About this time of year a lot of people are miserable, not just with the winter blues, or cabin fever, but with Winter Itch. This is a condition of dry, itchy skin, usually with some small red bumps, sometimes little pustules. Usually this is found on the upper arms, mid and upper back, chest and upper abdomen, and sometime on the legs.
Most of the time, it is related to a reduction of skin moisture and skin oil. It may also be aggravated by overheating parts of the body by heavy clothing.
The solutions are fairly simple.
- Run a humidifier in your home, especially in sleeping areas. Humidity should be between 45 and 65. There should be a little condensation on the bottoms of the window panes. Not too much; that might ruin the window frames.
- Drink adequate water (chlorine free). Most adults should have between 40-60 ounces per day. Coffee and soda pop are not considered water. In fact, they are dehydrating and contribute to the problem.
- Reduce the temperature of your bath or shower. Hot water removes some of the skin oils which are needed to lubricate the skin. Also only soap and scrub the important areas of your body: hair, armpits, bottom, and privates. Scrubbing the rest of the body removes much needed skin oils.
- Add oil to your diet. For adults, two tablespoons of olive oil every day is helpful (can be mixed in food) and Omega 3 (fish or flaxseed oil) 2000-4000 mg per day with food in two or three doses are highly beneficial for skin, hair, joints, and arteries. Use half to one third these amounts for children.
- Natural Vitamin E (d-alpha Tocopherol) 400 units per day may be added to benefit your skin and blood vessels. Be careful with synthetic Vitamin E (l or dl-alpha tocopherol) as it may add to the inflammation in your blood vessels.
- Healthy skin contains lots of collagen. Dietary sources of the ingredients to make collagen are from the shells of seafood, the cartilage / grizzle in meat, and gelatin. Many of us do not eat those parts of our foods and therefore cannot repair damaged collagen which happens with over exposure to the sun and heat. Supplementing with Chondroitin (12-1500mg), Glucosamine (12-1500mg), and MSM (500mg) is highly beneficial.
Finally, for un-sunny northern climates, I have two more suggestions. First, Vitamin D3 (4-6000 mg per day) is a good thing. It is not necessarily needed to control the winter itch, but it is great for helping some other winter health problems like Seasonal Depression. Second, do not over-dress or overuse heated car seats. When we overheat the skin, the pores and hair follicles open to radiate off some of the unwanted heat. Some skin bacteria can move down into the opening of the pore or follicle. When the skin cools, the opening closes and the bacteria are trapped. They will multiple and form a small red pustules. It may take 3-7 days for these to heal and return to normal skin. This condition is called folliculitis or up north we call it “Toasted Buns Syndrome”. Dress in layers and remove some clothing if your trunk overheats. You may use the seat heater, but only for a short time.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It is one of the major lines of defense against infections. Itchy dry skin is more vulnerable, so be kind to it.
Bob Huttinga PA-C is certified Physician Assistant with 40 years of experience in Family Medicine, treating people with skin issues. You can read his book, Put Your Health in Your Own Hands found on Amazon. For general information about natural health, go to: http://www.thehealingcenteroflakeview.com. For specific questions, you may email Bob at: bob.huttinga@gmail.com.
Put Your Health in Your Own Hands
Put Your Health in Your Own Hands 