I have a three year old son who has recently showed signs of becoming sensitized, to possibly everything. He has been diagnosed with ATOPIC ECZEMA. I have been researching all over, I understand there is some questions between dermatologists and allergists on what the cause for such a severe condition could be. Me his mother, being the genetic donor of such a horrible affliction, knows the condition first hand.
I strongly believe this condition has several parts to it. One being an immune issue, the second being allergies, and the third part extremely dry and sensitive skin. So with a sliver of knowledge, I am taking aim to improve his condition without the use of the enormous amount of drugs dermatologists have prescribed him at 3 years old. We are working closely with a wonderful allergist who has the patience and knowledge to deal with my family. My question is we now live in Albuquerque, NM. He has been through two RAST tests (blood tests to check for IgE levels), and a patch test which had no results for us to read. He, according to the RAST test has low and moderate levels to most allergic foods (wheat, dairy, corn, soy, eggs, and peanuts), he also shows a low moderate to dogs and elm.
At this point I have not noticed hay fever symptoms for our dogs we have, but with this new information from the blood tests, the dogs and his reactions to them are under my careful observation. He is on a very restricted diet and his skin is clearing with out the prescribed drugs. We will begin introducing one food at a time very soon to see the effects.
So sorry about the long preface to my question. We live in Abq., and have an opportunity to move to Fort Smith Arkansas. With the knowledge he has the possibility for his allergies to get worse (sensitized), which climate would be more likely to exascerbate his condition, the dry and very pollen filled Abq., or Arkansas a humid climate I know very little about? — Kendra, Albuquerque, NM
Being an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) Allergist, the doctor I work for only treats Atopic Eczema on a limited basis. He usually refers those with Atopic Eczema to a Dermatologist as well.
However, Atopic Eczema and/or Allergic Dermatitis is part of the Allergic Triad. I mentioned that in an item I wrote for National Allergy Supply here. I also discussed it here. Since Atopic Eczema is part of the Triad, we do see patients often who have this skin condition.
Eczema does not fare well in dry weather. But sweating and high humidity can irritate the skin as well. Last year we had quite a few days of >100 degree temps with humidity in the 80′s and 90′s in Fort Smith.
Perhaps others who have eczema will offer more help to you. I would think a middle-of-the-road climate would suffice better, but I am not sure if such a climate really exists! Has anyone found a good climate for eczema sufferers?
Santa Maria, California seems to be a great climate for allergies in general. We are on the central coast but not on the water. Just 30 miles up the coast our house near the beach had black mold (it was near the beach) and our allergies were horrible. Also, north of here, about 30 minutes, but more inland, the pollen was terrible (San Luis Obispo) and even my dog had atopic exzema and we went through $4200 in allergy testing and medical emergencies ultimately resulting in her going blind. However, her horrible facial lesions did clear up when we moved to Santa Maria into a place with tile floors, new carpet and plenty of sunshine. I keep her off dirt in general, where mold grows, and I don’t get my carpets shampooed because if they don’t dry out, you get a rampant mold problem. None of the diet changes seemed to be related to her problems, but getting rid of her systemic yeast and all parasites helped her immune system stop overreacting. Good luck!
I also suffer from excema,asthama, and allergies of all sorts. Ive been researching all this past summer because Im totally feed up! I developed all this conditions by living here in El Paso,TX. After all my extensive research, I have found cali and FL are the best climates for allergy suffers. So I am planning to move out to cali by the end of next summer. Anywhere which is “inland” 30mins from the ocean is great for ppl like myself. On the flipside, Living not only in El Paso, but also Lubbock, San Antoino, Arlington, Dallas,Houston, Austin, Pecos, Alpine, and Fort Worth; I can say your best bet is not to move ANYWHERE in TX. The pollen levels across this state are not healthy for allergies suffers let alone non-suffers. The humidity is also an uncomfortable humidity, so while you’d think it would help, it actually makes your conditions worst, especially for excema suffers. So having lived here all my life, I can say please do not move to TX.
Hi,
This is now long since past, and if the move was going to be made, it is probably done by now!
Having said that, I only hope they did not move to Arkansas!
I have always had allergies. But now I am diagnosed with Reactive Airway Disease. The cedar pollen is murder. And it must have started as of Jan. 1st this year. It is low to med. now, and the worst is coming!!
I had a horrible time last year with horrible bronchitis, and gut wrenching coughing. You do not want to go around others, as they think you are exposing them to TB or something horrendous.
2 years ago I went of a cruise. As soon as I hit the beach in Galveston, my ears popped and my head cleared up. I was able to eat most anything on the cruise in that salt air, and got away with it!! What a joy! Now, if I could just live on a cruise ship!
