Itchy eczema allergic toddler - not settling after 6 months. Ideas? (long)

[Cherished]

That's great you have some answers Belfie, It's really all trial and error. Regarding your products, I had to get dh to change everything he uses to natural products as I was reacting to everything he used including shaving cream. Also with the moisturising, I found that to be really helpful especially when I smothered on the cream and put a wet dressing over it (this was incredibly relieving for the itch as well), however my chines herbal medicine therapist said that my eczema is a 'damp' condition (as in it weeps) so keeping it dry is better than moisturising. I've been testing this the theory over the last couple of months but the jury is still out.

[belfie]

oh that's interesting. Would you still moisturise when wet? I know we've always tried to do that - the old "seal the damp skin" theory which does seem to help him.

Now i'm confused. The eczema foundation says:

"The importance of house-dust mites has long been considered a factor for asthma sufferers, but for many years it was not appreciated that people with eczema could also be affected by the mites. However, more research has shown that for some people these little mites do trigger flare-ups of eczema.... Buy duvets and pillows that are made from man-made fibres rather than feathers."

So they definitely think the dustmites in the bedding plays a part.

But the asthma foundation says:

Feather bedding may be a better bedding option as it has substantially lower house dust mite allergen levels. Tightly woven (impermeable) covers should be used for mattresses, quilts and pillows but they must enclose the whole item for best effect.

And that's the bit they both agree on - that the covers should be used. So I'm thinking I'll invest in some. I also need to fix my washing machine which has only washed on cold for quite some time lol.

[belfie]

And just some more detail from the national asthma foundation:

What type of bedding is best?
For some time it was recommended that people who have asthma (or who are more likely to develop asthma) avoid feather bedding and choose synthetic materials (eg foam, polyester or dacron) as they withstand frequent washing. This is now not thought to be the case. ew studies have shown that not only does synthetic bedding have higher levels of house dust mites and their allergens than feather bedding, it may also increase the risk of infants developing wheeze.
This may be because the synthetic materials give off substances that irritate the airways and make them more susceptible to allergens. Again, this is an area where we have much to learn.
In the meantime, it seems sensible to use low allergen bedding for infants and children at high risk of allergy or asthma. Where possible, use encasings for mattresses, pillows and doonas, rather than plastic covers.
Low allergen bedding should be used. Feather bedding pillows and quilts have substantially lower mite allergen levels than synthetic bedding. The use of bulky items such as pillows and quilts (feather or synthetic) is not recommended for infants under 12 months because of the increased risk of SIDS.