March 10, 2003
NEWSLETTER #39
RELIEVE ECZEMA
Ways to Prevent Dermatitis At Any Age
It's not a pretty picture: itchy, red skin; crusts and scales; the world's worst dandruff; sore, weeping blisters. Eczema affects people of all ages, from infants to the elderly, with symptoms sometimes as unsightly as they are painful and irritating.
The most common, most sever, and longest-lasting eczema is atopic dermatitis, a disease that causes itching, inflamed skin inside the elbows, on the backs of the knees, on the face, and even all over the body in some cases. Approximately, one in 10 people who live outside the tropics develop atopic dermatitis at some time in their lives, and it affects men and women of all races equally.
Atopic dermatitis so frequently coincides with asthma and hay fever that physicians refer to these illnesses as the "atopic triad." The term atopic refers to allergies that have a genetic component, a predisposition toward hypersensitive reactions to allergens.
Not surprisingly, atopic dermatitis runs in families. A child whose parent has hay fever, asthma, and/or atopic dermatitis has a 25 percent chance of developing one or more of these conditions. If both parents have atopic condition, the risk increases to 50 percent. Most atopic dermatitis begins in infancy or childhood with dry, itchy, scaly skin, rashes on the face, arms, or legs, and cracks behind the ears. During flare-ups, scratching often creates open, weeping sores or crusts.
PLAY DETECTIVE
Discovering the irritants and allergens that trigger atopic dermatitis requires a little sleuthing. Topical irritants--including solvents, detergents, fabric softeners, tobacco smoke, industrial chemicals, wool, and some fragrances, soaps, and skin care products--cause irritant, or contac, dermatitis. Most of the allergens that trigger atopic dermatitis are animal or vegetable proteins in foods, pollens, dust mites, or pet dander. Exposure to irritants or allergens causes inflammation in skin cells, releasing chemicals that cause redness and swelling.
Even some housekeeping habits can set the stage for a child's eczema. America's infatuation with antiseptic soaps, antiseptic wipes, and germ-killing sprays and washes has so disrupted our domestic environments that infants and small children no longer receive the exposure to germs that their immune systems require for normal development. A recent study found that too much personal hygiene (too-frequent hand-washing, bathing, and showering) is a risk factor for atopic conditions. This research showed a high correlation between the incidence of eczema and high hygiene scores, regardless of the amount of synthetic chemicals found in the cleansing products used. "The importance of hygiene in public health should not be dismissed," the authors of the study admit. "However, the creation of a sterile environment through excessive cleanliness may potentially be harmful to the immune system."
LOOK FOR DIETARY CLUES
Another cause of atopic disease may be the age at which solid foods are introduced to infants. A 10-year study of 1,265 children in New Zealand showed that those who ate four or more different types of solid food before they were four months old were nearly three times more likely to suffer from eczema that reoccurred than children who did not have solid foods at that age.
Because eczema can be triggered by food sensitivities later in life, dietary experiments can be helpful.
Eggs, wheat (and especially the gluten it contains), peanuts, soy foods, dairy product, sugar, strawberries, chocolate, fried foods, and processed foods are all common offenders. Try eliminating any or all of these foods for a month, and keep track of everything you eat in a food diary to discover food-eczema connections.
Experts recommend a whole foods diet, emphasizing fiber-rich fresh fruits and vegetables. Choose organic foods whenever possible. Drink plenty of juice made from beets, black currants, carrots, celery, grapes, and green foods (like parsley, spinach, and wheatgrass).
FIND THE RIGHT SUPPLEMENTS
Adults with eczema often have low levels of hydrochloric acid (HCl), the stomach acid that digests protein, protects the body from ingested pathogens, increases mineral absorption, and improves the body's assimilation of B vitamins, especially vitamin B12. HCl production declines with age, and low stomach acid levels are common in those over 60, leading to the incomplete digestion of food and nutritional supplements. Many nutritionists consider HCl supplements essential for all eczema patients, unless they suffer from excessive stomach acidity, a condition that, despite ads for antacids, is rare in older people. Elderly people with eczema may also need digestive enzymes.
When eczema flares up, be sure you're getting sufficient B-complex vitamins and vitamin C with bioflavonoids. Also, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) helps reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Other helpful supplements include the following four:
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS, such as the oils of black currant seed, flaxseed, and evening primrose, and deep-sea fish like salmon
MULTIVITAMIN-MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS containing all essential nutrients, but especially zinc, magnesium, and vitamin E
COENZYME Q10 for immune system support
FREE-FORM AMINO ACIDS,which provide important protein for skin repair.
In any skin condition, a key organ is the liver, so herbs that support liver function, such as dandelion
burdock, and milk thistle seed, help reverse skin damage. Applied topically or taken internally, chamomile helps soothe the skin and reduce inflammation. Products made from neem, India's most versatile healing herb, can be applied topically and taken as supplenets to repair the skin and prevent flare-ups.
Best known as a memory tonic, gotu-kola contains antioxidants. Taken in tea and capsules, this herb supports the skin by encouraging the production of essential lipids and proteins. Calendula compresses and ointments relieve blistering, flaking, and itching. Used topically vitamin E and evening primrose oil soothe inflammation.
Conventional Western medicine considers eczema an illness that can't be prevented or cured but only managed with symptom-suppressing drugs. Holistic health practitioners know from experience that eczema and other immune system disorders can be prevented, reversed, and in many cases cured with natural methods. The natural approach requires time and effort, but a lifetime of smooth, healthy skin can be the reward.
WHAT TO DO IF IT'S NOT ATOPIC
Eczema is a general tem that covers several kinds of dermatitis, or skin inflammation. If you suspect eczema, but your symptoms don't fit the description of atopic dermatitis, consider these other types.
SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS is another familiar eczema, one that causes scaling and crusting, especially on the scalp, eyelids, eyebrows, forehead, chin, folds of the nose, and in or behind the ears. When it affects infants, this condition is called "cradle cap." People of all ages develop seborrheic
dermatitis, but it is most common in very young children and adults over age 30. In most cases, seborrheic dermatitis begins with dandruff, a dry or greasy flaking of the scalp that results from inflammation of the oil glands, which causes dead skin cells to stick together. In sever cases, these flakes are large and the scalp may itch or develop an unpleasant odor from trapped fatty acids and accumulating bactera.
NUMMULAR DERMATITIS (so called because of its characteristic coin-shaped lesions) is a chronic condition that produces scaly, round patches on the arms and legs. An allergy to nickel, which is commonly used in jewelry, is thought by some to trigger this type of eczema. Middle-aged and older people can develop nummular dermatitis because of emotional stress or from having dry skin in winter.
Yet another eczema is DERMATITIS HERPETIFORMIS, a very itchy skin inflammation associated with digestive disorders and triggered by dairy products and gluten in wheat and other grains.
SELECTED SOURCES
Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide by Burton Goldberg
"Hygiene Levels in a Contemporary Population Cohort Are Associated with Wheezing and Atopic Eczema in Preschool Infants" by A. Sherriff
"Living with Eczema," National Eczema Association for Science and education
Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch and James Balch, MD
Smart Medicine for Your Skin by Jeannette Jacknin, MD