It has been suggested to me that it was the negative ions in the air. Also look into salt lamps, and salt cave therapy.
Little Rock is listed #8 on the list now as the worst pollen places in the US. Arkansas, is not very good, but Tenn. was worse last year, as I monitored the pollen counts!
Hope this can help someone else, at least!
Betty
Hello, I have had both atopic derm and asthma since I was three 3years old and it has ruined my life. i had to leave the gulf coast of mississippi where I was born and raised as around age 23 my skin went wild I never knew what i was going to look like when I woke up in the mornings, i also had several boyfrinds at that tiem in my life but when my skin would flare they magically disappeared, i have been like a prisoner for much of my life. CAnnot take up camping too msny trees m when oyr doors I am a bug fest. I had so many steroids in my younger years that affects your adrenal glands leading mye into obesity. Having siad all that I wound up in california 9 years ago to otnage county. I have would say do not move to san clememnte near the water I had moved htere and was covered in weeping , painful skin from head to toe for 2 years. You will do better away from the coast. Also I noted that you cannot go by pollen counr alone. overall i have done better here than anywhere else phusically. Hpwever being southern and happy on a soical level the people suck. They are isolated and apathetic and look at you like you are a nut case if you are too friendly. so califonria is the best climate but do not move to southern orange ocunty. too snobby and rude cried myself to sleep at night wanting to go home. I was actually told by some people that having my skin problems and being southern would make me a total misfit here and I should move. so do not move to orange county.
I tend to think that there is not a great place to live if you have eczema. My son began suffereing with eczema @ 6yrs and it comes and goes in waves. It begans in July and runs its course thru Oct. It is frustrating for me as a mother to have our son go through this. We have tried every lotion and potion oinment prescription and non prescription, now we are trying diet changes. We put our house up for sale so we can move to an area that will help stop his skin problems, we live in northern New Mexico in the mountains and he is basically allergic to sagebrush and juniper which surround us. We thought we would m ove to Midland TX, but after reading above comments about TX maybe that would not be best. Perhaps this is the best place for us unless Alaska would be better.
I was born and raised in Fort Smith, AR. I’ve had eczema since I was a small child. I can remember my mother putting medicine on me at night and then wrapping me in dry cleaning bags so I couldn’t scratch. The dermatologists all told my mother it was caused by stress. As I got older I pretty much outgrew it except for the occasional bout. I moved to Florida almost 4 years ago now. About one year after we got here, I started having unexplained itching, then my eczema started breaking out again and then I developed dermagraphism (a form of hives. As I write this I’m itching so bad I just can’t hardly stand it. I’m taking 4 different medications to try and keep from itching. I would not recommend moving to a tropical climate. I’m extremely allergic to house dust mites. The high humidity and low altitude are a breeding ground for house dust mites. I spent a short time in Colorado and didn’t have problems with any of my allergies. Doing research now to try and determine where’s best to live. Ready to go back to Arkansas.
i suffer from Eczema and what i do is just take as much vitamins A, C and E supplements plus some topical corticosteroid to remedy the itch.
My 9 year old has severe eczema in the spring and summer. With the current high pollen count of over 2000 today her eyes are swollen, she has a itchy, nasty rash in every crevice of her body, she is sniffling and swollen. Called the doctor for her meds to be refilled. Eye drops, nose spray, claritin, hydroxyzine, and ointment. Surely, something will work to give her some relief today!
i’ve been reading about the best climate for people suffering from allergies, atshma, and excema… lots listed for the U.S.. but what about canada? i currently live in eastern canada.. and will move anyhere.. if it means no longer watching my children suffer!!! plaease Help!
My heart goes out to those who I’ve been reading here and breaks for my oldest who is 12. My son is a Triad sufferer and we have lived in East Texas his whole life. We have gone through the whole medications, natural remedy, change in diet routine and nothing seems to help. With age he seems to get better and I have noticed that colder winters do him better. We, too, are looking for somewhere else to live and I am at a loss. My husband has severe osteoarthritis and anything too cold is murder on him. But anything too warm is murder on my oldest. I don’t know if anyone has any good answers but for now I am investigating the states not mentioned – sort of a process of elimination. No news is good news, right? But if you do have any suggestions, I look forward to hearing them.
My son is a year and a half and was diagnosed with eczema at 3 months. We live in Eagle River, AK (near Anchorage) and it is NOT a good place to live for an eczema sufferer! Despite what people think, Alaska is VERY dry- we live in an Arctic desert, it’s below freezing for 5 months out of the year and the pollen count is very high here during the summer months. I have a friend who couldn’t enlist in the military up here because his eczema was so bad. He moved to Colorado and it cleared up being in a more humid climate and was able to enlist about a year later. Just wanted to share since you were considering moving to Alaska!
