Winter Blog- Eczema and the Elderly

One of the problems with growing older is that our skin does not work as well. From the age of 60 the protection function of our skin reduces significantly. The result of this is that every older person is prone to dry skin. If you add in the environmental effects of winter such as central heating; moving from hot to cold temperatures, chilly winds and sitting by open fires, your skin becomes even drier and begins to itch. Itchy skin means you are likely to scratch, which in turn causes broken and damaged skin. Dry skin in older people can very quickly become eczema. Many people suffer from eczema for the first time when they are older – or to their horror find that their childhood eczema returns with a vengeance!

 

So, when you are older, what can you do to prevent dry skin, particularly in the winter months?  Firstly, try to avoid things that will make your skin dry.  Moisturise your skin regularly twice a day, and keep moisturising if your skin is dry and itchy. If you have eczema or if your skin is very dry avoid soaps and bubble baths, use emollients to wash with instead. Long, excessively hot baths can be bad for your skin too, try and take shorter baths or showers and keep the water at a comfortable temperature. Wrap up well in the winter; get out your favourite Christmas jumper and woolly hat to help protect your skin from the bitter winds. Finally, try to avoid sitting too close to an open fire, whilst it may nice to feel the roaring heat against your skin, the intensity of this heat can further damage skin, especially of those with eczema.

 

If your skin is dry and uncomfortable, it is important to wear natural fibres, such as 100% cotton or silk. DreamSkin Health therapeutic silk clothing is treated with the unique DreamSkin polymer that is designed to reduce moisture loss from the skin. Therefore, DreamSkin Health garments help the skin to be more comfortable and less dry, thus reducing itchiness and irritation. DreamSkin Health has a range of different types of clothing, so a complete layer of underwear, leggings and long sleeved tops can be worn as underclothing or as nightwear.

Whilst all these tips are especially useful to people over the age of sixty, anyone, regardless of age, with eczema or dry skin would benefit from following the advice given above.

 

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas.

Back to School with Eczema

Childhood atopic eczema affects 20% of children aged between 3 and 11 years old. This means that one fifth of primary school-aged children are coping with eczema at school. So how do children cope with eczema at school, how do parents inform teachers about their child’s eczema needs and how do teachers/school staff help their children with eczema?

Unfriendly school

School can be an unfriendly place for children with eczema. There are lots of irritants which may be difficult for your child to avoid. Messy play and art; games and PE, furnace like radiators, scratchy story time carpets, and the rough and tumble of the playground are all hazards for those with irritable skin. Of course no child with eczema wants to feel excluded from these activities because of their condition, and no parent wants the unenviable task of telling their five year old they can’t paint or play games, even though all their friends are able to.

Take some simple measures

There are some simple measures you can take to reduce your child’s exposure to irritants at school. Speak to your child’s teacher and ask that they sit in cooler parts of the classroom, away from radiators. Provide gloves for your child to use for messy play to reduce potential irritations and try supplying them with emollient washes for hands.

One irritant that is more problematic to avoid is school uniform.  School uniforms often cause eczema sufferers a great deal of irritation, as they are usually made of synthetic materials or wool. Children with eczema would ideally have uniforms made of natural fibres such as 100% cotton or silk, however this is not usually possible. Even when it is some schools may have strict uniform policies; and the child is likely to get upset if they have to wear slightly different uniform from their friends.

Another problem faced is a lack of provision by schools for children with eczema. No-touch school policies mean that young children are being left to apply their emollients by themselves. Even when a child gets older and moves to secondary school, social pressures and a heightened concern about their image may make a child feel insecure about applying emollients for fear of being seen as different. A solution to all these problems is to wear an unseen layer of natural fibre under clothing that stops irritants from reaching the skin, whilst at the same time having a therapeutic effect on your child’s eczema.

 

How DreamSkin can help

 

DreamSkin Health clothing is ideal for children to wear as a layer under their school uniform. DreamSkin Health clothing is treated with a polymer which reduces moisture loss preventing the skin from becoming sore and dry, whilst acting as a defence against irritants such as the unnatural fibres found in school uniforms.

