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Asthma and skin dryness

12 Replies

Hi there

Does anyone with asthma suffer from incredibly dry skin? My eyelids are sometimes so itchy it's unbearable - although when I take my preventer regularly the problem seems to disappear. the problem is primarily on my face, although I have two nasty patches of excema (which I have suffered with since I was a child) on my neck that flare up too if I have not taken my brown inhaler for a couple of days.

Hydrocortisone cream (in a very small amount) clears up the problem on my eyelids - but I was just wondering if this is something anyone else has problems with too.

Thanks

Heidi xx

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12 Replies

Hello,

I suffer from mild asthma and a bit ezcema on my fingers which drives me potty when they itch (although holding them under hot water stops the itching) but I do get a very itchy and red forehead sometimes - I have a bottle of Betacap which is brilliant at stopping it (wish they had something like that for fingers!) but I've never noticed any connection between taken my inhaler and the itching.

Hi Heidi

I too have quite dry skin and I get itchy patches on my hands and fingers that when scratched blister and then burst which relieves the itching. My mum and cousin get the same so we think its inherited and could possibly mean that my asthma comes from the same side of the family. And we all find that stress makes it worse. Even keeping my hands well moisturised with handcream doesn't stop the itches but an itch relief cream comes in handy.

Jen

I have dry sensitive skin and I have eczema, when I was younger was eczema was very severe and I had to see a dermatologist and I was hospitalised several times when my eczema had got even worse which mean my mum couldnt cope. Hydrocortisone, Aqeous and anti-histamines usually help me. :)

I suffer from dry sensitive skin too and have eczema and chronic idiopathic urticaria. The most effective treatments for me have been lots and lots of diprobase combined with anti-histamines and hydrocortisone cream when needed. I'm not sure why but for the last few weeks my skin has felt dryer than usual especially at night!

i woke up the other day and i swear ALL of the moisture had somehow been sucked out of my face. I too get dry skin especially in the face, and my legs. The face is irritating though. I also had eczema when i was younger, and occasionaly i get a breakout of it now, but only about once a year. I have yet to find a way to conquer the dryness of my skin. The past couple of days i have been applying moisturiser in my face every 5 minutes.

My eyelids i gave up. They have been extremely dry for a couple of weeks now, and I have no idea why. I blame it on stress, but i guess it seems like i might be wrong. Are any of you stressed? I also have dry eyes though.

I have never really been as bothered with dry skin until this year (except for my hands that are always dry in the winter months). I thought it was just a part of growing up, hence all the commercials about lotions and such on tv, and i never understood why people would need so much lotion. Now i do!

HI Heidi

I know where you are coming from with the very itchy eyelids are the same and its really can drive you otty. Mine though has no link with my preventer consumption , the only time it improves is when im on iv steriods so i often come out of hospital with much improved skin even if my lungs are pants!!!

I also have excema althought its been mild since i reached my teens but still does flare up mainly at times of stress.

Like you hydrocortisone cream does help buyut it can only be used for short periods of time and as soon as i stop its back with avengance, i use double base on them and keep atub both up and downstairs and try and put some on every hr - not very practrical if u work but still could be done and its does help a bit to control the dryness but not alot with the itchyness. I also find that it irritates my actual eyes so i use opticrom eye drops(also needed for hayfever anyway).

Do you find it is worse during the winter , i do and am wondering if the wind doesnt help?

feel free to pm me if u want to chat more.

KateMoss profile image
KateMoss

My skin can get quite dry too and I occasionally get excema.

Asthma, excema and hayfever are all related as they are topical or atopical reactions and it is your body reacting in various ways to your environment.

Mine really flares up if I reduce my steroids sometimes or post anaphylactic.

Also swimming is not doing it too much good either - I should really 'grease up' before getting in the pool and not just after - good ole diprobase!

Tis a bit flakey at the mo - tried on some trousers the other day in a shop - good job they fitted cos skin flaked on the inside! How embarasing! Bought them anyway because nice & fitted. I keep a tube of cheap handcream in the car so can moisturise hands etc when needed - not too much before drivimng or loose grip on steering wheel!

Face - vitamin E creams are good plus helps with wrinkle control too!

Kate

Kate I agree with the swimming not helping dry skin! I'm preparing to swim a marathon in a month as part of the Asthma UK Gym and Swim challenge and I've found I've been getting through double the amount of diprobase since I started training. Tis good stuff though!

oh i am so glad I am not alone - i have been struggling for weeks with my face literally peeling with skin, its so dry and am at wits end, so many creams I cant use (have eczema anyway) with sulphur or paraffin in (which is most of them), but i am putting moistureriser on 4 times a day, scratching all night, pillowcases are a mess and not sleeping with the itching - trying to keep hands occupied so as not to scratch so...eating loads ha ha.

#my empathy to everyone in same boat - happy scratching.

jackie

Hi everyone

My skin has been quite dry for a little while, but now my feet and the lower half of my legs are flaking. I'm using E45, but it doen't seem to be making much impact. I have had ezcema in my ears in the past, but now I am developing very dry patches on my arms and even one little round red dry patch. Any advice about products to use would be much appreciated - my GP looked at my legs last week and said it is the cold weather - umm! I have peripheral neuropathy and my feet get very cold, but I wear thick tights and socks, so I can't see how the weather is getting to them.

Kathy

I was having an issue trying to figure out what was causing me to get itchy and scaly on my face (ended up being fabric softener that I suddenly became irritated by) but in the mean time, I tried foderma serum and it made a big difference in helping get my skin back to normal. It is extremely soothing and moisturizing...no irritation.

_Ventolin_ profile image
_Ventolin_

Hello,

Dry, itchy and scaly skin is that's what I am fighting with last year.

I am scratching my hands, legs, neck at least once a day. Sleeping in a shirt with sleeves pinched helps a bit. Keeping fingers under hot water really helps, as well as the hot bath with salt or just hot shower.

I am using Palmer's cream, Doublebase, some lotion, two to three times a day.

As my guessings are it is related to physical activity.

Skin becomes very, very dry in office like rooms with air conditioning systems or heaters which make the air so dry on. I just feel like my skin become dry just entering the area.

Face dryness - only oil for babies do the best for me, all the other creams relieve dryness but leaving redness and stains, washing with face lotion or face scrub helps.

Just ordered Foderma, thanks for advice WinnifredSullivan.

Any other recommendations appreciated.

Thanks.

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