Arizona for Eczema Sufferer?

blueboys

Fri, Dec 23 2016, 2:08 pm

I have a 3 year old with very bad eczema since he was 2 months. He's off a lot of foods (allergy testing), takes probiotics, I mosturize him a lot, but still not much better. A friend told me she heard about someone that went to Arizona, and it helped a lot.
Does anyone know anything about this?
Which part of Arizona is best for this? Any kosher hotels?
How long did you have to go for to see significant improvement?
Any other ideas what I can do?

anonymrs

Fri, Dec 23 2016, 3:54 pm

Arizona does NOT cure allergies. Maybe there's less pollen and less mold spores there, but that will only happen so long as you stay in Arizona. As soon as you go back to wherever you're from, it will come right back.

What foods does he eat?
What kind of floor do you have in his room and in your house?
How old is your house?
What kind of heat do you have?
What kind of soap/shampoo/body lotion/detergent do you use for him?
Do you wear perfume?

blueboys

Fri, Dec 23 2016, 4:04 pm

He's off: dairy, gluten, eggs, nuts, garlic, barley, sesame, sunflower, pineaple, mango, tomato. I have parket floor, house is about 25 years old, central heat, free & clear shampoo, vaniply & vanicream moisturizing cream, all clear detergent & I don't wear perfume.

amother

Coffee

Fri, Dec 23 2016, 7:24 pm

Have you tested for a wheat allergy yet? My friend's son also had severe food allergies that caused bad eczema when he was little. His allergies if I remember correctly included wheat, dairy, nuts, soy, fish. They switched to spelt flour and that helped a lot.

As to Arizona, it may be just the dryer climate which helps. My grandmother who grew up in Chicago had terrible eczema I was told. In the 1940s she came to Los Angeles to go to college for a while because her doctor recommended a dryer climate. Apparently it did seem to help her, from what I remember being told.

I myself also have skin issues and rashes. I haven't tested positive for any specific food allergies, but find limiting dairy and eating a more vegan/vegetarian seems to help me.

Also, what I also found by chance that helped was swimming in a chlorinated pool. My skin significantly improved after I started swimming regularly. Maybe try enrolling your kid in some swimming lessons and see if the pool water helps.

Alternatively, you could do a bleach bath. My dermatologist recommended this for me too when I was nursing my baby and limited on medication options. But check with your child's doctor first. With your child being so little not sure if recommended at that age. Basically you add a little bleach to the bath water and soak in it for a little bit. It kills the germs on your skin. It didn't cure my skin issues, but it definitely improved after doing this.

doodlesmom

Sat, Dec 24 2016, 8:40 pm

I know that there are people with allergies that definitely got better while in Arizona and many claimed that it lasted for months later. There are also those that go when the winter is harshest in NYC because they claim that the winter is terrible for their allergies.

There is a chassidish place in Tucson thats open from chanuka to purim with little bungalow/ apartments. A small grocery and minyan.

There Is also Chabad of course.

ra_mom

Sat, Dec 24 2016, 9:09 pm

While some people find relief in Arizona from their allergies, because of the dry air, please note that more recently the environment has changed as more infrastructure and plants were set up and it's not as deserty anymore. Though still better than other places.

amother

Firebrick

Sat, Dec 24 2016, 11:14 pm

I took my son to Arizona for 6 weeks and he improved while we were there, but as soon as we came back, it came right back. He started breaking out again in the airport in NY. About a year later we took him to Davos, Switzerland for 5 weeks and that did have a lasting effect. He was eczema free for 6 months, and then it flared up again during the spring (allergy season) but it didn't come back as badley as it was before we went. He now has patches in the joints and his face, he had had it head to toe.