Dressing your child in DreamSkin means that you will no longer have to rely on your six year old to manage their own emollient use whilst at school. For your secondary school child wearing an unseen layer of undergarments will avoid any of the social stigmas and impracticalities surrounding applying emollients, issues that lead many to ignore their treatment routine whilst at school.  

Make sure staff are aware

The key to coping with eczema at school is to keep a good line of communication with your child’s teacher/school. Prior to starting school, arrange a meeting and explain what eczema means for your child, how they cope and the help your child needs at school. All schools have a detailed medical plan that is made available to all members of staff. This booklet or file gives information on children with certain conditions, from allergies to more serious illnesses. It lists what actions should be taken by staff in certain situations and informs them of any special allowances that should be made for the child. Children with eczema can sometimes be overlooked from these medical plans. If you fear that staff at your school are going to overlook your child’s eczema insist that they be included in the medical plan so all staff can be made aware of your child’s condition. Your child’s eczema should not prevent them from having a happy and full school life.

 

National Eczema Week

The 14^th-22^nd September sees the return of National Eczema Week. People up and down the country will be raising funds for the National Eczema society. Formed in 1975 the NES aims to provide practical, unbiased advice in regards to the treatment and management of eczema, whilst raising awareness of eczema with doctors, teachers and the government. They rely entirely on public donations so visit their website to see what you can do to help. www.eczema.org.

Approximately 20% of all children in the UK suffer from eczema and/or another skin condition; with 1 in 10 of these children continuing to suffer into adulthood. This number is constantly on the rise with diagnosis for childhood allergies such as eczema, hay fever and asthma rising year on year. Referrals to a specialist for skin conditions have increased by more than 25% since 2000. A recent study showed that around 15% of all visits to GPs involved a skin complaint either directly e.g. eczema, psoriasis or indirectly e.g. an allergic reaction or an infection.

There are 2 million eczema patients under the care of their GP or practice nurse at any one time and a further 2-3 million being treated and advised in pharmacy. Even more come in and out of treatment depending on the stage and severity of their disease.

For a condition that affects so many people it is important to have a dedicated charity such as the National Eczema Society. It is also vital to dedicate a time of year to raise awareness for a condition that can have such a detrimental impact on a sufferers’ quality of life.

In support of National Eczema Week we are offering a 20% discount on all DreamSkin garments bought through our website. Along with this 5% of the original value of the order will be donated to the National Eczema Society. To view our products please visit www.dreamskinhealth.co.uk.

Summer Dreams

DreamSkin are happy to announce the launch of our summer discount. Enter code ‘summerdreams’ to receive a 15% discount on all products, making managing your eczema that little bit more manageable.

The main benefits of DreamSkin

Retains Moisture- DreamSkin Health garments reduce the unregulated loss of moisture caused by evaporation from damaged skin. Helping the skin to remain softer, smoother and looking healthier.

Forms a Barrier- The non-stick quality of DreamSkin Health garments mean that irritants such as washing powder residues and pollen are repelled from the skin. Also the clothing will not stick to sore, weeping and damaged skin.

Regulates temperature- The DreamSkin polymer helps to restore the body’s natural temperature management process, keeping the wearing cool and comfortable day and night.

The Heat is On

There is no getting away from it; eczema is really sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity. Every season can affect eczema differently. In our first blog we discussed the impact of changing conditions during autumn http://bit.ly/ZilWad. The summer months can be equally strenuous for eczema sufferers. Whilst some people with eczema find that sunlight and increased temperature provides a respite from eczema symptoms, for many others the hot weather at home or abroad can be a nightmare for their skin. So a person with eczema does not always look forward to escaping to a hotter climate … rather a summer vacation brings a whole set of new challenges in coping with your eczema!

Most people with eczema are affected by heat; a dry heat is often worse than a hot humid climate. In hot climates keeping cool is key, wear thin cotton, linen or silk clothes. Try to sit in the shade, avoid the hot midday sun; go local and have a siesta at this time. Find a sunscreen (SPF25 or above) that does not irritate your eczema, as you don’t want to burn your skin.  You may need to test some sunscreens out to make sure they don’t irritate, interestingly a sun block that reflects light is generally less irritant for people with eczema. 

