Eczema Bulletin, Issue #005 - Dealing With Christmas Stress
Welcome to December's edition of the Eczema Bulletin e-zine, and thank you for subscribing.
This is the 5th edition of Eczema Bulletin. It will bring you articles and news about eczema, and also any updates to what-is-eczema.com. If you would like to add any suggestions for articles or news, or even add your own then I would love to hear from you
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This months Eczema Bulletin includes
- December's Featured Article – Dealing with Christmas stress
- My favourite eczema news article
- Tip of the Month
- 5 ways to.....give an eczema friendly gift
Featured Article - Dealing With Christmas Stress
Christmas can be stressful for everyone. Even more so if you are a parent. Stress can irritate your skin, and make the symptoms of your eczema worse.
We need to make Christmas as stress free as possible, and as enjoyable as possible.
- Money can be a real burden at this time of the year. The best thing to do is budget. Budget for everything. Set a limit and stick to it. Buy presents only for who you need to. Your husband's auntie's godson probably doesn’t need a gift from you. Also ask Christmas Day guests to bring something with them, to help contribute to the day
- Cooking Christmas dinner can be fun. But it can also feel like a nightmare. Don’t do everything yourself. Give everyone a job to do, whether its laying the table or peeling brussels sprouts. Even get your local supermarket to do your shopping for you, then deliver it to your door. Ordering online in the comfort of your own home is much more preferable to spending 3 hours clashing your trolley and standing in a never-ending queue, to most people
- Plan ahead. Buy presents as early as you can. Plan some activities to do in the afternoon to stop children getting bored. Prepare as much of the dinner as you can prior to the day. Vegetables can be done on Christmas Eve. Or even better, plan to go out for Christmas dinner!
- If you are having a family get together, the thought of arguing relatives can make you anxious. You might have to accept that there maybe arguments. So avoid controversial topics. Luckily most families get on. Or can get on for that one day. If you have warring relatives it tends to be two or three that don’t get on. Talk to the rest of your family and ask them to help you defuse any potential situation
The most important thing to remember is that Christmas is normally an enjoyable day, especially if you have children. Don’t let stress ruin the day for you.
Eczema News Article
A skin expert has been looking into how our homes have become more of an allergy risk over the last 40 years.
In children, eczema has increased from 3% in 1950, to 20% now.
His team have found there has been a 500% increase, over the same period, in the purchase of chemical filled detergents. These include soap, shampoos and bubble baths.
Also sales of carpets have grown from £213 million to £3251 million since 1963. This can be linked to the increase of cases of dust mite allergies. As well as the increased use of central heating.
They also found that the number of cats owned has doubled. They are a known trigger for allergies, including eczema.
This report seems to link how choices in the home can increase the likelihood of eczema. It can help people to make better choices in the home that can help prevent an eczema outbreak.
Tip Of The Month - Does Your Christmas Tree Irritate Your Skin?
Even as an eczema sufferer I had not even thought of a Christmas tree being an irritant, until a few years ago.
My first thought was that pollen would be the main issue. While it's true, for some people pollen can be a problem, the main cause of allergies is mould.
A lot of real trees are cut up to a couple of months before the festive season. If they are then left out or stored in a damp place then mould spores can grow.
If you like having a real Christmas tree then there is something you can do that can help.
Before taking your tree indoors, wash it down with water to get rid of the mould. Just make sure you allow it to dry properly too.
The other option is to get an artificial tree. If pollen is an allergen for you, then it could help massively. Though, there is a chance that an artificial tree could have mould spores. Most trees are stored in a attic, garage or cupboard for most of the year. These areas can be damp and cold.
Before assembling the tree, wash it with hot water, and allow it to dry. Again this washes off any mould, as well as any dust that has collected.
As well as for your Christmas tree, the same advice can be used for your real and artificial wreaths and garlands.
