Is Eczema Australia Specific

[babygirldad]

Hi All

Please dont mind for asking this stupid question? Is Australia the driest country in the world? If so, changing the country going to help?

Has someone observed the condition of eczema while on holidays abroad?

Regards

babygirldad

[Lastcenturymum]

I doubt it would be the driest (try Sahara for a start), but is very arid (and the south is getting drier!!)

Eczema isn't caused by dryness, my daughter has it to due allergies that are food connected.

Some climates can change things like hayfever (also an allergy) but some people are worse in wetter more humid places.

Trying to work out what is causing it would be cheaper than moving countries!

I now live overseas and find my skin is heaps dryer and I put that down to the weather and the water where I am.

[kirstenriley]

both my dh and ds suffer eczema fairly badly, but when we moved from melb to perth, it completely dried up and they didnt get a single spot the whole time we were there...moved back to melb and within 2 weeks my dh is scratching again.....

[Funkychicken]

It's interesting how different children develop eczema. There are so many variations.
My DS#2 started to develop it mildly, last year at the beginning of spring. It flared up very quickly (he had absolutely no sign of it prior to that) and he developed an impetago infection in it within a week of it first appearing. It is only on his feet and lower legs, nowhere else on his body.

I use a couple of different treatments at home and find that the more moisture I keep on it, the clearer it is.
We went away camping over the New Year break and spent hours of every day in the river and it completely disappeared! It was amazing! It showed me that for my son, keeping moisture in is the key to management of the eczema.
It has flared up again a few times since then and every time I slather his feet in balm, it fades to almost nothing, just some bumpy bits.

[youngones]

No, it really isn't country specific. We do have extreme conditions here though and that can aggravate sensitive skin.

Different people find different ambient temperatures and humidities can affect them differently, but we find winter, dry conditions and excessive heat, no matter if dry or humid can aggravate DD's eczema. Moderate heat or cool with moderate humidity is best for us. That means in winter or in summer if we use air con, hanging a wet nappy or towel in her room at night to help replace some moisture in the air.