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Eczema Bulletin, Issue #017 - Antibiotics and Alcohol
December 01, 2014

Eczema Bulletin, Issue #017 - Antibiotics and Alcohol



Welcome to December's edition of the Eczema Bulletin e-zine, and thank you for subscribing.

This is the 17th 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

You can contact me here


This month's Eczema Bulletin includes

  • December's Featured Article – Antibiotics and Alcohol
  • My favourite eczema news article
  • Tip of the Month
  • 5 Ways To.....manage eczema on eyelids




Featured Article - Antibiotics and Alcohol


As an eczema sufferer you may have been given antibiotics at some stage.

Antibiotics are normally prescribed to treat eczema infected with the Staph aureus bacteria. A course of oral antibiotics for eczema normally lasts around 7 days, depending on the severity of your eczema.

One of the questions asked frequently is 'can I drink alcohol while on antibiotics?'

Some doctors would recommend not drinking alcohol while taking a course. Though some would say that drinking in moderation is fine while on most antibiotics.

Two oral antibiotics used to treat infected eczema are

  • flucloxallin
  • erythromycin

There are no known adverse effects from drinking alcohol with either of these antibiotics.

One issue is that alcohol may prohibit the effectiveness of the medication. Another is that you may find that you feel slightly more drunk, or feel light-headed quicker. So be cautious about the amount of alcohol you drink. Remember moderation!

There are a few antibiotics which when taken, when consumption of alcohol should be avoided. These antibiotics are very unlikely to be prescribed to treat a Staph aureus infection.

Always check with your doctor before consuming alcohol when prescribed a course.



Eczema News Article


A link has been established in a study, that suggests that children with eczema exposed to peanuts in household dust are at a greater risk of developing a peanut allergy.

The study, conduted at Mount Sinai, involved 359 children, aged 3 – 15 months. These children had a higher risk of developing a peanut allergy as they already may have a milk or egg allergy, or be an eczema sufferer.

Children with severe atopic dermatitis were found to be at a higher risk of developing a peanut allergy. This suggests that exposure to peanuts in their environment, while having a defective skin barrier, could cause the increased risk.

More research is needed to definitely say what can be done to limit this risk. The leading researcher in the study, Scott H. Sicherer, MD, says “We need to see if early interventions, such as earlier food consumption, improving the damaged skin barrier, or reducing household exposure will counter the development of the allergy”.




Tip Of The Month - Making An Allergy Free Christmas Pudding


Most traditional Christmas puddings contain ingredients that can cause some food allergies. Some of these allergies can make the symptoms of eczema worse, including wheat, gluten, dairy and nuts.

One way round this is to either buy one already made from a shop, which may be a little expensive. Or you could make one yourself. You can add whatever you want to it! You could add a touch of brandy or apple juice. You could also try adding some dried fruits, like apricots, prunes or cranberries.

I decided to try and make one this year. I am not a baker and have never made a Christmas pudding in all of my 40 years! So I decided to look for an easy, tasty sounding recipe. I found the following recipe. I made it, and took a couple of pictures :)

A couple of the ingredients may sound abit odd to be in a Christmas pudding but it works.

I was abit worried about it holding together because I had read that gluten free flour doesn't bond things together well. But this recipe worked well.



Allergy Free Christmas Pudding Recipe

This recipe makes 2 large puddings. And after making the mixture it is left for 24 hours, so plan ahead.


Ingredients

  • 500g Gluten free flour
  • 500g Brown sugar (I used dark brown)
  • 500g Suet (I used lard instead. I put the lard into the freezer, then grated it)
  • 500g Currants
  • 500g Sultanas
  • 500g Carrots, grated and raw
  • 500g Potatoes, mashed
  • 2 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg


Preparation

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add carrots and potatoes and mix well, you will need to get your hands into this one, to mix it.

Stir occasionally over 24 hours as the mix gets more moist.

Measure the mixture into basins, filling them three-quarter full, tie over with greaseproof paper then foil and boil/steam for 5/6 hours. (Mine was cooked in a pressure cooker, for around 6 hours)

You can see the original recipe here

Enjoy the smell while it is cooking, and the taste when you eat it :)


Do you have a tip you would like to share? Let me know :)





5 Ways To.......manage eczema on eyelids


1. Avoid rubbing your eyes. Although your eyelids will very likely feel very itchy, rubbing them will do your eczema no good. The skin of the eyelid is thinner than on other areas, so can be more sensitive, and more prone to damage. Sometimes we may find ourselves rubbing them without even noticing. Just be aware of it, and make a concious effort to avoid doing it

2. Avoid wearing make up when you have a flare up. Chemicals and fragrances can irritate the eyelids, causing itchiness and inflammation. I know it is tempting to cover up any redness, but it could end up making it worse. There are some make up companies that produce hypo allergic or natural products. These maybe suitable, but may still contain some irritants. Also going make up free allows the skin to breathe

3. Use a cold compress. Hot, sore skin can feel more itchy. Using a cold compress can soothe your skin and the itchiness. Using a small towel or flannel, make it wet with cold water. Wring it out so it isn't too wet. Place over your eyes, leaving it for no longer than 20 minutes. Always apply an emollient afterwards, to stop the skin drying further

4. Check glasses and sunglasses for an allergic reaction. Some glasses contain nickel in their frames. If you suspect that your glasses maybe irritating your eczema, you can look at some alternatives frames that are less likely to be an irritation. These frames are made from aluminium, stainless steel, zinc or copper

5. Try Aloe Vera. Aloe Vera is very soothing to eczema, and helps to moisturise the skin. You can use aloe vera in a few different ways to help with eczema. One of the best ways to use it on the eyes is in a cream or gel. Use a cream or gel that is natural, and has no added chemicals in it. As it is natural you can use it as often as you need to

You can read more about Aloe Vera, here





Keeping Up-To-Date With What is Eczema


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The January edition of Eczema Bulletin will include

  • January's Featured Article – Eczema In Pregnancy
  • My favourite news item of the month
  • Tip of the Month
  • 5 ways to.....use apple cider vinegar to manage eczema



Hope you enjoyed Decemeber's Eczema Bulletin, and thanks for reading

Teri


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