There are some that claim that your brain does play tricks on your body. It is a bit coucou and new age and frankly I don't know what to make of it, but I have back pain when I am in the US and when I get to Switzerland, my back pain vanishes and is replaced by allergies. It never fails.
Dr.Sarno at NYU is a big time promoter $$$ of that idea.
Drinking plenty of fluids is important for resolving fluid retention - I found it took several months of living here before I learned to drink enough water.
The other possibility is the fluid retention is allergy-related. I am seriously allergic to Sodium Benzoate (preservative 220) and it's in heaps of things here - I had a nasty reaction that I thought was post-airplane, then realised it was from drinking the kids 'sirup'...oops....I have to be really careful here...read the labels all the time etc...
However, I did develop mild hayfever here but I prefer it to the eczema!
Allergies probably are the only reasonable explanation, but we haven't zeroed in on specific allergens yet. Once I kept her six weeks on home-made spelt bread, fresh fruit and veggies, some organic meat and eggs from local farms, pure tap water, once in a while some fruit tea, no diary products, no wheat, no processed food. Result: Zilch, i.e. water retention as before.
I had a period of exzema on my back just when I moved here (normally have zero allergies or skin troubles), it was in winter and the water really dried my skin. I use shower oils instead of shower gel, gels dry skin massively. My skin is much drier here than back home, I try to shower for max 5mins and use as natural moisturizers as possible. I avoid aluminum deodorants, L'occitaine makes a terrific Verbena one.
Pig fat is the best for exzema, I know it sounds nasty, but lard (home made from pork) is one of the best for skin, it is the closest to natural human skin oils, if one can get over the rediculousness of the idea
Mold isn't a particular problem in my apartment, dust on the other hand... I could dust two or three times a day and still not pass a "white glove" test.
Tree pollen from certain pine trees is bad, the worst ever was in Texas but some similar pine is here and in the fall gives me issues when it pollinates but right now isn't it... outside allergies are alright for the moment.
Some of the shower gels I've tried are bad also, I like how they smell but apparently, my sensitivity to eating melons and cucumbers extends to getting a rash if I use gels with this scent.
Meanwhile, the newer allergy medicines don't work so well for me, even if they help my allergy issues, the side effects make it not worth it. I keep going back to the tried-and-true combination of pseudoephedrine (sinueses) and chlorpheniramine (anti-histamine). These can make me drowsy to be sure but they don't make me get blindingly angry for "no reason" like some of the others did.
For the rashes, the nurse at my gynie here recommended Excipial Pruri Lotio when I had dry skin and rash on my legs while pregnant. It worked pretty well and isn't greasy (I really can not stand having greasy or sticky feeling skin)... hubby used it on his fingers when his new-found eczema acted up. I also changed soaps, as much as I love the cucumber / melon smelling soaps, it's not worth the itch.
I know this will also sound silly, but I would try to go without a shower for a week or two (just give yourself a proper "catbath" and change clothes frequently) if you can make yourself, since there has been a time it really helped me.
Then I'd try a week with no coffee and black tea, no alcohol, chocolate, etc. Then a week without fresh fruits and vegetables, then a week without dairy or nuts, etc. One can change the allergens that the body is responsive without knowing, but I am sure all allergic people are complete pros at this.
Watch out for preservatives in processed food, msg, artificial sweeteners (I'll run before I catch a flak here for this, haha), art., food coloring and other E numbers.
I would also quit using chemicals for cleaning ( tips ) or check with whoever is cleaning your place (toss that toilet thingie that hangs in people's toilet bowl, it disposes aerosol into the air or always flush with the lid down), toss any air fresheners (febreeze, car "trees", essential oils, insence, plug in gadgets and sprays, the aerosol is certainly not healthy), get rid off perfumes and colones and make yourself smell nice with a linen bag of lavander, herbs or a natural soap in your dresser. Welleda is awesome.
Quit at dry cleaners (you do not know what the residues in your clothes are), quit using fabric softeners, try a baby laundry detergent, try a natural tooth paste too. I would investigate in what my floor is made of and carpets (check for formaldehyde that is a big environmental trigger) and furniture, some other home wood products contain this. Check for safe plastic products in your home (do not microwave in plastic, etc.) and get yourself a safe drinking bottle (ie Sigg with non bisphenol lining). Move any electronic gadgets (tv, pc, fan, etc) away from your bedroom.
Ugh. I know, it's a nuissance. But just a little food for thought..
I also realized I did have a flare up of seborhoic dermatitis once and what really helped was a mixture that had natural tar in it. I bet a dermatologist here would know. I had the affected areas painted with Genciana violet and then put the tar ointment on over night with plastic compress on top, it worked wonders I had my skin clear within 2wks ( I did smell like asphalt road, true, tiny bit).
I think foods are a trigger sometimes. I used to try and eat only organic, but with a tighter budget nowadays, that's not an option anymore. However, I do recommend talking to a doctor if it gets too annoying for some new meds. I got some lovely high strength steroids that help take that ever annoying itch away.
just a month before moving to switzerland, his eczema started up again (though not as bad as initially). And we have been here now 2 weeks, and its completely GONE. I mean completely cleared, its amazing. So the environment here in switzerland is much better for my son compared to california.
Also we have been using the waleda (yellow tube) cream on his eczema since he had it first time. That cream does wonders aswell.
[quote=MarkL2005;568190]Thanks for the responses. I see that a few of you have experienced a worsening in your skin allergies.
Eczema
Personally, my eczema has seriously flared out of control since coming to live here . I've noticed I only get an attack around the time when seasons change. Can any of you suggest any body hydrants, shampoos, soap, dietary changes etc which I can try out? I am drinking Migros bottled water instead of tap water. For soap I use the green Pruri-Med. For shampoo I use Elvive anti-dandruff. And I've always used eco-friendly washing liquid for my clothes. No softener since this contains enzymes. To treat the ezcema I've been using Optiderm, Tacrolimus/Protopic & Parfenac. Not very effective. I recently bought an air purifier/ioniser. Am thinking to buy a humidifier to tackle the dry air problem
The organic food store Höheners on Schuetzenmatstrasse in Basel has a flour mill/grinder. They happily ground 3 kilos of bio oats into flour for me at no additional charge. That is roughly 6 pounds of Aveeno for about $25, or 42 rappen a bath! I explained the basic science behind this beneficial treatment to the lady who ran the grinder. She said she is going to try a "Hafermehlbad" for herself.
just a month before moving to switzerland, his eczema started up again (though not as bad as initially). And we have been here now 2 weeks, and its completely GONE. I mean completely cleared, its amazing. So the environment here in switzerland is much better for my son compared to california.
Also we have been using the waleda (yellow tube) cream on his eczema since he had it first time. That cream does wonders aswell.
Wring out a thick wet towel and drape it over the radiators ....... easy and cheap way to humidify the heated air. Recommended by our Swiss Grossi and it works!