DEAR DR. GOTT: This is for the people who write in with itchy, burning eyelids. I don’t know if it will helpful, but I thought I’d try.
I worked in cosmetics and heard many horror stories about allergic reactions. One lady had a terrible time with itchy, cracking eyelids. After seeing nearly every dermatologist and allergist in the Chicago area, she found a dermatologist who specialized in cosmetic allergy. As it turned out, she was reacting to the chemicals added to shampoo that make it pearly and opaque. Using clear shampoo was all it took to achieve full recovery.
I’ve also meant to write about burning tongue. A relative suffered from it and by pure serendipity discovered that causative agent was an ingredient in deodorant/antiperspirant. She could never use deodorant again without the return of symptoms but it was a small price to be pain-free.
We don’t really take notice but by the time most of us leave the house for the day, we have applied and ingested an appallingly large list of chemicals and some of them have a rather dubious nature so it’s not a bad idea to review the products from time to time. Often manufacturers change a few ingredients without our knowledge leaving us assuming that a long used product couldn’t possibly be creating trouble and we overlook a logical culprit.
Thank you for always keeping an open mind and using your widely read column to help people deal with problems that other doctors often brush off or don’t properly explain to their patients.
DEAR READER: I can understand the logic of shampoo causing eyelid itching and cracking, as it commonly runs down the face when bathing. However, deodorant/antiperspirant causing a burning mouth is just plain weird. The simple fact that she repeated her results by retrying the deodorant makes me believe her story. It also makes me worry even more about what we, as a society, are commonly doing to ourselves in an attempt to make ourselves “beautiful”.
Unnecessary chemical ingestion or absorption is something I have worried about many times. For that reason, I try to use all-natural products, such as Tom’s of Maine or Burt’s Bees. Perhaps I am kidding myself, but I feel like I am doing less harm to my body (and the environment) by using these products over those that claim to work better but coat various areas of the body in chemicals not commonly encountered in nature.
This is also why, over the years, I have become much more open to using home and alternative remedies whenever appropriate. They are usually safe, inexpensive and effective without the need for costly, potentially harmful medications. I still maintain that serious illness, such as pneumonia, cancer, and the like require proper medical treatments such as prescription medications and even surgery. Home and alternative remedies are great for minor illnesses and conditions (eczema, the common cold, poison ivy, etc.) and as adjunctive therapies to standard medical treatments.
Readers who are interested in learning more can order my Health Reports “Dr. Gott’s Compelling Home Remedies” and “More Compelling Home Remedies” by sending a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and a $2 (for each report) US check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, PO Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form from my website, www.AskDrGottMD.com.
