Other Foods To Help With Eczema
As well as upping the amount of fermented food in my diet, I also worked on increasing the quantity and variety of vegetables I eat every day.
The gut microbiome benefits from diets high in prebiotic foods. Prebiotic foods contain fiber that are resistant to breaking down in the stomach, and so theyre fermented by bacteria in the intestine instead. This helps stimulate the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria.
High fiber foods include fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.
Rather than only eating salads, which can get boring pretty quickly, I started taking inspiration from South Asian cuisine.
I began making more vegetarian and vegan dishes that were high in vegetables and had the added benefit of tons of anti-inflammatory spices.
Clear Or Have A Designated Space In The Kitchen
If you live alone, this might be an easier task. You could simply throw out or give away the foods you have that dont comply with a plant-based diet. When you live with a roommate, family, spouse, or kids, this is a more difficult task.
But dont be discouraged. Ive been there before. Id suggest having your own space, whether that be one shelf in the fridge, one in the freezer, and one in the pantry. Do whatever you can to make it easier or more convenient for you to stay on the right path.
Increased Exposure To Environmental Toxins
There are toxins in the air, water, soil, foods, body products, cosmetics, home furnishings and even clothing. Environmental toxin exposures can directly dampen immune system function, specifically how immune cells develop and how they function. Kids have higher metabolic rates and their bodies absorb more toxins than adults and have difficulty disposing of these toxins.
Children are exposed to these chemicals more than ever. In fact, there are approximately 80,000 chemicals produced and only 8 chemicals are restricted on a government level. This overload of toxins may trigger an immune response, and increase flares of eczema, allergies, and asthma.
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Shattering My Limited Beliefs
Little did I know this one action of Googling was going to bring all of the limited beliefs I held about eczema crashing down.
One of the top links that popped up in my search results was the National Eczema Associations website. It was the first time I learned that there were over 30 million Americans living with eczema. 30 million! For someone who had thought she was the only one with this condition, my first reaction was, where the heck are these people and why havent I met any of them!? This one fact disproved my limited belief that I was alone in living with this condition and that no one understood what I was going through.
Then I came across the International Topical Steroid Awareness Network and learned about topical steroid withdrawal syndrome and how many people like me shared a similar storyline: wed had eczema since childhood, used topical steroids for years, and our topical steroids stopped working all of a sudden. Whats more, people with TSW syndrome experience red, itchy, burning skin, often mistaken for an eczema flare-up. Reading about peoples journeys through TSW syndrome and learning how they healed shattered the limited belief that I couldnt live a normal life without topical steroids. There were other ways to treat my eczema I didnt need the steroids as I always thought I did.
More Whispering Less Yelling
I think my skin stopped yelling at me because I am no longer ignoring it. I am listening to it, and Im babying it.
My daily routine is keeping my skin happy and quiet. The silence is a good thing because I think its my skins way of saying thank youthank you for taking care of me, thank you for listening to me.
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Food Sensitivities & Allergies May Contribute To Eczema
A food allergy or even a sensitivity could be a trigger of your eczema. Some of the more common foods that cause eczema outbreaks are seafood, nuts, dairy, gluten, soy, eggs, and alcohol. This is because these foods may cause an immune reaction within your body that elevates inflammatory markers, triggering your eczema to flare up.
Eczema Healing Stages: What To Expect
Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that affects roughly 10% of the worldwide population. A chronic condition, it typically develops during childhood, although its possible that adults may develop it as well. In this post, well describe the healing stages of eczema so that you know what to expect when treating this condition.
Please keep in mind that although what we discuss in this post can relieve eczema, we are in no way medical professionals. If youre experiencing severe eczema symptoms like an infection, it is best to seek medical advice immediately.
Eczema Symptoms and Flare-Ups
Eczema is characterized by red, rough, and incredibly itchy skin that results because of a damaged skin barrier. The skin barriers inability to retain moisture is what leads to the chronically dry skin. The skin may also appear scaly or flaky. If relentless scratching occurs, the skin may crack or bleed, which can lead to infection. Symptoms may come and go with varying degrees of intensity. This means that there may be times when your eczema is barely noticeable and others where youre experiencing severe flare-ups.
Will My Eczema Go Away?
Eczema is a life-long condition for which there is currently no cure. That being said, there are ways to manage and treat symptoms so that life is more comfortable. One of the best ways to do this is by avoiding the many triggers that can lead to flare-ups. Another thing to note is that age may have an effect.
How Long Do Flare-ups Last?
