Is it possible to take a bath if you have dermatitis? Allergic dermatitis can I swim?

Experts' opinion

Not so long ago, most dermatologists did not recommend taking water treatments for problem skin. It was generally believed that moisture impeded the healing process of dermatitis symptoms. Today, experts’ answer to the question of whether it is possible to wash with this disease depends, first of all, on the type of skin disease diagnosed. Today, a patient suffering from atopic dermatitis is not prohibited from swimming; the only restriction is not to take a bath in too hot or cold water.

Dermatologists recommend bathing for atopic dermatitis, subject to certain recommendations.

Why can't you wash when you're sick? Water treatments and colds

Patients often ask: “Why can’t you wash when you have ARVI?”

Many of those who often suffer from colds prefer to be treated at home. This approach led to the emergence of various myths around the common cold.

One of them says that during illness one should not take water procedures. Allegedly, taking a bath can negatively affect the patient’s health, and can even significantly increase the symptoms of a viral disease.

However, we should not forget that doctors have their own opinion on this issue.

Causes of colds

When people talk about a cold, they mean a viral disease accompanied by certain symptoms. The most common and obvious triggers of colds are:

cooling the body too much (hypothermia);
decreased immune defense;
pathogenic microorganisms.

Hypothermia itself cannot trigger the development of a cold. But if a person is very cold, then his immune defense weakens and it becomes much easier for pathogenic viruses to penetrate the body and attack cells.

Almost every person is afraid of catching a cold. Not only can this disease worsen the patient’s well-being, preventing him from breathing and sleeping normally, it can cause very serious complications. This is especially true for those patients who cannot cure a cold at home, and therefore are forced to endure the disease “on their feet.”

Symptoms

The symptoms of a cold are known to almost every person. First of all, this disease manifests itself as a cough and sore throat. The throat begins to hurt, turn red and eventually swell.

It becomes difficult for a person to swallow saliva and food, and even speak. General discomfort and cough tend to worsen at night.

The patient also experiences active sneezing, accompanied by the appearance of copious mucus and congestion in the nasal passages.

Nasal congestion can occur in different ways. If during this phenomenon one patient experiences severe swelling that inhibits free breathing through the nose, then he is prescribed to take various sprays and vasoconstrictor drops.

And if for another person such a condition is tolerable, then there is no need for him to use the above medications.

Mucus secretion can be of various types. Sometimes a cold can be limited only by swelling of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages. Water procedures can aggravate the situation.

With this disease, the general temperature does not always increase.
Moreover, in a fairly large number of patients, the temperature fluctuates between 37−37.5°C. But can you swim at temperatures?
If the cold passes without any serious conditions, then it should subside after two to three days. Otherwise, it may last for a week or more, which is why the doctor may suspect a bacterial infection has entered the body. This course of the disease requires different treatment tactics and the use of a course of antibiotics that have a wide spectrum of action.

What worries a person?

Most often, during a cold, a sick person is worried about:

general weakness of the body;
painful sensations in muscles and joints;
feeling tired;
drowsiness.

The patient is bothered by body aches, which makes it difficult for him to react quickly.

How to bathe properly when you have a cold?

Every second person can say with confidence that during the course of the disease and if there is a runny nose, it is better to do without water procedures, including taking a shower. Many people express the opinion that at elevated temperatures it is necessary to steam your feet, but you should know that this cannot always be done. What do therapists say about all this?

If, during treatment for a cold, a patient takes various antipyretic drinks and other medications, he begins to sweat heavily.

And sweat can clog pores, making it difficult for the body to remove accumulated toxins and waste products. This is why it is very important to bathe when you have a cold.

However, you need to know how to do it correctly. Only in this case can you get the maximum benefit from the procedure.

Water temperature

It should be remembered that the water temperature should not be too high. The optimal one is one that does not exceed the temperature of the human body. This is very important in order to thoroughly clean the pores and prevent overheating of the body.

Beneficial shower

It is very useful to take a shower. This type of bathing can:

reduce fever;
alleviate the general condition of the patient;
lower body temperature.

But it is very important to prevent hypothermia after swimming. Therefore, you must immediately dry yourself with a towel, put on warm socks and a robe.

Experts insist that the patient must wear a shower cap, because washing your hair during illness is not as beneficial as cleansing the pores of the body.

