Linking Eczema and Allergies: Is Pollen Causing Your Skin to Flare?

By Dr. Hotze (see bio below)

You may be familiar with eczema flare-ups in the winter, as the combination of dry air and extreme temperature changes (cold outside, hot inside) can exacerbate your skin’s condition. However, have you ever considered the correlation between your eczema and allergies?

As a doctor who’s treated many people with eczema, I’ve noticed that springtime allergens like grass and tree pollens can make symptoms worse. By treating the body’s reaction to seasonal allergies, the eczema flare-ups often diminish or disappear.

Eczema is a sign that your body is out of balance. It could also mean that your immune system is working overtime to fight allergens. This constant “overdrive” is very stressful to the immune system and your body. That’s why it’s important to treat the cause of the problem, and not just the symptoms. Fortunately, there is a solution when it comes to eczema and allergies.

Diagnosing eczema flare-ups from seasonal allergies

So how do you know if you or a loved one are experiencing eczema flare-ups from seasonal allergies? It’s easy to self diagnose. Just look for a connection between the time of year and your eczema symptoms. If the skin looks worse and itches more when the pollen is high, then it may be due to seasonal allergens.

You may also choose to have a skin or blood test performed to discover exactly what you’re allergic to, if you haven’t done so already. Allergy tests can reveal if your body is having an allergic reaction to a wide range of naturally occurring substances, including pollen, dust mites, dander, mold, insect stings and various foods.

Treating and preventing eczema flare-ups from seasonal allergies

Once you’ve pinpointed the allergens you can begin to treat your allergies. One common treatment is a course of allergy shots. However, I’m not a huge fan of allergy shots, as they require you to visit the doctor week after week and wait to make sure there’s no adverse reaction. It is extremely inconvenient and a nightmare for people who hate needles and injections.

Instead, I’ve experienced great success treating individuals with sublingual immunotherapy drops. These drops are placed under the tongue (“sublingually”). Each drop contains small amounts of allergens based on what you need; for example, the drops prepared for you could contain various grass and tree pollens. When you take the drop, the body creates antibodies to those allergens, building up the immune response naturally so when you encounter them in the future, your body can block the allergens.

Sublingual immunotherapy drops are common in Europe and are becoming more widely known here in the U.S. They can be used to treat more than just seasonal allergies. They can also address allergies to dust mites, pet dander and certain foods. If you suffer from these allergies, then consider a course of sublingual immunotherapy drops.

They’re natural, effective and convenient since you take them at home. No weekly doctor’s visits, no waiting!

Getting help for your eczema and allergies

Although you may have encountered doctors in the past who told you to “learn to live” with eczema and allergies, I encourage you to try new allergy and eczema treatments that seem right for you.

This blog is an excellent place to start learning about approaches you may have never considered. By trying sublingual immunotherapy drops, you may help your body fight the allergens that cause eczema flare-ups in the spring. I also encourage you to take care of your body and your health as a whole. When you do that, you allow the body to heal itself.

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Bio: Steven F. Hotze, M.D. is the founder and CEO of the Hotze Health & Wellness Center in Houston, TX. He and his team focus on natural approaches to treat eczema and other symptoms due to allergies, hormone imbalances, adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism. Many people come to him after finding no relief from their symptoms through approaches of conventional medicine. He helps them get their lives back.

Please visit our site to learn more about what Dr. Hotze and his team at the Hotze Health & Wellness Center, or to schedule a complimentary phone consultation with a Wellness Consultant.