eurax is excellent for reducing itching. Smells manky, though! You don't need a prescription for it.

Oooh, I don't know what Eurax is. Is it something that works on kids, too? Just curious about it.

My excema seems to be quite a bit better now, thanks to the weather shift. I did try oiling and wearing socks, and that seemed to help.

probiotics, flaxseed oil, aveeno. Nothing wrong with corticosteroid cream if used only when necessary and sparingly.

I think I'd be less twitchy about corticosteroid cream if it wasn't a) on my hands and b) while I'm dealing with a baby and a small child, who are likely to put anything in their mouths.