The fact is that hair, especially long hair, usually takes a very long time to dry, and this can lead to hypothermia.

If the patient nevertheless decides to wash his hair, then the hair must be dried as quickly as possible with a hairdryer or wrapped in a warm towel.

Doctors also highly recommend water procedures before bed.

Contraindications

Not every patient is allowed by the doctor to swim while suffering from a cold. Sometimes water procedures can cause complications of the disease and aggravate the overall course.

The main contraindications for swimming are:

various diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
high blood pressure, varicose veins;
consumption of alcoholic beverages and ethanol-based medications.

If the patient has a history of various vascular and heart diseases, then taking a hot bath for a cold can put excessive stress on these organs. These people need to rinse their body very quickly.

People often ask: “If you have chickenpox, when can you wash?”

Swimming with chickenpox is not only possible, but also necessary. This will help reduce the intensity of itching and soothe the skin. But water procedures are contraindicated at high temperatures.

Features of taking a hot bath

What about a hot bath? Can I take it during colds and flu? This adoption of water procedures is indicated for:

runny nose;
painful sensations in muscles and joints;
feeling of body aches;
cough;
headache.

But there are also important contraindications. As in the case of taking a shower, bathing in the bath should not be for those patients who have a history of vascular disease, heart disease, varicose veins, or high blood pressure and temperature.

Even if the attending physician allows you to swim if you have a runny nose or a cold, you must remember to follow the mandatory rules. For example, it is very important to monitor the temperature of the water in the bath, which should be warm, but not hot. The best temperature is considered to be from 35 to 37 °C.

If the water in the bathroom is too hot, the patient may get sick and dizzy, and cold water can lead to complications of the disease.

Humidity in the bathroom

An equally pressing issue is the required humidity in the bath during bathing. The maximum figure is usually considered to be 65%. If this indicator is higher, then mucus may begin to accumulate in the respiratory tract, which will reduce the effectiveness of treatment for runny nose and cough.

If a person with a cold does not have the ability to track the humidity level, then swimming is allowed for no more than 15-20 minutes. As a rule, this time should be sufficient to achieve a therapeutic effect.

Bath time

It will also be helpful to stick to a specific bathing time. It is best to wash your body before going to bed or just in the second half of the day. It is very useful after bathing for a runny nose and cold to drink warm milk with honey or mint tea.

If recovery is somewhat delayed, it is better to avoid taking a hot bath or shower. Also, when you detect the first signs of the disease, it is better to consult a specialist. Otherwise, you can forget about a quick recovery.

Like and subscribe if you want to see channel articles in your feed.

Source: https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/59e787fb1410c359307074c4/5a073a725a104f70dfb696f4

Basic rules for swimming

Proper water procedures will help you get maximum benefits and not worsen your skin condition:

Duration of stay in water is no more than 20 minutes. The water temperature should be pleasant for swimming, 37-38 degrees.
If you have dermatitis, do not wash in water containing chlorine. Tap water will have to be boiled or a special filter purchased.
Do not swim in pools, as the water there is usually chlorinated.
It is advisable not to take a bath, but to give preference to a shower.
You should not use washcloths, various brushes or scrubs, as this may worsen the condition of damaged skin areas.
Also, you should not wipe or rub yourself; you can only blot your body with a soft towel.

All bathing products used must not contain alkaline or allergenic components.

Allergy to water

A seemingly absurd phenomenon, allergies to water have begun to appear among Russians. The reaction appears from rainwater, tap water, drinking and even sweat. If contact with tap water is easy to remove, then without the daily absorbed liquid, an adult and child will face a tragic ending in the form of dehydration. With sweat, the situation is no happier (it’s not for nothing that the saying “the dead don’t sweat” was invented by the people). Of course, antiperspirant can reduce your sweating on the body, but the chemicals it contains will aggravate allergy symptoms.

Fortunately, reactions to sweat and drinking are uncommon. The main cause is hard tap water, chlorinated pool water, a specific river or lake. Forget about the pool, try teaching your child to swim in a river in areas permitted for swimming. Take “bottled” drinking water from the supermarket to wash, drink and cook food only with it.

