Mauie Flores

It's not unusual for me to have skin rashes once in a while, especially during the hot summer months. My skin gets irritated to dust and even to my own sweat. But those instances were manageable and the itchiness is not that annoying. This time, however, got me large patches of reddish rash on the left side of my neck and they itch like h3ll! It's so itchy that I'm having a hard time sleeping at night. So this morning, I finally went to the clinic to have it checked.


Doc says I may have contact dermatitis which is, according to Wikipedia, a term for the skin's reaction to allergens or irritants. The doctor is not sure yet because she still needs to rule out if it's a fungal infection or not but she's more convinced that it is an allergic reaction because the rashes look more like hives.

So tomorrow, I'm scheduled for a series of lab tests. According to her request, I would need an allergy/hypersensitivity test and a KOH test (skin scraping). I was also supposed to have only the standard blood test to rule out an infection (I was down with the flu over the weekend) but my blood pressure was high this morning at 140/100 so doc also requested to have an overall check of my stats. The works, I tell you! Lemme see, the request says CBC, PH, rurl, FBS, lipid profile, BUA, SGPT, SGOT, and creatinine.

I'm so glad that our health card covered everything! Just imagine if I had to pay in cash for all of these tests, my goodnes! I wonder whether Hormone replacement therapy is covered or not. I think I'll be needing that in a couple of years. That means, when I'm menopausal already, haha!


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I am a self-confessed coffee addict. There was a time when I can't last a day without caffeine. I would often get sleepy and cranky the whole day. If you're a fan of coffee, you'd get what I mean. But recently, I had an acne breakout that made me reduce my coffee intake to just one small cup a day.

Apparently, there's a link between caffeine and acne breakouts. Coffee, as well as black tea, chocolate, and other stimulants, increases the levels of cortisol (stress hormones) in the body which in turn cause acne breakouts. So if you're looking for the best acne treatment, better stay away from coffee for a while. A better alternative is green tea or white tea.

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In the car on the way home from Clark's 16th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, my skin started to itch like crazy. By the end of the 2-hour drive I got rashes on my arms and legs. I thought that it was just skin allergy from the sudden change in temperature. It was cloudy that day in the air strip then the sun's rays that afternoon in the car was scorching. I took an antihistamine tab that night but the rashes stayed. I still have them even more than a week after that trip. Summer is definitely here! Sadly, so are the skin diseases it brings.

Is this scorching summer heat taking its toll on your skin? Here are some things you can do to help relieve thee uncomfy feeling:

• Protect your skin from the sun. Getting sunburned is such a pain, literally! Apply sunblock especially on exposed areas such as the face, neck, and arms. Keep an umbrella or a hat handy.
• Bring your meds anywhere you go. I always keep a few tabs of Loratadine with me just in case anyone in the family develops hives or rashes. Calamine lotion should also be in the bag to treat the itchies.
• Hydrate and moisturize. Drink lots of water or eat watery fruits and vegetables to keep your skin hydrated. Moisturize your skin with lotion (I recommend a water-based moisturizer during the hot months) to prevent your skin from being dry. Dry skin is more prone to itching.

Here's to welcoming the summer season without the itch!

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