Could eczema be a heat allergy?

[chilliepepper]

Ok...as some of you well know by now, I'm trying to figure out both of my DS's eczema. I've been dairy free for 3 weeks and egg free for about 5 days. The baby has, several times now, looked like he was going to completely clear up, then it will flare again just slightly---really not a big deal at all but it's frustrating that I can't get it to go away completely.

The 2yo has been off dairy for about a week now, and has been looking pretty good. But one thing I've noticed is that he can look REALLY good in the morning, and then if we go out and run errands or something, he flares up again. We live in Florida and it's still quite hot and humid here. Today, it was especially hot when we went out and his flare-up was worse than recent days.

So I'm really sure that heat is a trigger. However, I'm wondering if it could be THE cause for the eczema, or if the real cause is an underlying allergy but heat is a trigger. Does that make sense?

Is it possible that this has nothing to do with food, and everything to do with temperature?

(He also gets eczema in the winter, so I know it can't be ONLY heat. But maybe it could be heat and cold, LOL...guess we have to move to Northern California or something!)

[chilliepepper]

Just bumping with an update, and hoping that changing the title will attract some attention.

So yesterday we were outdoors in the muggy heat for several hours, and 2yo DS's eczema (or whatever it is behind his elbows and knees) flared up really bad. So I ask again: could this be simply a reaction to heat, or would it be a sign of an underlying allergy that also happens to be triggered by heat? Does that make sense?

[hades]

i guess so but the effect if its too cold is also the same.

[chooselife]

YES!! I have suffered from excema since I was a child and still do to this day. It is not common for adults to continue to have excema after childhood, but for me it has been a horrible struggle. Let me assure you that heat,humidity,and sweat are definite triggers for certain types of excema. The previously mentioned factors have always caused my excema to flare in places on the body that get especially hot like back of knees, elbows on the inner arm, back of the neck, etc. Sweat makes it more itchy thus aggravating the itch-scratch-flare up more cycle. Best relief is to stay cool & stay dry as much as possible in FLA.

[NightWalker]

Originally Posted by chilliepepper

Just bumping with an update, and hoping that changing the title will attract some attention.
. So I ask again: could this be simply a reaction to heat, or would it be a sign of an underlying allergy that also happens to be triggered by heat? Does that make sense?

I would call it heat intolerance definitely related to an allergy. My skin is VERY reactive to heat (I also have eczema, hives, etc etc etc) and heat will absolutely make me react. My theory would be that when you sweat- you release more toxins--so you will have a greater reaction. Ds#2 is the same way-- if he sweats, his ezcema is far worse for it.
But allergic TO heat? No, I think you have an underlying allergy.

[Mama2E&O]

Originally Posted by NightWalker

I would call it heat intolerance definitely related to an allergy. My skin is VERY reactive to heat (I also have eczema, hives, etc etc etc) and heat will absolutely make me react. My theory would be that when you sweat- you release more toxins--so you will have a greater reaction. Ds#2 is the same way-- if he sweats, his ezcema is far worse for it.
But allergic TO heat? No, I think you have an underlying allergy.

Absolutely. We have got eczema/skin allergies here as well and when it is hot and muggy my eczema seems worse, and I have hives too. I have always thought it was toxins being released in my sweat.

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by chilliepepper

I've been dairy free for 3 weeks and egg free for about 5 days.

Congrats on your elimination diet. I'm happy to hear that you're having some success, but I feel your pain that it is not complete. I, too, agree with the other poster that it is not a heat allergy, but that the skin reaction is exacerbated by the heat. Eczema skin is highly sensitive, so any irritant can set it off- toxins in the sweat or just the sweat itself. Then in the cold, the skin dries, causing problems. One thing I've also noticed with my dd is that she's better when rested. Hence, she looks better in the morning and after naps. Perhaps the worsening you're seeing isn't from the heat or sweat, but from being tired...? Or a combo of both. Isn't eczema great? :