Itchy Girl Diaries: How to Survive the Summer
My “itchy girl” origin story
March 19th, 2020 is when the world started to get a little bit itchier for me. Even 2 days later, I still had hives on my arms with no explanation.
Then came April 27, 2020. One of my worst episodes yet — it actually brought me to the emergency room. What was first a totally normal day running errands, became me noticing that my lips felt a little puffier under my mask, and not in a good way. I rushed home, and per the advice of my nurse mother-in-law, my father-in-law assisted me to the emergency room. My worst fear in that moment was that my throat were to close up, and going to the emergency room during the height of COVID was honestly an experience in itself.
I hated not having an answer as to where these hives were coming from, what my skin was reacting to, what I could do to alleviate the itchiness, it was all too consuming. You don’t realize how itchy you can be when hives are all on your hands and feet and there is no way to alleviate the itch. Per multiple recommendations, I visited my local allergy specialist. I went under a panel to determine what environmental factors and/or foods I wanted to get tested for. My arms were filled up with multiple samples of different kinds of grass, trees, dander, you name it…. to see if and how my skin would react.
Unfortunately, my skin reacted to almost every type of grass and tree you could find outside. Additionally, there was no specific external trigger that caused my hives to randomly appear at the start of March. This was a relief, but also a stressor at the same time, because I had no idea what to avoid or remove from my diet/lifestyle. Was it the type of detergent I used? Was it the Chick-Fil-A sauce I had for lunch that day? It sucked that I didn’t have a definitive answer, but regardless — I had to change some things in my lifestyle.
For starters, I started visiting a doctor-referred allergist every 4 weeks for allergy injections. It’s one shot in each arm every 4 weeks, but it assists me in not taking as much allergy medicine over-the-counter. After my initial allergist consultation, my allergist suggested I take an antihistamine twice daily. Over time, since my original diagnosis of “Chronic spontaneous urticaria”, which basically is the presence of urticaria (hives) on most days of the week for a duration of six weeks or longer, nothing much has changed.
It’s basically if you had an allergic to poison ivy, but it was just from a scratch mark given by your dog. My skin would develop these massive hives from the irritation site, no matter what the irritation was: a scratch, a bug bite, scraping myself accidentally because I am accident-prone, etc. So I always had to be on high alert with what I knew my triggers were, and how to prevent an itchy moment when it strikes. I still get random hives that are in one place one day, and the following day the hives are on a different body part. I also believe I have some angioedema (a condition that causes swelling in different parts of the body — common places like the face, lips, tongue, etc., that can last for several days). As you can see on the pictures here, my face dealt with a lot of swelling, even though the hives were in places other than my face.
During the summer time, I find my allergy symptoms to be a lot worse (of course — it’s when pollen is at its’ peak), and there are a few things I do/use to help me in my every day life. Let’s dive into some products I use & highly recommend for all of you itchy girls (or thems) out there.
Products I often use & highly recommend
Over the years, I have included some items & products in my arsenal (aka my purse) to make sure I am always at the ready whenever an itchy moment strikes. I will continue to champion the below products, as they are tried and true in my daily life, and I can’t stop recommending them. Interested to see what an itchy girl carries on her during the summer months?
The Bug Bite Thing
I cannot believe this product was originally from a Shark Tank pitch! Color me inspired (for lack of better words) as this item has saved me more than once. This thing works for bug bites big and small, and the technology is simple but effective. Essentially, you place the Bug Bite Thing on the bug bite location, make sure the levers are down, and then use 2 fingers to pull up the levers, to create a suction between the sucker and your skin. Hold that for about 10-20 seconds (however long you are comfortable with), and then release the levers to release the suction.
This tool is great for mosquito bites, as it sucks out the venom that makes the bite itchy, but it can also help in situations not related to bug bites, like splinters. Can’t pinch the splinter? Why not suck it out with the Bug Bite thing?
You can buy this item at Walmart, Target, and various pharmacies/grocery stores in the itch relief section.