Bathing products for atopic dermatitis

It is possible and even necessary to bathe a baby with atopic dermatitis in order to maintain hygiene, however, it is important to consult a doctor so that he can explain exactly how to carry out water procedures.
All bathing products for atopic dermatitis can be divided into the following groups:

Emulsions (Emolium, Oilatum).
Oils (Aven, Mustela Stelatoria).
Foams and gels (Trickzer bath, A-derma).
Baths with herbal decoction.

The method of using special bathing products is usually described on the packaging. To prepare a therapeutic bath, traditional medicine suggests using herbs such as string, nettle, celandine, as well as burdock root, birch buds and leaves, milk and olive oil, sea salt and starch.

Before preparing a bath, you must check your individual intolerance to the components used.

Each bath should end with moisturizing the skin. For this it is recommended to use drugs; Bepanten, Panthenol, Derma and other similar ointments. To moisturize the skin throughout the day, you can use air humidifiers, or, in their absence, use special thermal water (Aven, La Roche-Posay).

How to quickly relieve itching

If dermatitis began suddenly, and it is not possible to go to the hospital, then you can use baths and decoctions of string, chamomile or calendula. Weak soda solutions also help. Itching can also be reduced by applying a cold object to the skin.

Disease code

The ICD 10 code for allergic dermatitis is L23.

Traditional Treatments

The following groups of drugs are the most effective:

Antiseptics;
Glucocorticoids;
Glucocorticoids + antibiotics;
Antihistamines (for internal or external use);
Preparations for healing wounds and relieving itching.

Fukortsin

This drug is an antiseptic. The solution is applied to the skin using a cotton swab 2-4 times a day.

Levomekol

The ointment is applied to napkins (and then to the skin) several times a day. Napkins are changed periodically. Before use, heat the ointment to 35 degrees.

Injections

Injections are prescribed only in advanced cases. Common drugs are Prednilozone, Dexamethasone. It should be remembered that injections should not be given for more than 10 days, otherwise extremely negative consequences are possible.

Treatment with traditional methods

Chatter for allergic dermatitis

For the base, take a solution of oil, water or alcohol (depending on the severity of the disease and individual characteristics).

Additional components of the chatter:

White clay;
Zinc oxide in powder form;
Glycerol;
Medical talc;
Starch.

The skin needs to be cleaned and blotted with a towel.
Shake the suspension beforehand until the sediment disappears and a homogeneous consistency is achieved. The mash itself is applied (not rubbed in) for 20 minutes, without securing with bandages. The procedure should be repeated every 8 hours, however, in case of particularly severe allergic dermatitis, this can be done after 3-4 hours.

Celandine

Most often, fresh plant juice is used to treat this disease. The celandine is crushed, the juice is squeezed out, which is then diluted with boiled water in a ratio of 1:2.

Apply gauze swabs soaked in the solution to the affected areas for 15 minutes. You can add a little honey to the decoction, this will have an additional soothing effect on the skin.

Mumiyo

Take 20 g of mumiyo and dissolve it in 500 ml of water. Stir the mixture and lubricate the skin with it.

Another way: 2 g of mumiyo is mixed with a spoon of baby cream and this mixture is lubricated on the skin.

Recommendation

Despite the variety of medicinal and traditional methods of treating allergic dermatitis, it is best to fight this disease in specialized clinics and sanatoriums, since only there the patient receives a comprehensive healing effect, starting from a special menu and ending with the most effective procedures.

Traditional medicine recommendations

Therapeutic baths for atopic dermatitis are quite effective. They help reduce inflammation in affected areas of the skin. The most common bath recipes include:

Bath with birch buds and leaves, 200 gr. leaves and buds are poured with a liter of boiling water and infused for 3 hours. Next, strain and pour into the prepared bath.
In the same way, a decoction of herbs such as celandine, violet, nettle, and string is infused.
Bath of Cleopatra. A liter of milk is mixed with half a glass of unrefined olive oil. Pour the prepared mixture into the bath and take for about 15-20 minutes.
Bath with sea salt. Add 5 tablespoons of salt to the bath and stir until completely dissolved.
Starch bath: add 2-3 tablespoons of starch per liter of water. Pour the resulting mixture into the bath.

Symptoms

Most often, allergic dermatitis manifests itself in the form of the following symptoms:

Itching;
Redness;
Rashes;
Exudation (fluid release);
Peeling of the skin.

