Eczema Tip: Allergy Proof Your Home

Outdoor allergy seasons come and go depending on weather patterns and time of year. During high allergy seasons we get refuge in our homes or load up on Vitamin C and allergy medicine. Unfortunately, you are not safe from allergies in your home. There is dust and dander, among other things, that can cause an allergy outbreak. You may have a runny nose, constant sneezing, itchy skin, or rashes as a result from coming in contact with something you are allergic to in your home. You may even start to see a dry rash that flares up which is called eczema. If you have eczema, the flare ups can become worse from allergic reactions. To keep your flare ups under control, here are some ways to allergy proof your home.

An easy way to control allergens is to have a weekly cleaning routine. If you suffer from allergies that are pretty severe or have asthma and eczema flare ups, you may need a daily cleaning routine. You don’t need a floor to ceiling scrub down of your home every day, but you may need to dust or vacuum more often than others. Every week you should vacuum your carpets and sweep tile or wood floors. If you are highly allergic to dust mites, you may want to consider investing in a dust free vacuum. To clear dust off of other surfaces like table tops or windows you can use a damp cloth to wipe them down instead of using a feather duster that spreads the dirt around. There can be a lot of dust mites on your bed, so it is important to wash and change your sheets weekly. When you have clean sheets, you’ll start to notice your eczema improve.

The temperature and humidity in your home should be controlled at all times. High temperatures can cause infestations and mold. The humidity in your home should always be around 50%, and keep the temperature comfortable. You don’t want the temperature too hot or cold, so a good degree to maintain is 70, give or take a few degrees. You may need to use humidifiers to control the humidity, but you can control the temperature with your thermostat. To get the most effectiveness out of your central heating system, clean or replace air filters once a month. This will also help to keep the dust at a minimum. It is important to keep surfaces in your home clean and dry. Make sure there aren’t any leaks under any countertops.

Another great tip for controlling the allergens is to make your home easy to clean. For example, replace carpeting and rugs with wood, tile, or linoleum. Curtains can carry a lot of dust, so buy window treatment that can be dusted easily. If you have curtains, buy them in a material that is easy to wash. Leather furniture is preferable over upholstered sofas and chairs. Because we spend so much time in our bedrooms, you want to make sure that your mattress and flooring is easy to clean too. It is important to use pillow mattress covers to avoid dust mites or other dander. Wool blankets and new foam pillows attract dust mites, so you should have other materials instead. If you have a lot of furniture in your bedroom, keep it as far from the bed as you can.

Using these simple tips can keep your home as allergy free as it can be. If you notice that your allergies or eczema still flare up, you can use eczema oil to control the uncomfortable feeling on your skin.

About the Author: Melanie Nader is the founder of the Homestead Company which makes premium quality natural skin care products including eczema oil and diaper ointment made with the finest 100% natural ingredients. For more information, visit http://www.homesteadcompany.com/.

Eczema Friendly Thanksgiving Dinner

A favorite and festive holiday for most people is Thanksgiving. It is a time to come together with family and friends and give thanks for our health and prosperity. Let’s not forget to mention too how wonderful the food is and how fun it is to cook all day with our family and watch some competitive football games. There are traditional Thanksgiving foods that are cooked every year that we wait in anticipation for like green bean casserole and a perfectly baked turkey. Some foods, however, can cause allergies and eczema flare ups. Here are some menu items to make a perfect Thanksgiving dinner that won’t cause an eczema flare up.

Dairy products such as milk are a common known trigger. A traditional side eaten every year is green bean casserole. Two ingredients used to make this dish are cream of mushroom soup and milk. Instead of adding milk, you can substitute rice milk. If you don’t like the taste of rice milk, you could cook the green beans in vegetable broth and then add fried onions on top for some crunch after they are cooked how you like them.

Milk is also used to make mashed potatoes. A lot of recipes advise adding butter or margarine for added flavor and creamy potatoes. Substitute rice milk and use real butter and this should make the potatoes for allergy/eczema friendly. If the substitutions don’t quite have the flavor you like, you can make mashed cauliflower which is very healthy, tasty, and has the same consistency as mashed potatoes.

Wheat and breads also cause eczema flare ups. Instead of making rolls, you can make or buy fresh rye bread. There are many different types of breads that aren’t made with yeast or wheat. Try something like quinoa or spelt bread to make you stuffing with. You may need to play around with stuffing recipes using these breads in advance because it can take trial and error to get the best stuffing recipe. Recipes with substitutions need some tweaking but always take very good as a traditional recipe.

Pies of all varieties are a great dessert and offer a sweet taste after such a savory meal. When choosing which pies to bake for your after dinner treat, avoid acidic fruits and nuts. Instead of making pecan pie, make pumpkin pie instead. If you are making fruit pies, don’t use any fruits that are acidic. Also, artificial sweeteners are known to cause flare ups, so use real sugar. A little bit of sugar during the holidays can be a healthy splurge in this case.

Processed foods and chemical additives should also be avoided when planning your dinner menu. Use organic ingredients and spend a few extra dollars purchasing an organic free range turkey as well. The meat and produce will taste better, are healthier for you, and won’t cause eczema flare ups. Most prepackaged foods will cause skin irritation, so use all fresh ingredients in your recipes and invite friends and family to help you cook everything from scratch.

Allergies and eczema causes are different for everyone. If some of these foods don’t cause a flare up for you, then by all means stick to the original recipe. Keeping a food journal will help you keep track of what causes you problems or not. Plan your menu in advance, look at the recipes, and substitute ingredients as needed. Your Thanksgiving dinner will be perfect and very tasty.

About the Author: Melanie Nader is the founder of the Homestead Company which makes premium quality natural skin care products including eczema oil and diaper ointment made with the finest 100% natural ingredients. For more information, visit http://www.homesteadcompany.com.