One of the reasons for
keeping this blog is to talk about eczema, but I have put it off for
a long time. Having to explain how I’ve come to help the Angel cope
with eczema brings a lot of horror to me.
For many of you who have met the Angel in Singapore, you will
understand the true meaning of her acute eczema. Frankly, I do not
wish to re-live the horror, both for her and me, of the suffering
she had when we were in Singapore. No one can really understood the
trauma I went through. I faced a lot of stares, questions,
disapprovals, advices from people who did not understand and who
made me feel like I was the worst mom in the world. I not only had
to cope with a very difficult and distressed child, I had to cope
with the mental and emotional strain.
In the end, I holed up
myself and the Angel in the house until it was time for us to leave
for UK. Either we both didn’t handle it well or it was the weather
that added to the already mutilated skin. All I can say is that, for
the one month we spent in Singapore last year, the first three days
were heavenly before the onset of acute eczema resulted in
uncontrolled scratching, broken skin, from the face to neck to hands
to legs, pretty often soaking in blood.
Having gone through all that, I now learn that eczema can be
controlled in many ways. One way is probably medication, or steroid,
either in the form of cream or orally. Both of which we have
avoided.
When the Angel was about a month old, she developed a bad rash all
over the face due to being too bundled up in the sultry Singapore
weather. In the UK, she developed a red rash on the neck which
wouldn’t go away, and then it spread to her face and eventually,
other common places, like hands, legs and neck. That happened when
she was about four-month old.
Let’s keep the horror story short. In a nutshell, the eczema started
from there, and by the time the Angel was to be weaned at 7-month
old, she was found to be suffering from multiple-food allergies.
Again, it was another uphill for me, to learn how to cope with all
that food allergies and still feed her well. My greatest support and
help came from a health visitor, L, who totally understood the
problems I was facing, came faithfully to visit us and referred us
directly to the RVI and specialist clinics (immunologist,
dermatologist, dietician). She really saved me from a multitude of
heartache, headache and gave me confidence to go on, and grace to
handle very hopeless and helpless situations.
I started with steroid cream, gave up when the eczema didn’t go away
and was given even stronger steroid cream. When I managed to calm
the skin without the use of steroid (although the doctor thought I
did as I was prescribed yet another stronger steroid cream), I knew
that steroid was not the answer.
Today, I have found some remedies that work wonderfully well on the
skin. The true problem I have to cope with, though, is a
psychological problem of an Angel who turns into an uncontrolled
monster when it comes to scratching - she turns to scratching when
she is tired or bored. We have come a loooooong way from coping with
the scratching. It used to be much worse, such as during meal times.
I had to threaten to throw away the food before it stopped over
night. I am still working on the habitual scratching (Recently, I
think she needs to have her fingers chopped off!!!! I admit, there
are days when I think, “Why me?!”)
I strongly recommend these almost ‘natural’ remedies that seriously
work.
1) Dream Wash and Dream Cream from Lush - Children with eczema
suffer from such dryness of skin that when washing, the layer of oil
is gone, too. Using washing lotion that is oil based works miracles
for the skin, I used to use epaderm or balenum or oilatum. They do
keep the skin moist but they do not cope with the itch.
I now swear by Dream Wash and Dream Cream (they don’t call it DREAM
Wash and DREAM Cream without a reason =)) from Lush. Tried and
tested in the hot and humid weather in Shanghai last year, the Angel
did not suffer like she did in Singapore because of Dream Wash and
Dream Cream. When we returned 48 hours later than we were supposed
to, due to flight delay, I ran out of Dream Wash and the horror
began!
Dream Wash smells really good and has the prickly heat (similar to
the snake powder brand) ingredients. It somehow calms the skin a lot
and takes away the itch.
After using Dream Wash, I will apply Dream Cream as a base. Because
Dream Cream is not a grossly oily cream, I then apply epaderm which
is so super oily to keep the Angel’s skin moist. Dream Cream, again,
works as a barrier to prevent the itch but it is absorbed so
quickly, doesn’t help entirely with the moisture. Without using
Dream Cream, the itch returns.
Incidentally, I was advised to use Dream Cream and Dream Wash by a
kind lady in Ireland last June. It was the best holiday I have had -
Ireland remains my favourite place (the Wicklow mountain being the
place of immensely dense isolation) and I received the best advice
ever to help the Angel cope with her itch.
2) Carrot juice! This is the MIRACLE an acquaintance here advised me
to try. It has worked WONDERS! The Angel drank carrot juice everyday
for about a month and I have not seen her skin so beautiful for a
long time (except when we were in Norway which got me thinking that
eczema could be due to environmental issues).
I, the blur alternative mom, burnt the juicer and did not manage to
make her any carrot juice for a month! Because we are not keen to
accumulate more things before we pack our lives in boxes again, I
thought we’d wait. However, the skin cannot wait. I bought a juicer
last week and I’m bent on getting her skin back to being supple and
beautiful. To date, her skin is beautiful but it is the habitual
scratching that is the barrier to clear skin.
Even the Angel knows about the goodness of the carrot juice. On days
that she has been scratching, she will tell me, “Drink carrot juice!
I will get better!”
Another friend did recommend boiling carrots and apples and drinking
it. I tried it before and it helped, too. But the effect from
freshly blended carrot juice is almost immediate (results can be
seen within two days).
3) A daily dose of fish oil helps to keep the skin from breaking up.
In the initial stage of eczema, a homeopath happened to see Angel’s
skin and advised me to give fish oil. When I started fish oil, I
haven’t used Dream Wash and Dream Cream yet. By not giving fish oil
for a month, I realised that the scaly, flaky skin returned. I
started with Equazen and have never changed it since then.
There you are, just those wonderful remedies and eczema is kept at
bay. The combination of the above three combats different but
important issues - itchiness (Dream Wash and Dream Cream),
suppleness (carrot juice), elimination of scaly, flaky skin (fish
oil).
strongly discourage
the use of steroids (sensibly) and would encourage parents to read,
read and read labels and question doctors and discuss with doctors
when prescribed such creams or even medication. It is very important
to be an informed parent when it comes to medication. My encounter
with a paediatrician in Singapore (almost two hours waiting time and
less than five minutes of brisk consultation) left me wondering if
doctors prescribe just ‘quick-fixes’.
By trying to be as organic as possible, I think we can save some
problems later on in life from side effects or unknown effects.