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Apply Natural Topical Eczema Treatments To The Skin
Topical herbal salves can moisturize, protect and heal eczema naturally. Salves containing comfrey, plantain, and calendula are good for babies with eczema, serving as natural emollients instead of a prescription eczema cream. You can apply these salves 1-2 times daily for dry skin, at the onset of a flare and to treat active flares. You can also consider trying 2% licorice gel to apply topically as an eczema treatment.
Four Natural Eczema Treatments
When my sons itching was at its worst, all I wanted to do was stop his relentless scratching.
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What Type Of Moisturizer Treats Eczema
There are several options of moisturizer available to treat eczema. Choose skin care products that:
- Are hypoallergenic, fragrance- and dye-free.
- Are gentle or for sensitive skin.
- Contain petroleum jelly or mineral oil.
- Dont include preservatives or stabilizers.
- Have lipids and ceramides to improve your skins barrier.
It may take several different products through trial and error before you find one that works for you. If you need help choosing a moisturizer, talk to your healthcare provider.
Foods That Cause Eczema
The main foods that can cause eczema are highly processed foods with chemical preservatives, foods with hydrogenated oils and seed oils, foods with GMO and monocrop ingredients, CAFO farmed meat, meat and fish fed GMO grains, and foods with artificial colors and flavors.
These are the foods that I completely cut out of my diet, and still do not eat.
The major change in my skin health came after we started Cultured Guru. About half a year into business owning, we began to eat fermented foods with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
We wanted to create recipes with fermented foods for our blog daily, so we had to start getting creative with ways to incorporate fermented foods into almost every meal. This, along with environmental concerns led me to go vegan for a while.
I was fully vegan and about 75% raw vegan for a year, while Jon was primarily vegetarian. My intake of fermented foods and vitamin-rich plants increased tenfold, and my skin health improved tenfold. But the benefits didnt last.
I was on a mostly vegan diet for a few years, eventually becoming malnourished, vitamin and mineral deficient, and unable to handle stress. My gut health declined and my hormones were imbalanced causing debilitating menstrual cycles.
I now identify my diet as plant-based, but I eat many nourishing animal foods daily. I eat lots of grass-fed butter, milk, cheese, and yogurt. I thrive on eating sourdough daily.
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How Is Eczema Diagnosed
A healthcare provider will diagnose eczema after a physical exam, where they can take a close look at your skin. Most often, people receive an eczema diagnosis as a child, as its common among children, but a diagnosis can happen at any age when symptoms arise.
Symptoms of eczema can look similar to other conditions. Your provider might offer tests to rule out other conditions and confirm your diagnosis. Tests could include:
- Blood tests to check for causes of the rash that might be unrelated to dermatitis.
- A skin biopsy to distinguish one type of dermatitis from another.
Try To Reduce The Damage From Scratching
Eczema is often itchy, and it can be very tempting to scratch the affected areas of skin.
But scratching usually damages the skin, which can itself cause more eczema to occur.
The skin eventually thickens into leathery areas as a result of chronic scratching.
Deep scratching also causes bleeding and increases the risk of your skin becoming infected or scarred.
Try to reduce scratching whenever possible. You could try gently rubbing your skin with your fingers instead.
If your baby has atopic eczema, anti-scratch mittens may stop them scratching their skin.
Keep your nails short and clean to minimise damage to the skin from unintentional scratching.
Keep your skin covered with light clothing to reduce damage from habitual scratching.
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How I Healed My Lifelong Eczema
At the start of lockdown, the eczema that Ive had all my life was at its worst ever.
I was scratching so much from head to toe that I was bleeding all over the bedsheets, flaking skin everywhere, and in so much discomfort that I felt like my skin had been burnt.
Turning my head, bending forward and lifting my arm were all painful.
A daily bath gave me an hour or so of relief as my skin softened in the water and then I slapped on moisturiser. But by the morning, it was dry again and I would inspect my body for new wounds.
Its a very strange problem because youre doing it to yourself. All you have to do is stop scratching, but you cant. Also, as anyone knows whos had a mosquito bite, it feels really pleasurable to scratch an itch. And yet youre damaging yourself. Its like an addiction.
The greatest suffering, though, was psychological. I felt:
- disgust at how it looked and felt
- shame that I couldnt heal it
- despair that it would never heal
- anxiety that it would get worse
- frustration at how many different things Id tried to cure it, and at the medical professionals for not being able to help
- self-hatred for not being more disciplined in sticking to the diet that I was hoping would cure it.
Which brings me to
The things I tried to heal my eczema
The NHS approach was very frustrating to me as it seemed to be entirely focused on treating the symptoms. I was told that if there was an identifiable cause, I would have found it by now.
Hope
False hope?
What Ive learned
Other Causes Of Infected Eczema
An infection from Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, or other bacteria is just one cause of infected eczema. Others include fungal infections and viral infections.