Hydrocortisone Roll-On Applicator
Have you ever heard of Hydrocortisone? If not, it’s the itchy girl’s best friend during the itchy summer months. Hydrocortisone can me found in lotions, creams, ointments, and in this case, a liquid. This topical treatment helps with immediate relief of the itch, but also is not sticky and can dry quickly. No one wants a sticky patch on their body! Another good tool to add to your itchy arsenal.
Colloidal Oatmeal Bath Treatment
If you are calling SOS and itching from the inside out, with no end in sight, it might be time for a colloidal oatmeal bath treatment. My favorite is by the brand Aveeno. They do have this same product marketed to babies, but there is one meant not for babies. Colloidal oatmeal acts as a skin buffer, restoring the pH of the skin to normal. It also binds to your skin and locks in moisture, giving your skin a chance to re-hydrate. Sometimes, we can make ourselves more itchy by just having dry skin, or not moisturizing our skin as much as it needs.
This bath treatment is a saving grace for me, as I have been through some times where my palms and my toes are so itchy from the inside out, it felt like I was ready to crawl out of my own skin. There is nothing worse than an itch you can’t scratch, and if you are at that point as well, consider trying out this colloidal oatmeal bath treatment.
Itch Relief Cream/Lotion
An anti-itch / itch relief cream or lotion is a great thing to keep both in your everyday carry, but also around the house. And anti-itch lotions can have more than just hydrocortisone in it. Some have Menthol, or Pramoxine HCl, all agents to help your skin cool down, hydrate, and calm down from the itchy response the body was told to provide. When it all boils down, you become itchy because your body is trying to protect you from potential threats. But if that “threat” is just you brushing your arm against the door, we need to help our bodies calm down, and an anti-itch lotion is another great piece to add to your arsenal of itchy girl products.
Any “itchy girl” advice?
Visit an allergist if you are not getting results
After my primary care doctor could not resolve the itchy issue with the tools they had available, they referred me to a specialist of an allergist. And I highly suggest anyone who is not finding the answers they are looking for, when it comes to your bodies responses to allergic situations, to seek an allergist. I have been going to the same allergist for 2+ years now, and it’s great to have a relationship with a medical team that wants the same thing as you — to not be as itchy! It’s hard to live life with a nuisance, like an itch you can’t scratch.
Keep that thang on you!
You never know when an itchy moment can strike - so its best to take something with you that will relieve the itch when you travel. Whether that be a bug bite stopper, calamine lotion, a Bendryl topical stick, your EpiPen… the options are endless. It’s better to have it on you and not need it, then need that itchy relief product & not have it. I feel like I am Mary Poppins when I carry my purse because I am ready for any and all situations. Not only am I prepared for myself, but I can help others if needed.
Educate others in your life about your symptoms!
The first step in educating yourself and others is by bringing awareness to the subject at hand. It does nothing but help you if you let your close friends and family know “Hey, I was diagnosed with ______ at the allergist, can you make sure to keep “XYZ” away from me, so that I don’t have a reaction?” For me, even though I am not around it daily, I am allergic to Omeprazole, and now my husband and in-laws are very cautious with taking Omeprazole around me. If people are not educated about your condition, how can they know it exists?
Learn how to read the ingredients label
I have become a novice when it comes to reading the ingredient labels of my skincare products, or of the food/drink I am consuming. There could be an ingredient that doesn’t necessarily agree with my skin or stomach, and by educating myself of what I can/cannot be around, it helps me be more conscious when buying new things. It’s crazy how much you start paying attention to, when you are the only one looking out for yourself in some situations.
Other “itchy girl” tangents
As a note, I have gone to an allergist for the past 2+ years, consistently getting allergy shots every 4 weeks, in conjunction with the medicine I take twice daily. There are many kinds of histamines you can take, such as: Xyzal, Claritin, Benadryl, Allegra, etc. Check with your doctor/allergist about what is the best antihistamine for you and your lifestyle. Also, what works for me may not work for you. Always check with your primary care doctor/allergist before starting any new medicine or regimen.
Hope you learned something new in this blog post! I love telling people my story, in hopes of it inspiring someone else, or to expand their mind on new experiences and stories.
These tools mentioned are not only good for the summer time — but for year round. Keep that in mind!
