Top Eczema Triggers To Avoid

Hormones

Hormones are chemical properties that naturally occur within the body that can significantly worsen eczema symptoms. Whether the levels of specific hormones increase or decrease in the body, some individuals, especially women, may experience eczema flare-ups. Women can experience increased eczema symptoms when their hormone levels change, especially during their menstrual cycle or during pregnancy.

As previously mentioned, stress happens and can definitely inflame and irritate symptoms of eczema. Cortisol is a naturally occurring hormone that is known as the ‘stress hormone.’ When there is too much cortisol coursing throughout the body, symptoms of numerous conditions can be triggered, including eczema. Hormones and stress are not a direct cause of eczema, but worsen symptoms and often cause the patient to scratch excessively due to these spikes in hormone levels.

Sweat

Depending on the severity of eczema, some patients struggle with sweat and climate changes that can cause it, especially during the sweltering months of summer, or even in the middle of a harsh winter from wearing multiple layers of clothing or during a ‘cold sweat.’ Many individuals become itchy or experience a ‘prickly heat’ sensation when they get too hot or begin to sweat, which is often caused by the climate, exercise, or when a person wears too many layers of clothing (especially to bed). An eczema flare-up can also occur when the air is too dry or too humid, which can result in sweating, or if an individual takes long, hot showers or baths.

The simplest way to try and reduce sweating from occurring or causing a flare-up is to wipe up any excess sweat that is noticed on the body, applying lotion or a moisturizer to the affected area, and to try and be conscious of their environment by not under or over-layering their clothing to reduce the chances of excessive sweating.