Is there a temperature

Fever occurs only in certain types of allergic dermatitis: toxic-allergic or infectious-allergic.

Rash

The nature and size of the rash depend on the degree of neglect and type of dermatitis, ranging from simple rashes to complex deep lesions of the epidermis with vesicles and blisters that burst and cause severe pain.

The sea and atopic dermatitis

After water procedures for atopic dermatitis, it is important to moisturize the baby’s skin with special preparations.
Staying by the sea is often a favorable factor in the treatment of various diseases. Also, with atopic dermatitis, a vacation at sea can bring many benefits to the condition of the skin :

The maritime climate reduces painful processes in the skin.
Sea water reduces itching, dryness and redness of the skin.
Humid sea air helps reduce the intense period of exacerbation.

Particular responsibility should be taken when choosing the time and place of rest; a sudden change in climate should not harm the general condition of the child’s body. The following recommendations can help with choosing a vacation destination:

The best period for a holiday with a child suffering from atopic dermatitis at sea is the velvet season (September, October). Hot summer climate is harmful for skin diseases.
You should not go on holiday abroad with a child under three years of age. The acclimatization process at this age is more difficult to tolerate.
Favorable places for a seaside holiday can be the coasts of the Azov and Dead Seas, resorts in Bulgaria and Greece.

Complications

If you neglect the problem and start treatment, dermatitis can have the following consequences:

Deep ulcers on the skin;
Purulent skin lesions (or pyoderma);
Abscesses, purulent lesions of the subcutaneous fat layer.

Is this disease contagious?

This disease is not transmitted to another person and does not spread to healthy areas of the skin. However, there are cases where allergic dermatitis can be dangerous (if the allergen is poison ivy).

How long does it take for this disease to go away?

It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally, since everything will depend on the degree of neglect of the disease and the effectiveness of treatment.

What can you bathe a newborn in?

Absolutely all parents ask the question of what to bathe a newborn in. However, pediatricians currently do not have a consensus on this matter. Some recommend bathing the baby in regular running water, others in water with added herbs, and still others with potassium permanganate.

I recently wrote an article about whether it is possible to bathe a newborn in a bath with potassium permanganate, you can read it here .

In this article we’ll talk about what else, besides potassium permanganate, you can bathe a newborn in. Let's consider all the existing alternatives and figure out in what cases to use this or that remedy.

5 most popular bathing products for newborns

What herbs can be used to bathe a newborn, and in what cases: list of herbs

I should immediately note that you should not bathe a newborn with herbs until the umbilical wound has healed. Until this moment, the child needs to be bathed either in clean water (to be on the safe side, you can boil it), or with potassium permanganate, or not bathe at all (make do with wet wipes). Your pediatrician should help you make your choice.

All herbs that can be used in bathing a newborn are divided into two groups: the first is antiseptic, and the second is soothing.

Herbs from the first group should be used in cases where a newborn develops problems such as: redness; prickly heat; diaper rash; dermatitis; hives; diathesis.

Herbs from the second group help cope with increased excitability of the child. They relax him and put him in the right mood before bed.

Please note that the child’s “acquaintance” with herbs should occur gradually. What does it mean? Firstly, to avoid confusion if an allergy suddenly arises, you need to use one specific herb. Fees are not suitable at first.

You can start using them only when the baby “tests” all the herbs included in the collection. Secondly, the concentration of the herb infusion (decoction) should be increased gradually. For the first bath, it is enough to take one tablespoon of raw material per liter of water.

And the duration of the first bath should not exceed five minutes. This time should be gradually increased to 15 minutes.

Don't forget to do an allergy test before bathing your child with herbs. Place a couple of drops of the prepared herbal infusion on the newborn’s elbow and monitor the skin’s reaction. If a rash, itching or swelling appears, this means that the prepared infusion should not be used.

The question of how often you should bathe your baby with herbs should be answered by your pediatrician. Usually this is 1-2 times a week.

Let's figure out which specific herbs can be used when bathing a child.

Antiseptic herbs

This group includes the following herbs: string; chamomile; calendula; Bay leaf.

This herb is considered the best in the fight against heat rash in children. It relieves redness and reduces itching. In addition, a bath with a series is indicated for a newborn with the following skin problems: crusts on the head (scrofula); hives; diathesis; dermatitis.