People with eczema may be more prone to herpes simplex viruses, so its important to avoid others who have cold sores.
Eczema itself isnt contagious, and most infected cases usually arent either. However, some of the causes of the infection may be contagious to people who have eczema, such as exposure to herpes simplex.
If you have eczema with frequent broken skin, its important to take care around others who have herpes simplex. The telltale sign of this is usually a cold sore.
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What Can Help Me Feel Better
After a lukewarm bath or shower using a gentle soap, Dr. Zwerner says to moisturize while the skin is still damp with heavy creams or ointments instead of lighter lotions. Keep up with moisturizing throughout the day, too.
Soaking in a tub with vinegar, oatmeal, baking soda, bleach, or salt may help improve symptoms.2 But consult with a dermatologist first for guidance on putting these ingredients in your bathwater. Stay away from your triggers and look forward to the warmer, wetter weather spring is sure to bring.
Balancing The Skins Acidity Levels
Vinegar is highly acidic. The skin is naturally acidic, but people with eczema may have less acidic skin than others, which can weaken the skins defenses.
Applying diluted apple cider vinegar could help balance the skins acidity levels, but vinegar can cause burns if it is not diluted.
In contrast, many soaps, detergents, and cleansers are alkaline. They can disrupt the acidity of the skin, which can leave the skin vulnerable to damage. This may explain why washing with certain soaps can cause eczema flares.
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Avoiding Atopic Dermatitis Triggers
Everyoneâs eczema is different. Common triggers include stress, sweat, certain chemicals, dust, and pollen. Some foods can trigger flares in infants and children. A symptom diary can help you track your or your childâs triggers so you know what to avoid.
Try these tips to limit contact with triggers:
- Protect your skin, especially when the weather is cold and dry.
- Be careful with soaps, shampoos, and other commercial skin care items. Read the labels carefully.
- Rinse laundry twice to remove detergent residue.
View a slideshow to see top eczema triggers to avoid.
Treating Eczema A Stepped Approach
The recommended first-line treatments for most cases of eczema are emollients and topical steroids. Paste bandages and wet wraps may be a helpful addition for some people, particularly where scratching is a major problem. Sedating-type antihistamines may be useful in helping with sleeping at night . Long-term use is not recommended.
When there is an inadequate response to appropriate strengths of topical steroid, or if these are not tolerated, especially on areas of delicate skin, topical calcineurin inhibitors the cream pimecrolimus or the ointment tacrolimus may be useful.
Treatments for more severe eczema, or additional treatments, include phototherapy, oral steroids, immunosuppressant drugs, a biologic drug and a Janus kinase inhibitor.
Before progressing to additional treatments, it is essential to check that there is no other explanation for the eczema being uncontrolled. The following are examples of questions that should be considered by your doctor, but it is not an exhaustive list:
- Have all topical therapies been used to the highest dose possible that is safe? , please see our Topical steroids factsheet.)
- Have all irritants and allergens been identified and avoided to the extent practicable?
- Has infection been controlled?
- Is the eczema diagnosis correct?
Have a look at our factsheets to find out more about different eczema treatments.
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Nea Board Member Lisa Choy Reminds Us To Listen
Looking back at my 40-plus years of living with eczema, I have learned that my attitude toward my eczema has profoundly affected how my eczema responded to treatment. It explains, at least in part, why my eczema has progressed and often gotten worse over time, and also why it has got better.
What I know now is that my skin talks to me. My skin actually speaks to me. It sometimes yells at me with a whole-body flare. It sometimes whispers with a tingling itch.
Natural Ways To Cure Eczema
The first thing that had to change was my terrible diet. I was starting to learn about the human gut microbiome at LSU, but there was so much not covered in class. The age of microbiome health was just beginning as I was graduating. Luckily, I could still understand the complexity and importance of my own microbiome in my health.
So the first thing I changed was my diet. When I was in college, my roommate and I loved to eat hot wings, pizza, mac and cheese, corn dogs, and bagels.
Wed eat this way after putting away a bottle of wine or two obviously not good for skin, gut health, or mental health. You live, and you learn, though.
When I graduated college in 2014, I moved into an apartment alone, and living alone helped me to dive into a healthy lifestyle. My diet changed in gradual stages, and I learned more and more about my body with each passing month.
For my diet, I tried eliminating food groups, supplementing things, being vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. I tried growing my own food and making my own skincare and eventually, I learned enough about my body to know what I needed to avoid and what my body needed to thrive.
Besides food, one of the hardest things I had to relearn is what true skincare really is. My main hindsight pro tip: if youd be poisoned from putting it in your mouth, dont put it on your skin.
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