Eczema is a skin condition that makes your skin red, itchy, and inflamed. Healthy skin helps retain moisture and protects you from bacteria, irritants, and allergens. Eczema affects the skin's ability to provide this protection. This allows your skin to be affected by environmental factors, irritants, and allergens.
No cure has yet been found for eczema. But treatments and self-care measures can relieve itching and prevent new outbreaks.
Eczema, also known by the term 'atopic dermatitis', is more prevalent in infants and children than in adults. Eczema is one of the most bothersome and chronic disorders of the skin.
Contact eczema is the type commonly observed in adults, while atopic eczema is more prevalent in children. The arms, and the region behind the knees, are the commonly affected sites. However, any part of the body may be affected.
Summer is not always sweet for individuals with eczema. The soaring temperatures and warm-weather activities, like swimming and spending hours in the sun, can be eczema triggers.
Why is summer such a tricky time for eczema?
Increased heat and humidity can lead to more sweating. Sweat contains various salts that can be irritating to the skin if not washed away properly and can lead to eczema.
More specifically, sweat can contain minerals like zinc, copper, iron, nickel, cadmium, lead, manganese, sodium, and chloride, and when these build-up on your skin, irritation could result.
You may notice that eczema worsens mainly in areas where moisture gets trapped, such as the elbows, the back of your neck, or the back of your knees.
The other reason for the development of eczema is an increase in allergens in the environment such as pollen, which can increase histamine (a chemical released by the immune system in allergic reactions resulting in allergic symptoms such as itching, inflammation, etc) release, which causes itching.
Jumping into the water and slathering on sunscreen are the two most common summertime habits but they can also cause eczema you thought you had under control.
The good news is you can take a proactive approach to minimize these risks. Here are a few strategies for avoiding eczema flare-ups in the summer.
10 Tips to Manage Eczema Flare-ups in Summers
1. Stay hydrated and drink lots of water. If you are prone to eczema, drinking more water and rehydrating yourself will moisturize your skin and hence, avoid dry skin leading to eczema.
2. Keep gels and lotions in the fridge to keep them cool. Applying chilled gels and lotion increases blood circulation to the skin for better nourishment and moisture. Low temperatures keep bacteria at bay, hence, reduces your chance to develop eczema.
3. Rinse off after swimming, and moisturize right away. The chlorine in swimming pools can drain the moisture away from your skin and make it dry and prone to eczema. Therefore you should rinse off swimming pool water and apply moisturizer to restore your skin’s moisture.
4. Use cooling towels. Applying cooling towels on the affected areas can numb the skin and hence relieve few symptoms such as itching, redness, burning sensation, etc.
5. Wear loose-fitting, light clothing. Loose-fitting cotton clothes are great for absorbing sweat and are less irritable. Skin is more breathable under light clothing, hence, eliminating the risk factors for eczema.
6. Carry a cooler bag with a bottle of cold water and a washcloth to wipe the sweat off right away. The main aim is to keep your body cool, moisturized, and sweat-free to avoid eczema.
7. Keep the insides of elbows and back of knees as dry as possible (sweat collects there especially in the summer).
8. Minimize sweat by not doing anything too strenuous outside when it’s hot and by staying in the shade.
9. Soak in a baking soda bath (lukewarm to cool water). Baking soda has soothing qualities along with antibacterial properties. Therefore, baking soda is helpful in managing symptoms of eczema and antibacterial properties can kill the germs on the skin.
10. Slather on coconut oil. It has antimicrobial properties, which make it effective at killing bacteria on the skin. It's also highly moisturizing and may reduce inflammation as well as discomfort.
However, in case you experience extreme dryness, itchiness, or patches due to eczema, it is advisable to consult your dermatologist right away.
References:
1. National Eczema Association. 2021. 20 Tips For Managing Eczema in Summer | Eczema Remedies. [online] Available at: <https://nationaleczema.org/summer-tips/> [Accessed 4 March 2021].
2. Aad.org. 2021. 12 summer skin problems you can prevent. [online] Available at: <https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/routine/prevent-summer-skin-problems> [Accessed 4 March 2021].
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