Many people assume that swimming is a complete no-go for those inflicted with eczema. Do not let your eczema stop you enjoying your holiday to the full.  Lots of people with eczema find the salt water beneficial, just ensure you shower afterwards, as pro longed contact with salt water, chlorine and sand can cause skin irritation.

When packing remember to take your emollients with you, as you may not be able find the ones you use abroad. Also if possible keep your emollients and moisturisers refrigerated. Moisturise your skin well after being in the sun, as your skin may be drier in a hot climate. Remember to apply your moisturiser then wait 15 minutes and apply your sunscreen on top; this stops the sunscreen being diluted by the moisturiser.

On a positive note, in hotter climates everyday irritants and allergies that cause your eczema to flare may actually be reduced. Firstly you will be relaxed and resting, away from work and busy lives. Secondly your environment will be more eczema-friendly, with tiled floors, plenty of ventilation, no central heating and much less dust. However, beware of biting insects, which may cause nasty reactions. An insect repellent product such as Arnywear is perfect for eczema sufferers as it is hypoallergenic (for more info check www.arnywear.co.uk)

Therapeutic silk clothing, especially nightwear may be a help in hotter climates, especially when the nighttime temperatures don’t fall. The polymer in DreamSkin reduces moisture loss, by providing a protective barrier which in turn helps keep skin cool and more comfortable.  

When Eczema Sticks

I meet so many patients with eczema, who often cry with relief, when they are allowed time to talk about their unpleasant eczema symptoms and how their eczema affects their life. The symptom of itch is key for everyone with eczema and health care professionals are aware of the itch-scratch-damage cycle (something I discussed in a previous blog http://bit.ly/11YvN2f). However, many health care professionals perhaps do not realise how painful and distressing severe eczema flares can be.

Everyone with eczema has the potential for a severe flare – this is generally associated with infected eczema. My patients often become very distressed when they have a severe eczema flare and describe intense itch, eczema spreading all over their body, red, burning skin; wet and weepy skin which sticks to clothes and bed sheets. Literally, when eczema is this bad, clothing and bedclothes sometimes have to be peeled off the skin; causing intense agony and skin damage; as the outer layers of skin are removed. The skin becomes so painful; nerve pathways alter and the person with eczema cannot even touch their skin. In this situation, the person with eczema quickly becomes exhausted, as they are unable to sleep. Skin healing is inevitably delayed and the sufferer's quality of life diminishes.

Severe flares can sometimes be isolated to areas of the body for certain groups of people with eczema. For example, I often see babies with severe facial eczema and adults with severe hand eczema. Face masks and gloves often stick to these wet and weepy areas. This causes a great deal of distress for not only the sufferer but also the caregiver, who has to peel clothing off of their young child's skin.

I am describing a severe flare of eczema; and I hope that most people with eczema would seek medical help and treatment before this situation escalates but sometimes eczema can become very severe, very quickly. Firstly, the correct treatment with a course of strong steroids and antibiotics is essential. Secondly skin comfort and assisting skin healing is crucial. Emollients are very important and need to be used liberally.

Therapeutic clothing provides comfort by keeping skin cool and reducing itching in all stages of eczema. When eczema becomes severe and leads to sore, wet and weeping skin, it is vitally important that therapeutic clothing does not stick. DreamSkin Health is the only therapeutic clothing with a unique polymer coating. The polymer is non-adherent, so does not stick to skin; so in severe eczema flares this means that skin damage is prevented and healing accelerated. In addition, the polymer, reduces moisture loss, provides a protective barrier against irritants and helps keep skin cool.

In severe eczema flares, clinicians will always treat the skin but remember to also prescribe for assisting skin healing and preventing skin damage.

Eczema Expert

An issue that gets right under your skin

In response to the Daily Mail’s article in which they explore “The nasty bugs lurking in out-of-date make-up” linked here: http://bit.ly/14vHh4h we here at DreamSkin have some thoughts of our own.

While topical steroids are an essential treatment for severe eczema flare ups, they should rarely be used as part of a daily skin routine.  Despite the fact that according to research from the ISOLATE study (International Study of  Life with Atopic Eczema) 42% of eczema sufferers “live in a state of constant concern over when they might experience their next flare up”, there is no guarantee or pattern in many cases for when a flare might happen.  Therefore, creams and ointments do have limitations, although we fully appreciate they are a mainstay treatment for many skin conditions. This is highlighted within the Daily Mail article and brings to light an issue which is a major concern for doctors, nurses and the pharmaceutical industry– compliance. 

