"One autumn rain and another cold", but these days, while many people are adding clothes to keep warm, they also have another troublesome thing - itching.
After taking a shower, you feel itchy all over, and a red rash appears on your arms and legs for no apparent reason... You may subconsciously think that your skin is dry because of the cold weather, so just apply some lotion.
When the weather gets colder, your skin gets angry, and the reason behind it may be more than just "lack of water".
Believe it or not, allergies are not uncommon in autumn.
When it comes to allergies, spring is the first thing everyone thinks of. Guo Tao, director of the Department of Dermatology 1, Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, reminded that allergies are not uncommon in autumn.
There are still pollen activities in autumn, such as wormwood and ragweed, which are common allergens. Especially in the north, especially in Inner Mongolia, there are particularly many patients with allergic rhinitis, which may also be accompanied by a series of allergic reactions such as allergic conjunctivitis and even skin itching.
Many allergic diseases may also appear in autumn. During this season, the skin barrier is damaged, the climate is dry, and external factors such as pollen are added, making it easier to induce allergies.
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Allergy, dryness, and damaged barrier, why are they always “tied together”?
Many people attribute itching to "allergy" or "dehydration", but the two are actually related to each other. Lack of dehydration itself is one of the reasons for the damage of the skin barrier.
After the skin barrier is damaged, allergic reactions usually manifest as erythema, papules, or even herpes; if you can't help scratching, lichen-like changes and exudation may occur, and long-term scratching may even cause nodular changes.
Guo Tao made a vivid analogy: the skin barrier is like a "brick wall" structure. Dry weather and repeated scratching may further damage this barrier. Therefore, in addition to drug control, learning to exercise restraint and scratch less is also part of the treatment.
These "allergens" you may be aware of every day
In addition to pollen, some people are also allergic to animal dander and fruits.
Guo Tao said that northerners need to pay special attention when eating tropical fruits such as durian and mango. The so-called "mango dermatitis" is also a kind of contact dermatitis.
If you want to find out your allergens, you can go to the hospital for a serum test or a patch test to check for contact allergens.
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Guo Tao reminded that these tests cannot guarantee 100% accuracy and comprehensiveness. He also suggested keeping an "allergy diary" - writing down every exposure, food and subsequent skin reaction. Keeping it for a period of time is often more accurate than testing.
If you encounter such a bug, you must not fight it!
In addition to pollen, Guo Tao also mentioned a "season-limited" trouble that is easily overlooked—cryptoptera.
When many people go for a walk in the park or in the woods, the cryptid may quietly land on their skin.
After the insect body is beaten and ulcerated, the irritating substances in the body fluids come into contact with the skin, which may cause obvious redness, swelling, and itching. In severe cases, secondary infection may occur, and even hospitalization may be required.
Therefore, when going near grass or shrubs, remember to tie the cuffs and trousers of your clothes tightly; if you encounter such an insect falling on you, do not pat it, just blow it away gently.
Taking a shower is a small thing that many people do wrong.
It is almost an instinctive reaction to want to take a shower and rub vigorously when itching. However, Guo Tao bluntly said that this is a big misunderstanding. Over-cleansing may further damage the skin barrier.
The secretion of sebaceous glands in young people is strong, which itself is a layer of protection for the skin; but as age increases, the sebaceous glands gradually shrink and produce less oil. Senile pruritus, adipose eczema, senile nodular prurigo, and even refractory senile atopic dermatitis are more likely to come to your doorstep and recur repeatedly.
Many people regard these two "old acquaintances" as allergies.
In addition to common allergies and dryness, there are two skin problems that are particularly easy to confuse in autumn and winter.
Lipid eczema (also called dry eczema): Mainly characterized by dry skin, accompanied by scratches, papules, and in severe cases, lichen-like changes or even nodules.
Senile pruritus: Unlike dry eczema, this disease usually only has itching, without papules, papuloherpes and other skin lesions. Many elderly people report that they will suddenly feel itchy for half an hour to an hour after taking a bath or taking off their clothes (especially their long johns). However, once they get into bed and their skin feels warm, the itching will slowly subside.
Autumn and winter skin care list, copy it without any disadvantages
1. Don’t keep the water temperature too high: Keep the bath water temperature between 37°C and 42°C. Overheating may irritate the skin and cause sebaceous gland atrophy. Long-term high-temperature washing may also cause lichen-like changes in the skin.
2. Apply body lotion immediately after washing: Apply moisturizing products while the skin is still hydrated to lock in moisture for a longer period of time.
3. Skin care is a “lifelong event”: For patients with atopic dermatitis and other diseases, skin care is a lifelong task. As the general population grows older, especially the elderly, they should also strengthen moisturizing.
4. Choose cotton for close-fitting clothing: Cotton clothing absorbs sweat, is skin-friendly, and causes less irritation. If you want to wear a sweater, add a layer of cotton or silk as a base in the middle, which can effectively reduce the direct irritation of wool to the skin.
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When these signals appear, don’t hold on to them.
If regular moisturizing and anti-itch ointments don't work and the itching becomes unbearable, you must seek medical advice promptly.
Guo Tao also reminded two common misunderstandings: one is to apply various ointments indiscriminately, without distinguishing between weak, medium and strong effects of hormones; the other is to "talk about hormone discoloration" and not dare to use any hormone-containing medicines. Both extremes are undesirable.
Once the skin becomes infected, or the itching is severe enough to affect normal life and study, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
The last important point: avoid scratching and burning
At the end of the interview, Guo Tao left only four words - avoid scratching and burning.
——Why should we avoid catching? Although scratching an itch feels "refreshing" at the moment, scratching will produce substance P, which will then release histamine for degranulation, making the itch worse and worse, like going up a flight of stairs.
——Why avoid perm? Excessive hot or cold stimulation may affect the itching threshold, but cold compress can help relieve itching by reducing capillary congestion and reducing edema.
The weather is getting colder, so don’t rush to blame all your itches on “autumn dryness”, and don’t just bear it.
Distinguish between dryness and allergies. This autumn, you can also embrace and cool down without itching or fussing.
Author: Xue Chunyue
