Thanks for posting. I thought the rawness behind my ears was due to my own OCD and the fact that I seem to pick at anything and everything. I sleep with oxygen and was thinking that the little tubes that circle my ears may be causing the irritation. Then when it the rash develops, I pick (and pick and pick.)

I keep Bag Balm nearby and if I use it several times per day (twice is not enough), I can see some improvement. But if I don't use the Balm, the rash like area dries and is very scaly and yucky.

I'm embarassed to go have my hair cut because I don't want the beautician to see it. I'm hoping if I put the Bag Balm on every hour tomorrow, I may get it healed enough so I won't be so emarassed and I can get the haircut that I desparately need on Monday.

I think any heavy lotion or cream would help (petroleum jelly?). You just have to apply it VERY often, as soon as the rash starts drying and becoming scaly (if it is like what I have.) For me, that means almost every hour.

That this patch is infected. It sounds like it might be a fungus.
With all the steam, sweating at the gym etc, it is a possibility.

Covering over an infected patch with an occlusive ointment may make it
worse. Also staph is often on the skin, and can complicate things.

I'd do an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin first for a few days. If it does
not clear up, I'd add an antifungal like clotrimazole cream or Lamisil and see
what happens. Once cleared up/healed then any barrier ointment may work.
I prefer A and D ointment for this. But Aquaphor is good too.

A & D 'rocks' !!
I use it for all cuts, scrapes, scratches, etc.
Better than any first-aid creme I've ever used.

Hi Bob, and Mrs. D

I really don't think it's infected because his doctor once gave us A & D ointment and it did the trick. I completely forgot about that. I do believe the plastic in the glasses is affecting the area. And Alan does have patches of psoriasis all over the body and this looks exactly like that.

I'm hesitant to put clobetizole cream on the ear part because it looks red and raw (at times, not ALL THE TIME, just sometimes). So it's a toss up between the acqauaphore and A&D. I think I'll go and buy some A&D.

As we left to go to Dunkin Donuts for our Sunday Breakfast (it's the only time we get to out to eat, it's really a treat for us) and for me because now that I don't have a micro anymore, well all I do is cook and bake and jeez, once in a while it's nice to sit and eat what someone else has prepared.

Anyway, as we were walking around the corner, I looked up and said "let me check your ear (I forgot to put on Vitamin E oil on it yesterday). Obviously if I miss a day, WOW,!!!!! I looked at the behind the ear area and said "Holy Moly, it's really bad. It was all scaly. And dried up scaly. Not the kind you want to pick because it would bleed.

So in a while, I'm off to my local pharmach to get the A&D. I really should keep this stuff in the house.

Oh, yesterday, Alan had a bad period of PN. He lied down on the bed and started jumping and I said: "what's the matter" (the weather has been changing from the 70s to the 40's over here) And as it changes, his toes go nuts!!!. He said "My feet are killing me". I immediately got out my Super Blu Emu that I just bought the day before. Well, I immediately coated the three toes of his left foot, and in 1 minute, he fell asleep. It really works, that Super Blue Emu stuff. It expires in 2009 and the jar is a nice size jar that cost me $14 and change. A good deal actually!!!!

So we shall see what the A&D does.

Thanks so much guys!!!

P.S. I really have to go and get a micro. We don't drive but I'll find a way. I might even buy it from Sharp on the internet. They have one for $79.00 with free shipping. Can't beat that. This cooking and baking all day is NOT FOR ME!!!!!

I wasn't meant to live in the 18th century. I LOVE TECHNOLOGY!!!!

lol Melody

Hi Melody

Wanted to follow up with you by providing a status on the rash behind my ears. Turns out that it developed into more than just a rash. My face swelled up like an allergic attack. Went to the doc and got prednisone. Her thought was that I'm allergic to some food.

Anyway, rash went down and then... I went for one of my normal visits to my chiropractor where I'm having some traction treatments for my recently diagnosed cervical spondylosis (cervical deterioration in the neck due to arthritis or something like that). And after this treatment, I went to the bathroom and happened to look in the mirror and saw that my face had a vivid rash along my laugh lines and cheeks, etc.

I then put two and two together looking at my calendar of chiro appointments and could see that there seemed to be a correlation between appointments and the rash reappearing on my face (which seemed to be an extension of the rash spreading from behind my ears.).

Then I checked the web and found a study (not just testimonials) done at a Japanese university that seemed to find a correlation between "atopic dermatitis" (which is what I have - this diagnosis is a result of my own self-diagnosis and web research) and spondylosis (diagnosed by my chiro).

