Your Diet May be Affecting Your Eczema

Eczema, otherwise known as dermatitis, is a common recurring inflammatory skin disease. Eczema has many different presentations that vary in severity. In mild forms, the skin is dry, hot and itchy, while in severe forms it results in broken, raw and bleeding skin. In severe cases of eczema, patients may become so uncomfortable they can suffer from depression, sleep deprivation and uncontrollable itching.

Conventional medical treatments of eczema include topical and oral steroids or over-the-counter medications such as emollient creams. These products work for some people but when used long term it causes thinning of the skin. The bottom line is that steroid creams are not treating the cause of the eczema, they are simply masking the symptom. The inflamed skin is not the source of the problem, it is a symptom. In order to successfully treat eczema you must treat the root cause of the problem.

Although eczema patients were told for years that their diet was unrelated to their condition, recent research is now proving that diet is strongly linked to eczema. It is well established that aggravations of eczema can be triggered by specific inflammatory foods such as animal protein, dairy products, eggs, soy, wheat, oats, rye, barley, citrus, nuts and several different environmental toxins.

A naturopathic physician can discuss natural remedies and dietary changes that are necessary to alleviate your eczema. Contact the Yaletown Naturopathic Clinic today to book an appointment and begin your healing journey. 604-235-8068.

References

Ring, Johannes, B. Przybilla, and Thomas Ruzicka. 2006. Handbook of atopic eczema. Berlin: Springer. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10129497.

Williams, Hywel C. 2000. Atopic dermatitis: the epidemiology, causes, and prevention of atopic eczema. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.