I have two children with Severe Eczema.
I absolutley and tired of the pain they go through on a daily basis. Lotions, steroids, meds, asthma, the works. One is 16 and was diagnosed at age 3 yrs and the other is 2 yrs and was diagnosed just a few months ago. We live in Kentucky/ Tennessee area. DO NOT MOVE HERE!!!!! Way to humid and the nature here is out of whack. too much pollen and too many different species of plants. My kids are raw. I am so sad and angry about it. We are going to move but need to find a good place. My Husband is military so it will have to be in one of the bases. I am thinking Arizona or California or even Colorado. Any suggestions????
Hi,
I am from Prince George, BC. I went to Vancouver, BC for 5 days for a medical appointment and my eczema cleared up by the 4th day. I am now in Prince George and my hand, neck and face is covered in eczema. I am considering moving to the lower main land. Chilliwack, Langley, or if I have to Vancouver, BC
Nancy
My son, 12 now, has been through it all and is now with it again since he was 5. Yes, it’s sad and hurts those who love him too.
We’ve lived in NC, then upstate NY and then back to the mountains of NC and when we move, it seems to help…for a while, but then its back to the same. The seasonal changes do the same, helps for a bit, then reverse. Same for creams, ointments, drugs, wraps, foods and all. Helps for a while…then back. The thing that seems to help is change. We prey he will grow out of it as that seems to be the only thing the medical world, who can’t seem to agree, can offer as a way of hope. Its been like a phantom that just keeps swooping in to steal bits of his life from him.
We have a child who has the Allergic Triad since she was 3 years old. We live in Florida and no matter what we try it wont go away. I read that Florida is a good place for this but we would disagree. The last trip to the ocean was not good. She has a bad eczema attack. I am almost ready to check out Colorado. We hate the cold but we are willing to suffer if it would clear the eczema for good. The only other place would be Hawaii but the cost of live is crazy over there. We are losing our minds over this Allergic Triad.
We live in Perth, Australia – very hot and dry. My daughter developed severe atopic eczema at 3 and it responded to nothing. Some gentic testing revealed a marker for actinic purigo which is virtually unheard of in this part of the world. After 3 years of chronic scrathing, bleeding and sleepless nights we took dermatologist’s suggestion and tried Thalidomide. It has been nothing short of miraculous. She still gets some eczema in very hot conditions, but I found that it just broke that cycle where she reacted to everything that touched her skin. We are soon to move to Houston so will find out how she is in a hot and humid climate. Another thing I found helpful is keeping bed covers lighter than you would expect – sheets only unless under 15 celsius.
Here in Central Arkansas, the biggest excema trigger for my 12 year olds’ breakouts appears to be cedar/pine pollen count. He was born with food allergies to milk, egg, peanut, mustard, shellfish, but has been able to eat eggs since January 2010. However, he completely lost all his body hair last year over the summer also (related, possibly?). The bummer is that the cedar/pine pollen doesn’t take a rest. It’s not seasonal, but cyclical every few weeks or so throughout this winter season, when one would think one would get a vacation from outdoor allergens. In past years, he has been able to get some fun camping time in in June, and then it is August when we have to start staying indoors. Last year June was starting to be a struggle. He gave up on boy scouts this school year, because he couldn’t camp throughout the school year, and that’s what he enjoyed about scouting – not all the rank advancement. We are hoping that June camping won’t be closing its window on him, too, now. He takes UVB Light box therapy three times a week and constant allergy meds, especially during cedar pollen high alert periods. We refuse to let Mother Nature bring him down. He stays active with gymnastics and swimming (when his skin allows). Fortunately baldness is cool for guys, and he has a great skull shape, although he misses his hair and crazy eyebrows. He is the extrovert of the family, so his personality is strong enough to shine through, to help him battle whatever Mother Nature serves up. We are of the opinion that running to a different climate would not help – that his immune system would find something else to react to; that there is an advantage to staying up against the allergens that he has been born into until they back down. He is also surrounded by a community who knows him and his history, in spite of Mother Nature’s challenges. We have hope also that puberty will bring some changes in immune response, hopefully for the better.
