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What is Eczema?
Eczema is a common childhood condition that has grown in prevalence in the last 5-10 years. It is thought to be a hereditary condition and it tends to run in families in which there is a history of eczema, asthma or hayfever. 80% of children born to parents who both have had or do have eczema will also have the disease. However, it can affect a child in a family where there is no known history of these conditions. Eczema often presents in the first few months of life, with red, weeping, crusted lesions on the face, scalp, diaper area, and extremities. The severity of the disease can vary. In mild forms the skin is dry, hot and itchy, whilst in more severe forms the skin can become broken, raw and bleeding. Although it can sometimes look unpleasant, eczema is not contagious Where does it occur? Eczema can occur on the face, hands, neck, arms or legs of an infant. Childhood eczema typically involves children between the ages of four and ten years old and the eczema is usually more localized than in the infant.
There is usually involvement in flexural areas such as the sides of the neck, folds of the elbows, and back of the knees
The skin is often dry and red
There are often excoriations and thickening of the skin from scratching
The skin may have light or dark discoloration
Why does it occur?
Eczema is caused by an over reactive immune system. Usually it is an overreaction to something being introduced into the body, such as a commonly consumed food, a lack of complexes that calm the immune response, or an imbalance in intestinal bacteria, commonly caused by antibiotics or corticosteriods.
What can I do for my infant or child?
Diet: Eczema is often aggravated by the foods we eat or feed our children. When the immune system reacts to these foods in an uncontrolled manner an eczematous rash is the result. Studies show that common foods are responsible for 81% of cases of eczema. Paying attention and keep a food diary so you can notice the the effect food has on your childs skin. Parents may also opt to do a food intolerance to test to determine aggravating foods. For more information you can visit my website, http://www.essenceofhealth.ca, click on testing and select food intolerance testing. This may help you identify which foods to provoke flares of eczema avoid foods that.
Potentially provoking foods include:
- peanuts, milk, soy, fish, and eggs.
As well, foods high in:
- saturated fats; such as meat and full fat dairy
- trans-fatty acids; such as fried foods and hydrogenated oils
On the other hand, fresh fruits (particularly dark berries) and vegetables, whole grains, and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (such as nuts, flax, seeds, and cold-water fish) may reduce inflammation in those without sensitivities to these foods.
Lifestyle:
There are a few things that you can do to keep your little one from getting aggravated by the eczema.
- Avoid common skin irritants include wool, synthetic fibers, soaps and detergents, perfumes, cosmetics, lanolin, certain chemicals such as chlorine and solvents (including mineral oil), cigarette smoke, dust, and sand.
- Avoid scratching or rubbing affected areas
- Be aware of emotional stress and try stress-reducing techniques
- Keep your environment cool, with stable temperature and humidity
- Keeping fingernails short to reduce chances of infection from scratching
- Avoid hot baths or showers; lukewarm water is best
- Use a mild soap or a non soap cleanser, or less soap than usual.
- Moisturize. After bathing, it is important to trap the moisture in the skin by applying lubricating cream on the skin while it is damp (within 3 minutes of bathing)
Supplements:
Supplements to consider and discuss with your naturopathic doctor include:
Fish Oils :
- Clinical trials have shown that taking omega-3 fish oil supplements can significantly reduce the symptoms associated with eczema after a 12 week period.
- Omega-3 fish oil is believed to reduce the symptoms associated with eczema because it helps to reduce the levels of a substance called leukotriene B4 which is known to promote eczema.
- Fish oils are also important for a healthy heart and brain
- Always look for pharmaceutical grade fish oil and the one which is molecularly distilled to remove any impurities found in fish oils
Probiotics :
- Probiotics, or "good" bacteria, inhabit the intestines and protect against the proliferation of "bad" organisms that can cause disease.
- Studies suggest that gut bacteria in babies at high risk for allergic disorders may be different from that of other babies.
- Two well-designed studies of mother-infant pairs showed that babies of mothers who took probiotics while pregnant and breastfeeding were less likely to have eczema in the first two years of life.
- The most commonly used probiotics are Lactobacillus species.
Herbs that have been used traditionally to treat eczema are listed below. A naturopathic doctor or other herbal specialist might recommend one or more of these remedies after evaluating you and your eczema.
- Burdock root ( Arctium lappa ) – applied topically for skin inflammations
- German chamomile ( Matricaria recutita ) – may reduce inflammation and speed wound healing
- Goldenrod ( Solidago virgaurea ) – applied topically for wound healing; has anti-inflammatory properties
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