In the past week I have received a great amount of questions regarding eczema (atopic dermatitis), and sadly - mostly regarding children. In simple terms, eczema is a sign that there is a constant inflammatory process in your body. So resolving eczema is not about what to put on your skin, but figuring out how to address the problem INSIDE - mainly with the immune system and the gut. Putting more toxic creams on your skin will only make matters worse in the long run.
When our immune system goes into 'overdrive' and overreacts to a trigger by attacking this trigger or even your own tissue/cells - one of the most common visual symptoms will be precisely eczema.
Since 80% of our immune system resides in our intestines, it is safe to state that the main reason for this immune imbalance is an elevated microscopic perforation of the gut's lining often called 'leaky gut'. Food particles like amino acids or lipids, or bacteria, toxins, heavy metals, etc. then are able to penetrate the intestinal walls and reach the blood or lymph where they don't belong, causing the immune cells to be in a constant inflammated state. The most common particles to cause such a problem are dairy and gluten molecules, but also refined sugar, chemicals, heavy metals, etc.
The other big root cause for autoimmunity in general and eczema in particular is abnormal gut flora (dysbiosis), which is when bad bacteria and yeast dominate and cause inflammation. A diet high in simple sugars, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and low fiber breeds yeast (Candida), and chemicals in the form of antibiotics, NSAIDs, etc also have that effect. EMF exposure such as cell phone use, wifi, microwaves etc aggravates cases of eczema and has been proven to increase sensitivity to dust/pollen allergens.
- address other inflammation triggers for your body such as poor sleep, stress (high cortisol), toxic chemicals, EMFs and mold exposure
- breastfeeding has been proven to serve as a strong profilaxis against AD
- herbal remedies include licorice and interestingly a very specific Chinese herbal formula has been studied clinically and proven to be extremely eficiente, the formula contains: ledebouriealla seseloides, potentilla chinensis, clematis chinensis, clematis armandi, reglamos glutinosa, paeonia lactiflora, lophatherum gracile, dictamnus dasycarpus, tribulus terrestris, schizonepeta tenuifolia. It is crucial for all ingredients to be present so feel free to check with your local Chinese medicine practitioner!
These simple measures from the functional medicine approach never fail to provide fantastic results, and not only for autoimmunity but also normalising body weight, improving mood and emotional health and restoring an overall sense of wellbeing.