Can Food Allergies Cause Eczema – or Make It Worse?

Posted on January 20th, 2012

Eczema is a problem that many of us will have to face at some point in our lives. In fact, experts say that one in nine people will develop the skin condition during their lifetime. Thankfully, eczema has been around for a long time, so there are plenty of different treatments available to sooth or heal flare ups. The severity of eczema varies from person to person, with some people only having occasional patches in localised places on their body, and others having severe cases that can become debilitating.

There are a number of theories as to the causes of eczema, but one area that many people wouldn’t initially consider is food allergy. Most people associate food allergy with more severe symptoms (such as anaphylactic shock), but there are more insidious forms of allergic reactions – including eczema. Generally speaking, people that suffer from atopic eczema (the kind not caused by external factors like washing powder) can encounter ‘triggers’ that make their condition worse. Among these triggers is certain types of food.

Other people suffer from contact dermatitis, which occurs when they come into physical contact with certain types of material, such as synthetic mattresses (or even organic mattresses, in some cases) – or chemicals of certain types. For most people with food allergies, the eczema from which they suffer falls into the atopic category, and the ingestion of the trigger food will cause a worsening of symptoms.

Which foods are known to cause eczema?

Because of the wide-ranging nature of the condition, it’s difficult to pinpoint just one or two foodstuffs that can cause eczema; however there is some research that links dairy products with the appearance of eczema infections. This is a form of lactose intolerance, and much like gas and bloating can be symptoms of such an intolerance, so too are flare ups of eczema rashes. Other foods that may make cause eczema flare ups are eggs, wheat, fish or even soya products.

How to tell if food is causing eczema problems

Generally speaking, an eczema sufferer will know within a few hours that they’ve had a reaction to something. If their condition worsens for no clear reason, this may be an indication that they’re having an allergic reaction to a food item. It could however be something external, like a cosmetic product, so it’s important to ‘test’ certain potential triggers. For example, if milk is a likely source of eczema flare ups, try drinking a glass of it then monitoring the situation for a few hours. If the condition gets worse, you may well have found the trigger. Of course, if the reaction is severe, it’s not a good idea to run any tests and you should instead contact a health professional.

Does eczema as a reaction to food resolve itself?

Much like other forms of topical skin infection, eczema can indeed resolve itself over time. Many people who had milk-triggered eczema flare ups as children no longer have them as adults. The condition itself may never fully go away, but it’s more than possible to manage it successfully over the long term. There are a great many creams, including hydrocortisone steroidal cream, that can control and clear eczema infections. For many sufferers, being able to manage the condition is as good as a cure, allowing them to live life to its fullest. Even simple measures such as applying a moisturising cream every day can make the world of difference to patches of eczema on the body. As for the food allergy reaction, the obvious answer is to simply avoid the food item in question. It’s easier said than done of course, but it will help. As time goes on, it may be possible to reintroduce these foodstuffs without a reaction, but this must only be done on the advice of a medical professional.

Humans really are delicate creatures in many ways, so don’t get disheartened if you suffer from food allergies that worsen your eczema. The great news is that there are now countless alternatives for any type of food allergy, so even if bread gives you a bad case of eczema, there are plenty of other choices for you to explore.

Tags: Food Allergies Cause Eczema
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What Causes Eczema?

Posted on January 30th, 2010

It can be very surprising to know the fact that the actually cause of eczema is unknown to science. It is a belief that the eczema is caused by the food allergens. Eczema is also known to be most common in people whose ancestors had suffered from asthma, hay fever and eczema. This indicates that the genetic component is present and is one of points in the observation over the past. Despite of all these causes, it various from person to person, why the skin actually breaks. What causes eczema in one person might not be the same reason why another person is affected by eczema and so it the level of severity that differs from person to person. This is very individual condition.

Causes Of Eczema

More specific factors classified into four major categories are listed below:

1. Environmental: saliva, hair and skin from animals, dust, tree or grass pollens, fungal spores as well as feather stuffing in pillows.
2. Natural Food: codfish, shell fish, eggs, peanuts, cow’s milk, nuts, wheat, rice, food additives, coffee alcohol and some fruit are known to have caused eczema.
3. Artificial Products: perfumed soaps, detergents and household cleaners, some creams, bubble baths, and ointments, some drugs, solvents and washing detergents.
4. Individualistic: scratching, psychological and emotional stress, overheating, excessive bathing and wearing woolen clothing.

Despite the fact we know the above mentioned can cause eczema, it is often very difficult to figure out the root cause of eczema as not all elicits will cause a reaction on the very first time. Due to this many such activities generally get disregarded. The best way to find out what triggered eczema is to discount all the suspect full products and start afresh, reintroducing one entity at a time.

The various causes can also be classified, broadly, as shown in the graph that follows. The statistics shown in the graph are approximated and are collected from the individual surveys conducted in the US to extrapolate the likeliness of various causes.

Tags: Causes Atopic Eczema, Causes Eczema Dermatitis, Complications Of Eczema, Diagnosis Eczema, Eczema Cure, Eczema Symptoms, Eczema Treatment, Types of Eczema
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Symptoms of Eczema – Identify Eczema

Posted on January 30th, 2010

It is very essential to learn the symptoms of eczema as they will help in taking pro active steps when you see the initial symptoms of eczema. Common eczema symptoms are:

• Dry skin
• Itchy skin
• Reddening of the skin
• Weeping of the skin.
• Flaky skin
• Thickening of the skin
• Scaly skin
• Discoloration of the skin
• Raw skin

These symptoms of eczema can be noticed or appear anywhere on the body though it most usually affects:

• Face
• Neck
• Hands
• Feet
• Creases of the limbs i.e. back of the knees insides of the elbows

Brief statistics of the Symptoms of eczema

The statistics shows it very clearly that itchiness, dry skin and redness and mostly see when someone suffers from eczema.

The symptoms of eczema do vary depending on the form of eczema and its severity. Eczema symptoms, especially dry itchy skin symptoms, can cause the patient great distress. The urge to scratch the dry itchy skin can be irresistible, but scratching is supposed to be avoided as it only makes the state poorer. Scratching can lead of the infection of the skin.

Tags: Atopic Eczema, Causes Of Eczema, Complications Of Eczema, Diagnosis Eczema, Eczema Skin, Eczema Treatment, Types of Eczema, Varicose Eczema
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What is Eczema?

Posted on January 30th, 2010

Eczema, in terms of a lay man, is a type of skin disease which causes itchy rashes on human body. It is a non contagious disease which leads to inflammation of the skin that is mainly characterized by itching, redness and the outbreak of lesions that may discharge serous matter and the skin may become thick, rough and start peeling off.

Eczema is a form of dermatitis of the epidermis. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions. A person affected by eczema experiences dry and recurring skin rashes. Initially the skin becomes red and dry and as time passes it starts swelling and itching. It can also start blistering, cracking, crusting, bleeding, flaking, and oozing. Temporary skin discoloration may appear and are sometimes due to healed lesions. It is most like to find Eczema on the flexor aspect of joints.

Tags: Atopic Dermatitis Eczema, Dust Mites Eczema, Eczema Allergic Reaction, Eczema Hay Fever, Eczema Symptoms, Is Eczema Itchy, What Is Dyshidrotic Eczema, What Is Nummular Eczema
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