OK, maybe not die, but at least slough off some skin in a fit of itching and blood.
Yes blood.
The last 3 weeks or so have seen me suffering from an eczema flare-up. At times better, at times worse, but over the last 2 days it has become particularly alarming.
No one really knows why eczema happens, and there are more treatment options than I care to name. I've tried a lot. The best, but possibly most harmful, was a topical cream called Celestoderm. A powerful cortical steroid, I usually saw good results (less itching, redness) within 24 hours. Sadly, my large jar of it got used up, so I'm left with lesser products.
Moisturizing of course doesn't really help. Anything alcohol or Urea -based will serve to inflame my skin even more. Milder solutions, like Glaxal-base work to stave off dryness (for a while), but do nothing about the ITCHINESS, which at times is unbearable. Scratching that itch feels good. I mean, it REALLY feels good. Euphoric even. Until you stop and notice your hand is stained red.
From blood.
That's where I am now. I have a constantly healing set of scabs on my elbow-pits (?), on my knees and forearms, on my upper calves. As they form, the reduce skin flexibility. They break apart from the surrounding skin and become itchy. I scratch. I bleed. The miserable cycle continues.
Thoroughly nauseating as this post may be, it is part of my daily life, and is notable in the one aspect of my health which seems to have gotten worse since I came to Japan. I have attributed this to the change in seasons...but an epiphany of sorts struck me last night around 11pm.
My eczema had almost disappeared during the late summer. Odd in the sense that increased humidity and heat usually made it worse (due to sweat causing discomfort thence itching etc.). As such, I attributed my worsening to the change in seasons, with autumn bringing in unwanted allergens, then moving into dry winter weather. As I had run out of Celestoderm, I assumed that this was the most logical of explanations.
But that epiphany changed that. During the late summer (that's October over here), I started to drink a lot of water. This was part of my diet routine. Constantly having to process water means your body is in a constant state of metabolism, or at least I think that's how it works. I'll leave the true facts to those more erudite than I.
About a month ago, however, the weather started to get cooler, and I no longer toted my Nalgene bottle with me. It was still hot enough that I didn't need the extra weight when biking, and my dieting was going smoothly.
2 things started to happen, which now seem obvious in hindsight. My weight-loss plateaued, and my eczema started to flare up.
I had intended to visit the doctor, to see what he might prescribe for me. But for now, that's on hold. I need to see if my reasoning holds true, and that by hydrating (that is, drinking at least 2 litres of water every day) my eczema settle down. Call it an experiment.
3 comments:
Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if water is the key. Getting enough water is tough. You read all sorts of stuff about how much you should be drinking... anything from the "8 glasses" to 10 cups to 1 gallon. And then when you throw exercise and/or heat to the mix, it ups the ante.
I've been trying to get 3L a day, and failing mostly, but even getting to that, I can feel I'm still kinda dehydrated. Doesn't help that prior to about 5-6 months ago, I spent something like 4-5 years living off diet sodas and coffee all the time.
But I digress. Yeah, if you're working out, shoot for at least 3L, I'd say. Water with every meal, water while working out...
Water, water, water, all the time. From your perusal of many a military tale, you should know that your piss should be clear all the time. If not, you're dehydrated and need more water.
And with that bit of overshare, I bid you adieu.
Except to say that for this "No one really knows why eczema happens" - I'd say stress, but I say that about everything. You must relax, my son. Feel the force flow through you, bind you...
While I approve your scientific method, it's your body that you're tampering with :) See a doctor!
That being said, I agree with Rob about drinking more water. You are on to something there.
After about 3 nights of restless sleep, I caved and went to the doctor. The cream he gave is working, but the major difference is the meds he have me for the itching.
lol I only woke up ONCE last night.
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