If
you hate winter, you probably are in Seventh Heaven about now. We
seem have missed the Snowmageddons of year's past and Spring, it
seems, is right around the corner. But one of those harbingers of
Spring has come a little early and you may be suffering already.
With
the unusually warm winter, flowers may be showing up in your yard and
trees are already starting to bud. Along with all this beauty comes
pollen and, if you suffer from pollen allergies, you may already have
felt the itchy eyes and stuff nose or...even worse, the pollen may
trigger eczema of the scalp.
Eczema
is a group of chronic skin disorders that affect the hands, scalp,
face, back of the neck, and skin creases of the elbows and knees. It
can run in families, but it may occur for no known reason or may be
caused by an allergic reaction to certain foods, clothing, lotions,
soaps, plants, topical medications or yes, pollen.
Signs
and symptoms of eczema may include itching, small bumps that look
like blisters, and thickened and scaly skin and when eczema is found
on your scalp (and may be hidden by your hair), the flakes may fall
and look like a bad case of dandruff.
Here's
a few things you can do to cut down on the pollen and treat the
eczema (without running to the doctor):
- Keep the windows of your house and car closed.
- Eat foods (or take supplements) rich in Vitamin C, a natural antihistamine.
- Take off your clothes outside of your bedroom before turning in for the night.
- Wash your hair before putting your head on the pillow (or failing that, at least wipe down your hair with a wet cloth.)
- Use shampoo and conditioner made from natural ingredients (like Aestelance that we sell at Believe.) They are less likely to trigger an attack.
- Buy some local honey and use it on oatmeal for breakfast and in tea several times a day.
- Wash your pillowcases often with natural soap (like any of the ZUM line carried at Believe.)
- Bring your laundry inside. If you hang washing on the line, make sure you hang your washing by mid-morning and bring it in before early evening, otherwise you're importing lots of pollen into your house.
- Use a natural rinse like apple cider vinegar or Epsom salts. Dilute either one in equal parts of water and wash your scalp and hair with the solution. Leave the solution on for at least 30 minutes. Then, rinse your hair and scalp thoroughly. with cool water. You can do this up to twice a day for a few days until your scalp eczema is gone.
- A little Vaseline in your nose will trap the pollen and wearing a head scarf or hat on high pollen count days can cut down on an allergic reaction before it happens. (Check http://www.zyrtec.com/for a daily count in our area.)
- When your scalp is clear, schedule a conditioning treatment at Believe to help restore moisture.And if you are in the neighborhood, stop by for one of those cups of tea. At Believe, we love you even if you sneezy, itchy and red-eyed.