Preparation of infusion for a baby bath: You need to take 2 tablespoons of the raw material, pour it into a glass container, pour one liter of boiling water into it, cover with a lid and wrap in a terry towel. Leave the container in a dark place for two hours. After which the broth should be filtered through cheesecloth and added to a bath of water (1 liter of infusion per 10 liters of water).

This plant is widely used in folk medicine. It has an anti-inflammatory, disinfectant and calming effect. In addition, baths with chamomile decoction are good for girls as a preventive remedy for gynecological problems. It is because of this set of positive actions that many mothers use chamomile more often than other herbs to bathe their child.

Preparation of infusion for a baby bath: You need to take one tablespoon of the raw material, place it in a glass container and pour one liter of boiling water. The container must be covered with a lid and wrapped in a terry towel. To preserve the beneficial properties of chamomile, you should not infuse it for more than five hours.

This medicinal plant has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, wound healing and antifungal effects. In addition to all this, calendula helps get rid of intestinal colic.

Preparation of infusion for a baby bath: You need to take 2 tablespoons of the raw material, place it in a glass container and pour two glasses of boiling water. The container must be covered with a lid and wrapped in a terry towel. It is necessary to infuse calendula for 3-4 hours in a dark place. Afterwards, the finished infusion must be strained through cheesecloth.

This plant copes well with allergic dermatitis and diathesis.

Preparing a decoction for a baby bath: You need to take 20 grams. bay leaf, place it in an enamel pan, pour one liter of hot water and put on fire. Cook the decoction over low heat until its volume is reduced to half a liter. Next, you need to strain it. And then add it to a bath of water.

Herbs that calm the baby's nervous system

This group includes the following herbs: hop cones, lavender, motherwort, valerian root.

A bath with hops is recommended for capricious children. It helps relieve anxiety and normalize sleep.

Preparing an infusion for a baby bath: You need to take one tablespoon of crushed raw materials, place it in a glass container and pour one cup of boiling water. The container must be covered with a lid and wrapped in a terry towel. Infuse the hop cones for 20 minutes. After which the finished infusion must be filtered through cheesecloth.

This plant has a good calming effect. It also helps with intestinal colic. To prepare a bath, I recommend using lavender oil.

For a full bath of water, only one drop of essential oil is needed (for children from 2 weeks to 6 months). But since oil does not dissolve in water, it cannot be added directly to water.

First, it must be dissolved in an emulsifier (honey, milk, or sea salt).

Motherwort herb has a relaxing effect. It is indicated for nervous disorders and overexcitation. Perfect for normalizing sleep.

Preparation of infusion for a baby bath: You need to take one teaspoon of the raw material, place it in a glass container, and pour one glass of boiling water.

After which the container should be covered with a lid and wrapped in a terry towel. It is necessary to infuse motherwort herb in a dark place for one hour.

Then the infusion must be filtered through several layers of gauze and added to the bath in the proportion of 1 glass of infusion per 1 liter of water.

The indications for use of this medicinal herb are the same as motherwort.

Preparing a decoction for a baby bath: You need to take 20 grams of raw material, place it in a glass container and pour one glass of boiling water. The container must be heated in a water bath for 15 minutes.

The finished broth should be cooled at room temperature for 45 minutes, and then strained through several layers of gauze.

A decoction of valerian roots, as well as an infusion of motherwort, is recommended for bathing a newborn before bedtime.

Herbs contraindicated for bathing a child

This list includes the following herbs: thuja, adonis, wormwood, broom, tansy, celandine (only as prescribed by a pediatrician), calamus. All these herbs are poisonous, so they are contraindicated for children.

Citrus infusions are also contraindicated for children under 3 years of age.

Important! After your baby takes a phytobath, do not use detergents or rinse him with clean water. This will make taking a bath useless.

Special cosmetics for bathing a newborn based on herbs

What are children's bathing products? These are, as a rule, foams, gels, liquid soaps and shampoos.

There are a variety of bathing products for newborns on the market today. To make a choice, you need to understand which characteristic of a particular cosmetic product is a priority for you. Among them are: the natural composition of the product; moisturizing and softening the skin; price-quality ratio; relieving skin irritation; calming effect; gentle cleansing.

When purchasing baby bath products, check the label for the words “from birth.”