WOW! The chiro said that he knew the traction treatments were stimulating some nerves but he had never heard of dermatitis and spondylosis being connected.. I have another appointment with him on Monday when I will bring him the article describing the study.

Wanted to let you know in case your husband has the same thing. Mine started out with itching behind the ears on a fairly low level over a fairly long time, maybe a couple of years. It was only the chiro treatments plus another time when I slept on a hard pillow at my aunt's house that seemed to bring on these "attacks" that involve face swelling and are much worse than just a rash.

There isn't a cure from what I can tell from my research. (It's very common among babies, by the way). Web info does indicate that ointments DO help. My Bag Balm seems to keep it under control along with my taking Claritin (over the counter allergy med) on a daily basis. Another name for this, in my own judgment is eczema.

Seems like I'm in a catch-22. I need the traction and chiro treatments to help eliminate or reduce the spondylosis and the treatments for the spondylosis cause the rash. Good thing this rash doesn't seem to be life-threatening, just uncomfortable to look at especially when it is at its worse point.

p.s. the prednisone allowed it to get cleared up long enough for me to get a haircut without being too embarrassed, but now it is back pretty much being scaly all the time with the ointment giving some relief. I hoping the Claritin might help keep the problem at bay long enough for me to go thru the full series of traction treatments. Who knows, maybe these treatments will cure the spondylosis which in turn will cure my dermatitis.

(I know I don't want to keep taking prednisone...if I can avoid it...)

Forgot to include a link describing the Japanese study that provides a possible correlation between atopic dermatitis and spondylosis (arthritic deterioration in the neck).
http://www.cababstractsplus.org/goog...No=20043167866

(FYI - I'm being treated for spondylosis hoping that this will actually fix or alleviate somehow my larger problem of peripheral neuropathy in both feet which I've had over 10 years, I think maybe 13 years now.)

Hi there Texas Geek:

Well, ever since I began putting the A&E Ointment behind Alan's ears, he has stayed scaly free ever since. He does have excema on his legs. Sometimes, it flares up but when he puts the A&D ointment the scales go away and it is just red. Right now, it looks the best it ever looked.

Good for you that you were able to correlate the visits to the chiro and your dermatitis thing. You're a smart cookie.

Take care,
Melody

Gee whatever happened to the wet med on dry and dry med on wet skin medication rules? I know that's what they used to tell us in the old days...Showing my age here.

When hubby first got this, they thought it was Dermatitis and treated it for this for quite some time. It was only when we changed docs, that the new doc diagnosed psoriasis. It is red, scaly, itches like mad and gets red, swollen and oozes fluid...

Hubby is taking Fish Oil capsules and has discontinued the flax seed oil, because he feels like it works better. I noticed last night that he had a flareup on his chinny-chin-chin, but this seems to come and go. Behind his ear looks good. The fish oil has Omega 3's and he takes 1,000 mg 2 times a day. I know Alan cannot take this, but perhaps this may help others. I wonder if topical application would affect his other meds.

Every now and then I catch him using cortisone cream on the area behind the ears. I have to get after him over this, because this cream can cause thinning of the skin, so when he does that he gets in trouble... I just called him to check on all of this, and he admitted to using the cortisone again... He swears he only uses it occasionally. I really wish he would NOT do that, but you know how it is, Mel...

A lady in our area has the worst case of psoriasis that I have ever seen. She has a standup tanning booth in her garage that her doc prescribed, and she gets in that all of the time. She says it really helps.

Cathie

Cathie. When I was 22 I worked in an office as a typist. I KNEW NOTHING OF PSORASIS, NEVER EVEN HEARD OF IT.

So there's this other secretary who was 19. She always wore turtle necks and full cover blouses. Never sleeveless or anything low cut.

Even in Summer.

I never understood. UNTIL ONE DAY, when they took up a collection because she got engaged. I was happy for her. One of the guys said 'jeez, what about her wedding night". I said "what about it"?? and he said "oh you don't know do you?" I had no clue what he was talking about.

So we are sitting one day and she casually mentions that she has had psoriasis all her life. Since I had no idea what she was talking about, I just said "you have what??" And she opened up her blouse, and raised her skirt and rolled up her sleeves. I have never in all my days seen this in my life. Almost every inch of her skin had the red scales. Only her face was untouched.

I just stood there looking absolutely fascinated. Then I said "but it's not on your face, how come?" And she said "no one knows". And then she said "do you know how lucky I am that my boyfriend loves me??". I didn't know what to say so I just hugged her and wished her well.

And that was almost 40 years ago. I do hope she was able to get some help as she got older.

Melody