im 48 years old ive been dealing with ezcema about 15 years now when i was younger and in new york i didnt seem to have it i took a trip about two years ago to arizona and stayed there three weeks i was fine i have alot of problems here in fort smith arkansas hunmid weather no a good factor for ezcema makes u sweat more and break out more i have to stay in alot when its so hot and humid out ive had to be on steriods and creams many times over the years im going to a skin doctor on the 5th of april to have some test done im not really sure i want to stay in arkansas much longer with all the trouble ive been through i had a few staff infection over time as well just got rid of one that i was being treated for it was bad alot of antibodics for that and shots to im not sure arizona would be a good place to go but couldnt be worse im sure
Being a mother/wife of 3 and giving my children this trait it does really stink. I am 3?? something and had eczema & allergies for years. Always came out during the winter, cold months. Doctors told me to use this lotion or creme and that didn’t work for me. We left NJ in Feb. I had eczema then, now being in Florida it has basically gone away with a spot or an itch here or there, definitely improved.For me and my kids it was the cold weather that brought it out. We are surrounded by beaches so it doesn’t get as humid here is trees, but more palm trees then any. Our allergies aren’t so bad either along with my 16 y/o sons asthma. His asthma also starts acting up dec-feb (cold months). I feel the move Fl was a great choice for us. I think it depends what your body reacts to, cold or warmer.
What part of Florida did you move too? My daughter, now 10, has severe eczema and allergies. She has had problem starting at 6 months old. This past year we had to pull her from school due to itching…chronic headaches…contracted two skin infections. We keep treating the symptoms and not the problem. We have tried everything….food diet, every medicine available, shots, …….you name it..we have probably tried it. We recently took her off most of her medication because none of it seems to work anyway. Every time when we go to Florida….she seems to clear up a little. Seem to feel better. We are thinking of renting in florida for a year to see how she will react to the weather/climate.
Funny, I am from Colorado and I experience severe skin reactions regularly. Colorado is too dry. When I go to San Diego on vacation, it all clears up, rashes and all skin afflictions. But only after swimming in the ocean regularly. I was on the internet looking for climates good for excema sufferers and everyone thinks Colorado is the cure! Ironic to me.
I think what we are all suffering from is inherited weaknesses of the skin. Maybe it just us more than it is climate or anything else…
I know this thread is old but when my family was at it’s worst breaking point, I would have listened to any shred of advice I could get so I’m hoping that this will help someone out there.
My 10 year old has severe eczema (since 8 weeks old). I won’t go through all the treatments, creams, medicines and eliminations we’ve gone through. You’ve all probably tried them too.
What did work for her was a change of climate. We are from central NC and have traveled in an RV for our non-profit for the last two years. NC is humid, pollinated and moldy. We have been in or through alot of states and I can tell you that KY, TN and Arkansas were the worst.
We stayed in Las Vegas, NV for 5 months. It was gradual really, but she improved and was the best she had ever been. She could swim and that was a great accomplishment. Someone mentioned earlier that each person’s skin as its own inherited weaknesses and I do believe that is true. We have returned to NC to get on our feet and realize what a mistake that is. We will be returning to Vegas as soon as we can.
I am so grateful that through our travels we discovered this. I don’t know if it was the combination of more sunshine, no humidity and mostly no flowers/trees/grass/rain/mold or what but I know that after 5 months, her body had finally detoxed from all that stuff and she was the healthiest she had been in her whole life thus far.
I give the Las Vegas/Henderson valley, Nevada a thumbs up. I hope this helps someone else.
I got eczema when I was 6 months pregnant with my first son. That was 22 years ago. I seem to find that whenever I go in the ocean I get flare ups. The salt water is very drying to my skin. I am looking for a place to retire and thought of Florida since I love the beach, but not so sure now. Would love any help.
hello from NZ, we visit relatives in San Diego every July and every year the combination of dry warm weather and lots of direct sunlight (my swimmer son trains two hours per day in an outdoor pool) is miraculous. His eczema disappears completely ! Humidity is the trigger for his eczema. We lived in Vietnam and were unable to stay his eczema was so bad. SoCal rules !!! (what a shame migrating to the States is so difficult).
i was sick in south east tx but nothing like when i moved to austin tx, iys gradually gotten worse and worse here,i dont no where to go considering costa rica but not sure, its ashma and sinus, no answers yet,
I just recently arrived Brisbane, Australia and will be here for a few months. It’s been almost 4 weeks since I arrived and I’ve noticed my eczema has been exacerbated a lot by the very warm and humid weather, which I think is partly due to the fact that I’m constantly sweating (and as anyone with any experience with eczema knows, constant sweating + sensitive skin = bad combination). I came here from Canada where it was winter, mind you a relatively mild and humid winter when I left. In general, my eczema tends to be better in drier climates IF and ONLY IF I moisturize a lot (vaseline, the petroleum jelly kind works great for dry, harsh winters). I find that in dry climates, the problem tends to be more cracking and rupturing of the skin due to extreme dryness whereas in humid and warm conditions the problem tends to be more due itchiness as a result of hypersensitivity to sweating.