Eczema flare up and plastic gloves

[ItsTheWooo]

Long story short, I've recently come down with an episode of eczema on my hands. It started innocently as a small patches of dry skin between my fingers, but soon spread to the point where my whole hands are dry, cracked, itchy and burning.

I have no idea how this happened. I have changed nothing about my diet or lifestyle. The only thing I can relate it to is perhaps a pair of plastic gloves I began using to wash the dishes. Is it possible that the gloves could have caused the eczema? I did get some water in there, maybe the water and all the weird chemicals they put on the gloves got all nice and mushy and warm and allowed for the fungus to grow :(. Weird that this should happen, as my immune system has been better on LC.

What are some treatments for eczema? Nothing is helping. Lotions aren't soothing, aloe isn't working either. Sigh I just might need to see the DR for this one.

[Grimalkin]

Do you take fish oil? I've read anecdotally that it greatly helps skin conditions like eczema. I don't suffer from this, but my skin looks fantastic since I religiously started adding this supplement to my diet. I prefer the stuff from the bottle, that way I know it's always fresh.

[Willam]

What are some treatments for eczema? Nothing is helping. Lotions aren't soothing, aloe isn't working either. Sigh I just might need to see the DR for this one.


Woo, I’ve suffered from eczema for the last three years. It seems to come and go at its pleasure, usually lasting for a few months or so. I’ve been to the doctor many times and always get the same answer. “There’s nothing that can be done except to try to lessen the discomfort”. Apparently there’s no cure and in fact the medical profession does not even know what causes it.

The biggest problem for me is the terrible itching. I think I’ve tried almost every lotion known to mankind, even the prescription medication Elidel. They were all absolutely worthless. I also started taking the fish oil supplements twice daily but unfortunately they also have not lessened the discomfort. The only thing that seems to help is the petroleum based over the counter triple antibiotics that you can buy almost anywhere. The petroleum seems to lessen the damage done to your skin when you do scratch and somewhat softens the irritated areas of your skin. Also, when you do scratch, the antibiotics lessen the chance of an infection. I think you should try this.

If anyone else has discovered something that helps, please let us know.

William

[HoserLC]

Although it may be from the gloves, I know I had the same thing when I was losing weight, and I attributed it to skin drying due to thyroid cutback. Whether or not that was the case, a little OTC hydrocortisone lotion cleared it up, as it does my other dermatitis.

[Alex123]

I have definately heard of skin problems being caused by rubber gloves. I'm sorry that at the moment I can't think of the actual article or in what context but I do know that I definately read/heard something. Stop using them for a while and see what happens. Over here in Australia you can get the heavier duty gloves that have a very light cotton lining in them - any possibility of getting some of those and seeing what happens?

[Alex123]

For something to help - have you tried lanolin? My husband works in a restaurant and always has damp/wet hands - he always uses lanolin (an oil from sheep's wool) and has no problems.

[cs_carver]

When you say "twice a day," does that mean two caps total? I have to take 10 to get an effect. I don't get exzema, but I do get cracked fingers, and the oil is the only thing that stops them.

You might also look (although this is a long shot) at some of the liver detox, like Silymarin, maybe N-A-C as a glutathione precursor. I get more allergic reactions when I'm exposed to more chemicals, and these two have helped my liver process the chemicals.

[jjoyb]

Woo, are you sure they are PLASTIC gloves? Many people have allergies to LATEX, which can be exacerbated by frequent or prolonged use, so you may not have noticed before now. If you have a latex allergy, you will get a rash and itchiness, and some swelling. As far as I know, not much works except avoiding latex.

Health care workers and researchers are mostly switching to nitrile-based gloves now because these kinds of allergies have been spreading across glove-wearers almost as fast as those crazy peanut allergies among kids....

[Skyangel]

Try tea tree oil on the affected skin. It is a wonderful anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, topical treatment. I have used it for years to clear up toenail fungus with it, and use it on athletes foot, bug bites, any skin irritation, douch for yeast infection, you name it.

