Taking Care of Eczema from Inside Out: Eczema & Diet (Food Intolerance) Connection

Understanding Eczema

Eczema, also known as Atopic Dermatitis, is an itchy, red rash condition of skin that may appear anywhere over the body. Babies often have them on the face, especially their chin and cheeks; sometimes scalp and trunk. Children and adults may also have them on the neck, wrists, ankles, outer arms/legs and areas that bend like inner elbow and knee.

Eczema can be mild, moderate or severe; and even different for person to person. The itch-scratch cycle is often used to describe the intense itch accompanying eczema. An itch can be so bad that when scratched until bleeding, it damages the skin and expose it to a host of hostile environment of microbes; which make the rash even worse and leading to even more inflammation and intense itchiness.

The Eczema-Diet Connection

We feel that it is important to highlight that Eczema, being a chronic condition, has no said cure, but it can be managed naturally with both an Inside-Out Approach and Outside-In Approach.

Topical remedies – alone – will not address the underlying root problems contributing to eczema. Like other skin issues, eczema are complex condition of a variety of causes. Some common things that are helpful include identifying food triggers and also supplementation.

Dairy, wheat, eggs, sugar, food coloring and tomatoes are all common triggers for eczema but there can be other food triggers specific to a child. It works both ways. As you address the food intolerance that trigger the eczema, topical remedy speeds up the healing or limits discomforts during the healing time.

Check what’s this doctor say about Food Intolerance & Eczema of her patient:

” One day, a former patient “Blake”, who was 4, came into my office with his mother. Blake was covered from head-to-toe in an eczematous rash. Both he and his mom were exhausted and miserable. He’d been up all night, scratching his skin and not able to sleep. His mother ended up taking him off dairy products because she read that dairy was a common food allergen linked to eczema. We did a food sensitivity test (IgG) and the results showed a high reaction to almonds. His mother was surprised to see this as she had switched to almond milk and thought she was helping relieve his symptoms by switching from cow’s milk to the nut variety. Her intentions were good: Cow’s milk is the No. 1 food sensitivity, but in this child’s case, it was almonds.

In addition to suggesting Blake avoid all almonds, including almond butter and almond milk, I gave him a child’s probiotic and the amino acid L-Glutamine. Within one week, he was scratching less. Within a month, his eczema was 50 percent better. Within three months his eczema was gone. He was sleeping through the night, and both mom and Blake were happy.”

If you have any of the following symptoms, you may have a food intolerance or allergy:

Itching, burning, red spots, acne, rosacea, exacerbation of skin conditions such as eczema/psoriasis. It is an immune response that leads to inflammation in the body, so it can affect everyone’s body differently.

The most common food sensitivities and allergies are dairy, gluten, eggs, corn and soy, but it can be any food. Until you address the underlying cause, your immune system will continue to affect your body and your skin. Various natural options can help balance the immune system and address whatever condition you may be dealing with.”
– Dr Trevor Cates

References:

Eczema. National Eczema Association. https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/.