4 Ways to Reduce Winter Eczema Flare-ups

A beautiful holiday season is just over but the winter is not ending anytime soon.  

If you have eczema, now you might be experiencing some winter-related flare-up symptoms. Let’s look at some of major triggers during this particular time of the year and how to prevent them.  

1. Eczema Trigger: Holiday decorations  

It’s no secret that Christmas decorations accumulate lots of dust, and when they are not stored properly, they tend to be the centers of mold outbreak. When getting in contact with those eczema-triggering Christmas decorations, flare-ups are especially common to occur on face and hands.  

Solution: keeping your Christmas decorations as dust and mold free as possible by storing them in sealed containers and bags at the end of every holiday season. When handling the decorations, wear long sleeves and hand gloves. Add a face covering to your protection too if you experience facial eczema.  

 2. Eczema Trigger: Increased time spent indoor. 

With the cold weather advances, people spend more and more time inside the comfort of their houses and offices. The pollutants contained within indoor air is 2-5 times higher than the air outdoor. And much of that pollutant increases the chance of atopic dermatitis flare-ups.  

Solution:  Maintaining a regular cleaning regime (including vacuuming your couch and changing your bedsheet frequently). Using a humidifier to help add moisture winter indoor air.  

 3. Eczema Trigger: Rapid temperature change. 

The temperature changes between indoor and outdoor spaces during winter are quite inevitable. Depending on your geographical location, the temperature change could be extreme and rapid. And that exchange of coldness and warmth could easily trigger your sensitive skin and cause eczema flare-ups.  

Solution: Protecting your sensitive skin parts from rapid temperature changes. By covering up and keeping warm the parts that are most prone to flare-ups on your body would be beneficial to lower the risks. Also, try applying a heavier than usual moisturizer several times a day will help combating the irritations caused by cold air.  

4. Eczema Trigger: Lack of Vitamin D.  

With the shortened daylight and decreased time spent outdoor, it is very common to result in Vitamin D deficiency among a many people during winter. Several studies have suggested that Vitamin D not only plays an important role in bone growth and boosting immune system, but also in reducing eczema in children and adults. There’re a lot of success stories and experiences of people treating eczema with supplementing Vitamin D through their diet.  

Solution: Bumping up your Vitamin D intake! You can easily increase Vitamin D level by taking Vitamin D supplement regularly. There is a lot food that is naturally high in Vitamin D, including fatty fish like salmon, herring, sardines, and tuna. Some other food fortified with Vitamin D such as orange juice, cereals, and dairy products are good alternative options if you are not a big fan of fish.