Eczema can be very uncomfortable and debilitating, which raises the question, what are the causes of eczema in adults, and children for that matter.
The skin is our body’s largest organ. Once it presents with an ailment
such as, eczema (or acne, psoriasis, hives etc), it is a warning sign
and we need to identify and treat the causative agent. Often the skin
condition is something superficial affecting the skin surface, but it
can also manifest an underlying disease or imbalance within the body,
which is not obvious to observe.
Eczema(also referred to as “dermatitis”) is a skin condition characterised by an itchy, red rash
which is often found in the nook of your arms & legs and in the creases of your skin. Eczema comes from the word “ekzein”, which is Greek for “boil out” (1). It is known to affect between 5% and
20% of people worldwide. There is no cure, but many treatments can help improve the skin’s condition. Treatment is of major importance due to the fact that it can become infected as well as the
immense discomfort and self consciousness associated with it.
Types and causes
There are several types of dermatitis depending on where the eczema occurs on the body and how it presents itself (2). Atopic eczema is the most common form of eczema. It often affects people who suffer from asthma or hay fever, have a family history of eczema or have defects in the skin barrier (allowing moisture out and germs in). The information in this article is meant to highlight natural remedies for the treatment of all types of eczema.
It is important to first pin-point the trigger that is causing the eczema in order to treat it appropriately.
About 30-40% of all people who have eczema have an allergic type. Culprits can be skincare products, dust, pollen, plants or animals
Rough fabrics, cigarette smoke and heat or cold can be responsible for an eczema reaction
- Food sensitive eczema:
The best way to elucidate the trigger is to perform an elimination diet as described below
- Bacterial or yeast infection on the skin can cause eczema
- Gene mutation:
It is speculated that a mutation in a gene responsible for the production of the filaggrin protein, which the body needs to make the skin’s outer layer, leads to eczema (3)
- Stress plays a huge role in atopic dermatitis
- There is a strong association between a toxic state of the bowel and many types of skin manifestations and eczematous conditions (4). Eczema may be provoked by a specific neuropeptide produced in the gut, Substance P, which is typically brought about by severely altered gut flora (5). This leads to proliferation of ‘bad’ bacteria in the gut, low stomach acid poor digestion and nutritional deficiencies. All the aforementioned can impair the skin’s health
- It is speculated that increased hygiene prevents the early exposure of germs to children which is necessary to help train their immune systems. This, as well as pollution, play a role
in increasing eczema prevalence
While no cure exists, over-the-counter creams and medications are available to help reduce inflammation. Typical treatment of severe (acute) eczema include the use of steroid creams. Creams such as pimecrolimus and tacrolimu are known to inhibit T-cell activation thus preventing the release of inflammatory cytokines (6). This sort of medication is necessary in severe cases, but long term use is not
ideal. Control and treatment of eczema can be maintained using a natural approach as discussed below. There is also homeopathic treatment of eczema available, that is giving good results.
Some foods can trigger the release of T-cells that cause inflammation. The easiest way to determine the food culprit is to carry out an elimination diet. This would include the exclusion of all possible
triggers and then reintroducing them with 4-6 week intervals between each one.
Foods that can trigger eczema include (7):
- citrus fruits
- large prunes
- certain spices (vanilla, cloves and cinnamon)
- nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, aubergines)
- carbonated drinks
- processed foods
A type of eczema called dyshidrotic eczema (blisters on fingers, toes, palms, and feet) can be achieved by avoiding foods containing nickel such as beans, black tea, canned meats, chocolate, lentils, nuts,
peas, seeds, shellfish, soybeans (7).
If a person does eliminate a large food group, it is important to replenish one’s diet with appropriate vitamins and minerals or alternative nutrient sources. For example wheat can be replaced with
brown rice or millet and cow’s milk with coconut milk.
Anti-inflammatory and immune boosting foods known to assist with the healing of eczema
include the following:
- Fish– a good source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids
- Foods high in probiotics such as kefir, miso soup, kimchi or tempeh
- Foods high in flavanoids (such as dark berries)
- Bromelain (pineapples) and other colourful fruits and vegetables
such as apples, broccoli, cherries or spinach
- Eczema is an acid-forming condition (caused by excess inflammation)
therefore it is recommended to include alkalizing foods such
as olive oil, mangoes, almonds, ginger, cabbage, chestnuts, berries
- Bone broth is a much spoken about food at the moment. It is a mineral-rich infusion
made by boiling bones of healthy animals with vegetables, herbs and
spices. It is known to boost the immune system and the high collagen
content helps to support skin health (8)
- Herbal teas: Oolong tea (partially fermented Camellia sinensis)
is packed with phenol and has been shown to soothe and improve
eczema in as little as a week (9). Chamomile, red clover and Burdock
root herb tea have also shown positive results. Chamomile can also
assist with stress relief
For some, the idea of an elimination diet may be overwhelming, and perhaps following a carefully formulated day-to-day & meal-to-meal plan is a good option. Jason Vale has compiled a step-by-step skin healing diet program that helps one include all the necessary foods as well as exclude negative food triggers (10).
For further information regarding natural topical and supplement treatment, see article titled ‘TOPICAL AND SUPPLEMENT TREATMENT OF ECZEMA’.
- Int J Ayurveda Res. 2010 Oct-Dec; 1(4): 268–270. A case discussion on eczema. Pallavi Hegde, D T Hemanth, S V Emmi, M P Shilpa, Pradeep S Shindhe, and Y M Santosh
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