Under use of emollients is a primary cause of the mis-management and poor treatment of dermatitis.  The recommended weekly use of emollients is 500g a week for an adult and 250g a week for a child.   However, many patients are either unaware of these amounts or they fail to comply with the recommended dosage, as their lifestyle does not allow it.  As a result patients begin to collect a large stash of pots, tubes and pumps half full with eczema creams that are way beyond their use by date.   Patients then begin to use out of date creams on an ad-hoc basis which can cause more harm than good.   

We believe that DreamSkin therapeutic clothing offers a perfect solution. Compliance is easily achieved and thus much higher in users of DreamSkin. For those unable to apply moisturizers regularly while at work, school or at sleep, garments such as DreamSkin offer the patient the option to be on top of their treatment needs.

Chickenpox Case Study

Here at DreamSkin Health we are always looking for new ways our technology can help families. Chickenpox is a common childhood illness that affects most children at some point. As most parents probably know, it causes a rash of red, itchy spots that cause an extreme amount of discomfort and irritation. A big concern of parents is that the child’s desire to scratch could lead to permanent scarring of the skin. In the war against chickenpox parents have taped gloves to hands, applied copious amounts of calamine lotion and placed children in oatmeal baths.

DreamSkin Health garments are designed to treat skin conditions such as eczema. They help the skin to remain moist, stop irritants attacking the skin and help the skin to maintain its normal temperature. We believed that similar results could be had by those currently suffering from chickenpox.

We received a case study of two girls aged 4 and 7, who trialled our garments to see if they could help relieve the symptoms of chickenpox, and sedate that irresistible urge to scratch away at the skin. The mother of both these girls told us how happy she was with the performance of DreamSkin.  

Her youngest child had typical chickenpox symptoms.

'She started with a few large blisters on her torso and after about 3 days she had many more blisters on her arms, legs and on her face’ mother told us ‘From the very first spot I put her into the DreamSkin pyjamas’.

She reported to us that her daughter had almost no urge to scratch.

'I am absolutely convinced that these pyjamas helped to reduce the itch associated with chickenpox and so helped to reduce the likely hood that her chickenpox will have left permanent scars’.

The mother’s seven year old had similar results.

'Despite a high temperature and getting hot in the night she never once said that she was itchy, or tried to scratch at the spots’.

Chickenpox can be a very stressful and traumatic time for both child and parents. DreamSkin garments may be able to provide relief from the extreme symptoms of chickenpox, and put an end to some of the more antiquated remedies.

Serving up an ace product

When we think of drugs and other medicinal treatments, we normally think of tablets, capsules, creams, ointments and injections. However advances in fabric and yarn technologies have spurned a whole new world of treatment dispensing opportunities – technologies that improve our quality of life.

Back in the early 90’s IFT plc was asked by Le Coq Sportif to develop a new fabric to celebrate the signing of their new tennis star, Justine Henin and hopefully one that would help to improve her performance. We realised that Le Coq Sportif wanted something special and as a small company trying to make its mark in the sportswear industry, we put our thinking caps on to see what we could come up with.

Having scratched our heads and brainstormed the idea, taking ideas from the shop floor right through to the HR department, we eventually agreed on an innovation that we thought might interest Le Coq Sportif.

Our research revealed that Henin had very sensitive skin, so we began exploring the concept of a fabric that would moisturise her skin whilst she was playing tennis. We started to investigate if and how we could coat some of our sportswear fabrics with known moisturisers such as Aloe Vera or Squalene. After a few stops and starts, we discovered that the best way forward was to capture microscopic amounts of the moisturiser in an egg like capsule which could then be applied to the fabric.  When worn, the fragile microscopic structures on the surface of the fabric would be broken, releasing the moisturiser on to the skin.

The good news is that Le Coq Sportif loved both the idea and the fabric and the company received a personal note from the tennis star herself - which took pride of place in the company’s trophy cabinet!