If it is indeed latex gloves you have begun using, discontinue as it may be a latex allergy.

[sunspine17]

Woo-

Same thing happened to me a few years back. I had never had it before but got a flare-up from washing dishes with a new dish soap in the cold (we were moving in January and I was unpacking and washing while the kitchen door was open). It got really bad fast. My hands were dry, cracked, itchy and even developed puss from the cracks. I tried different lotions and nothing helped. I had no clue what it was or why it happened suddenly like that.

I went to the doc and she gave me a medicated lotion that cleared it up-- it was eczema. She said to follow up with an unscented, dermatologist recommended lotion (like Eucerine). She also suggested using plain Crisco as a lotion because it lacks all the perfumes, etc. but does the job of a lotion.

Anyway I'd go to the doc. A full blown case is really hard to get rid of without a prescription. After it's cleared up enough you can keep it at bay with over the counter lotions and home remedies. But when it's real bad-- no, see the doc. After you do get it cleared up (which the prescription lotion will do pretty fast). keep lotioning a lot with Eucerine or whatever and take really good care of your hands. Wear winter gloves even if it doesn't seem *that* cold. The littlest thing can cause it to flare up again. Also, If you think it was the plastic gloves (which I believe it could have been) stop using them. My hands were also sensitive to the plastic gloves after my first flare-up too. Especially if they get wet inside with the soap.

After that first outbreak (I was 28 or 29 I think) I constantly had to pay attention to may hands to prevent another bad episode, they constantly seemed on the verge of a bad flare up. Funny, only after I started LC did it go away (at 32). I can walk in the winter without gloves, never use lotion and I'm fine.

But yeah, I'd say go to the doc. That lotion they prescribe gives a lot of relief. Hope it clears up soon!

[star-fish]

I've had break-outs of eczema most of my life. It's caused by many things and can include allergies to: wool, certain kinds of plastic, latex, syntethic fibres, soap, etc. The list goes on... What you eat and drink can also affect it, but what the trigger foods are differ for everyone (eg: mine are dairy and citrus).

I don't like using the steroid creams that doctors prescribe as they damage the skin in the long run, but a good over the counter remedy is Weleda eczema cream. It clears it up and smells nice to boot.

If you suffer from recurring eczema, an effective treatment could be acupuncture. I tried it last year and haven't had any breakouts since.

[ItsTheWooo]

Hey everyone,
I'm glad to report that the eczema seems to be going away on its own. I stopped using the gloves, and slowly but surely the skin is returning to normal. My finger tips are still dry and parched and my sense of touch is compromised, but the original area in between my fingers (which was so dry and cracked and itchy and burning) has almost completely healed.

I bought new gloves with a cloth lining in them ;)

[dasanipure]

well, even though this thread is kinda 'concluded', i just thought i'd comment on the 'crisco as lotion' comment...seems fitting on a LC board that we find a use for hydrogenated vegetable oil that doesn't involve eating it! i've always touted the amazing moisturizing properties of pure butter, but i'll admit that it's a little too 'rich' for my budget. :)
Oh - and I think I've seen this mentioned somewhere on this forum...you can use sugar that's laying around the house to exfoliate with...oatmeal is great too. that way, you won't have to throw these things away but won't be eating them either. do i sound cheap?

[nikkil]

Don't know if anybody said this but you may have a latex allergy. You should definitely be tested because it could be a life-or-death allergy if you're ever in the hospital where all the healthcare workers are wearing latex and touching you (including a surgeon touching your 'insides').

I have a wicked case of e. right now and I have a steroid cream from my doc that I use sparingly. BTW, when I had a breast reduction I had to massage the scars a few times a day - I used flax seed oil - and at first I couldn't figure out why my hands were smooth like budda :lol: Maybe try massaging lots of your chosen moisturizer into your hands and at night then wearing cotton gloves to bed.

Again, you need to get tested for latex sensitivity/allergy, IMO :)