While the big toenail does have onychomycosis, that episode of Athlete's Foot wasn't Athlete's Foot. A week later when the same itch and angry red blisters broke out between my fingers and palms, behind the ears and around the lips, I hightailed it to the skin doctor.
I was like, "WTF, is it HMFD???!" It wasn't. It was a simple and annoying case of dyshidrotic eczema. The doctor suggested that it could be spring allergies. You should have heard how loudly I swore. Yeah, it was March and April, but I live in Singapore where it's hot and hotter. Flora and trees bloom all year round. What spring!!!???
A combination of antihistamines and steroid creams settled the outbreak. But it left tiny bumps all over the skin that won't go away and they continue to lurk and become irritated and itchy for dunno-what-reasons, resulting in them flaring to become liquid-filled 'eyes' that look like sago seeds. They won't go away if ignored. Gotta slap on moisturizers or aloe vera to soothe them, and if necessary, a thin layer of steroid cream. So humidity caused the eczema outbreak, and now a dry climate might irritate it if the skin isn't moisturized enough. GROWL.
In this climate, I use mainly body oil. Didn't bother to pack in a large amount of moisturizers or steroid creams. Simply brought the existing tube of steroid cream that's almost finished. It's sufficient for two days. Went to the nearest Target and Walgreens to stock up on the moisturizers to be used here. :( Filled out a local prescription of two extra tubes of steroid creams at the pharmacy and topped up on antihistamines. It's spring in the northern hemisphere. The pollen and dunno-what in the air are making the eyes swell and sinuses flare. But you know what, the eczema on the skin calmed. WTF. Boohoohoo.
No thanks to the cortisone causing the skin to atrophy, in this drier climate, all the climbing, walking and whatever, the skin on the fingers and palms, and bits of the feet have split. They don't hurt too badly lah. And I already use the creams very sparingly. Grrrr. Antiseptic lotion to the rescue! Nothing beats the mantra of 'moisturize, moisturize, moisturize'. Zzzz.
8 comments:
I feel you :(( *hugs*
I swear by Aveeno too.
i'm trying out CeraVe now. A friend gave me a bottle and it feels pretty good.
Poor you. Moisturise moisturise moisturise! my skin's also getting sensitive in recent years, so i understand your frustration although mine's not half as serious as yours....yet.
D: I will, thanks! You too. Gotta do that loads when you head back to the northern hemisphere. did your skin get a reprieve when you're in tropical heat and humiditY? Or worse because of it?
Have you tried nappy rash cream? It kinda sounds weird but I swear it works like magic on all kinds of eczema or the heat rash I regularly get here. I use the one by Mustela. I gave it to my teenage niece who had a bad outbreak of eczema on her face and it works for her as well.
for my face, it's beginning to be allergic to natural organic products. in the northern hemisphere, i get eczema on my lower legs if i don't moisturise enough or with an effective enough moisturiser. i'm guessing it's also the hard water. i'm not sure. and now i'm getting eczema on my scalp too. from the humidity here? i don't know too! so far mine's all milder than what you experience. no need for cortisone yet.
mela: I used to buy nappy rash cream to soothe easy blisters and rashes, like how nappy rash cream is used on newly tattooed skin instead of the old pawpaw. But I haven't tried it in on this eczema yet. Will do so! Thanks for the tip!
D: Oof. The eczema things is on my scalp and it does flake off like dandruff, except it's not. It can be managed by the salon's or DIY deep cleansing and moisturizing treatments. It doesn't hurt me, but can be just a tad embarrassing when I get flakes in my hair. :(
Yeah, humidity seems to make the growth flourish loads.
Post a Comment