It was hard to prove whether the technology was helping her to play better tennis, but our breakthrough spurred us on to investigate other technologies that could treat skin and improve the quality of life of the wearer.

The company’s second breakthrough was a skin friendly and natural insect repellent which could be applied to textiles. When worn, the garment delivers long lasting insect repellent properties for the wearer and negates the need for smelly lotions and sprays.

In the last 10 years, we have managed to refine our expertise and have been able to turn our attention to the major issue of damaged skin conditions such as eczema.

Today, the unique polymer that is used in the eczema soothing range of Dreamskin garments is probably the most advanced example of incorporating a technology into a fabric to deliver a medicinal treatment.          

To find out more about IFT plc products, please visit http://www.ift-plc.co.uk.

George Costa
 

Itch-Scratch-Damage

I always ask my patients ‘What is the worst thing about your eczema?’ The top answer is always – the itch. Eczema causes a lot of unpleasant symptoms; my patients often express how difficult it is to live with the constant itch. If itchiness wasn’t a symptom, eczema would be a much easier condition to cope with and much simpler for the health care professional to treat.

The itch is responsible for the vicious itch-scratch-damage cycle, which drives all the other eczema symptoms. The urge to scratch caused by the constant itchiness, damages the skin and causes ‘flare-ups’. As a result the skin becomes red, weepy and sore. This vicious itch-scratch cycle then needs to be broken with eczema treatments. However, this is often easier said than done.

For lots of people, itch is the most difficult eczema symptom to deal with. The itch affects the skin and everyday life. Itch means that you feel uncomfortable from the moment you wake. You are often constantly tired, as itch stops you from sleeping properly. Itch can make you feel irritable and affect your concentration at school and work.

How do eczema sufferers cope with itch? For most people with eczema, itch is part of life, which they deal with on a daily basis. People who have had eczema since childhood do not know a life without itch. Adults and children with eczema learn to cope with itch in lots of different ways. Parents try to keep their children distracted with toys and games, in the hope this will stop them from scratching. To press, squeeze or rub the troublesome area is another common way sufferers try to get a moments relief from the incessant itch. Health care professionals need to be giving good advice on treating eczema.

Practical advice includes keeping the skin cool, comfortable and maintaining a barrier between the skin and fingernails (which should always be kept short and clean).  Therapeutic clothing, such as Dreamskin Health garments, are an essential adjuvant treatment, which can reduce itching and scratching in eczema, prevent damage and help reduce the number and severity of eczema flares.

Diamond anniversary for topical steroids

Topical steroids shared their diamond anniversary with the Queen in 2012. Sixty years ago they were developed as a new dermatological treatment and remain the mainstay of eczema treatment today. Topical steroids are used to control eczema flares, so are not a cure. They are prescribed widely but often parents and people with eczema are very cautious about topical steroids as a treatment for eczema.

 

Why are topical steroids viewed as such a controversial treatment? In my clinic, I spend time with my patients discussing how they use their treatments. I ask if they have any concerns about using their treatments. Topical steroids tend to be a treatment that in most cases is under-used and the one treatment that everyone is concerned about. Surely, this is a strange for a treatment that has been available for 60 years.

 

Topical steroids are drugs applied to the skin, so like any other drug they have side effects. However, side effects are unlikely if they are used correctly for short-term treatment of eczema flares. My patients are very worried about topical steroids damaging and thinning their skin. Unfortunately, these concerns are often accentuated by health care professionals, as they are often reluctant to apply potent steroids and tell patients to apply very sparingly. In reality, skin is more likely to be damaged from constant scratching and rubbing, if an eczema flare is not adequately treated.

 In the 1950’s, topical steroids were regarded as a break-through in eczema treatment. In the 1960-70’s, they were prescribed in large quantities, often mixed with emollients and used continually. This is when over-use did result in side effects and in the 1980’s and beyond, health care professionals became very cautious in prescribing and patients became fearful of topical steroids.

 

There have been few significant innovations in eczema treatment over the last 60 years. Topical calcineurin inhibitors were developed in the 1990’s and are a topical treatment, used for flares and maintenance treatment, alongside topical steroids. DreamSkin Health garments represent a break-through in eczema treatment for the 21st century.