Eczema: Start Taking These Natural Measures To Help Banish The Torment Of Eczema For Good
Eczema comes from a Greek word meaning ‘to boil over’ – a feeling which will be all too familiar to anybody who has been driven to despair by the intense itching this distressing skin condition can cause. Not only does eczema cause unpleasant physical symptoms, but it can also leave sufferers feeling extremely self-conscious due to the scaly, thickened patches of skin that characterise the condition. These patches can soon become red, cracked and sore and, in some cases, tiny blisters develop that burst, weep and crust over.
Although eczema is most common in babies under 18 months old, an estimated 5 per cent of the adult population also suffers from this unpleasant condition. The reason babies are thought to be particularly susceptible is because of their underdeveloped immune systems. Another contributory factor may be the use of cow’s milk and wheat at too early an age.
Current research shows that eczema is, at least partially, an allergic disease. It can either be caused by ‘classic’ food allergies, in which your immune system produces a specific kind of antibody, or by food sensitivities where a reaction to a food occurs by a different route.
The white blood cells of eczema sufferers produce more of the inflammatory compound histamine, less anti-inflammatory prostaglandins and are less able to kill bacteria (Infect. Immun. 33: 710-13, 1981). In addition, eczema sufferers may be unable to digest their food properly, due to low levels of stomach acid. When this is combined with an over-permeable or ‘leaky’ gut wall, undigested protein molecules can find their way into the blood stream and trigger inflammatory reactions such as eczema.
Stress is also a contributory factor. Studies have shown that people with eczema have more physiological symptoms of stress, such as palpitations, than healthy study participants (Hautarzt. 41: 601-11, 1990).
The side-effects of conventional drugs can be worse than the eczema itself
Conventional medicine has no cure for eczema — it only treats the symptoms. Your doctor may suggest aqueous cream or white paraffin cream to keep your skin moist and help reduce itching. Steroid drugs tend to be the mainstay of treatment for all but the mildest cases of eczema. Yet steroids can have nasty side-effects, such as weight gain, muscle wasting, osteoporosis, immune system suppression, peptic ulcers, high blood pressure and glaucoma.
Antihistamine drugs may also be prescribed to reduce inflammation, but many people find these make them drowsy and unable to concentrate. None of these treatments corrects the underlying problem; whereas natural treatments aim to remove the allergic foods and to correct body metabolism so that the condition clears up safely, without unpleasant side-effects.
Simply removing certain foods from your diet helps soothe irritated skin
Because eczema is so often related to food allergies or sensitivities, an elimination diet can help to identify and remove them. This involves cutting out a group of suspect foods (e.g. dairy, wheat, eggs and soya) from your diet for two weeks. Then you carefully re-introduce one food at a time at four-day intervals, to see whether a reaction occurs.
This is best done under the supervision of a qualified nutritionist, who will also be able to arrange laboratory tests to help pinpoint allergies quickly and, to check whether you have a ‘leaky’ gut. A double-blind study of 400 patients found that there was a significant reduction in eczema symptoms in those who followed an elimination diet (Skin Allergy News, Dec 1996).
Low stomach acid can also be involved in allergic reactions, and, because we typically make less as we age, a nutritionist may suggest that you take a supplement of betaine hydrochloride to remedy this. Using stress control techniques can help reduce your symptoms further still – try yoga or meditation.
73% of eczema sufferers made a full recovery after taking zinc!
Zinc plays an essential role in making the enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism, as well as in the production of hydrochloric acid in your stomach. In one study, when patients with skin rashes took around 60mg of zinc daily for a month, 73 per cent reported a full recovery from the condition and the remainder experienced substantial improvements (Contact Dermatitis 40: 281-2, 1999).
People with eczema appear to be deficient in essential fatty acids or to produce less of a zinc-dependent enzyme involved in essential fatty acid metabolism. This in turn reduces production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Taking supplements of essential fatty acids can bring considerable relief of eczema symptoms.
In a study of 179 patients, marked improvements were seen in the symptoms of the group taking evening primrose oil supplements (J. Nutr. Med. 2: 9-15, 1991). In another trial, eczema sufferers who were given fish oil experienced significant improvements after just 12 weeks. Fish oils can reduce levels of leukotriene B4, an inflammatory substance that has been linked with eczema (Acta Derm. Venereol. 144: 139, 1989).
Take these nutrients for smooth, healthy-looking skin
Vitamin A is critical to the development and maintenance of your skin. When it is in short supply, the skin is particularly vulnerable to the thickening, drying and cracking that eczema causes (Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 172: 139-52, 1983).
Vitamin C is another essential nutrient for healthy skin. Researchers from the University of Texas found that around 3g of vitamin C a day successfully reduced eczema symptoms in a double-blind trial (Med. World News (April 24): 41, 1989).
Bioflavonoids, such as quercetin, can also be beneficial. These increase the effectiveness of vitamin C in your body and can also directly control the factors involved in inflammation and allergy. They do this by inhibiting the inflammatory process and blocking the release of inflammatory substances such as histamine (Planta Medica 51: 16-20, 1985).
Herbal remedies can be up to 4 times more effective than conventional drugs
A number of herbs have also proved to be effective – sometimes even more effective than steroid drugs – in reducing eczema symptoms. For example, one of the active constituents of the neem tree, which has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, has been found to be four times as effective as hydrocortisone (a steroid) in reducing inflammation.
Another substance produced by this incredible tree was found in clinical trials to be as effective as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, phenylbutazone, in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions (Planta Medica 43: 59-63, 1981).
Burdock (Arctium lappa) root also has a long history of use for treating eczema. Its primary active component, inulin, appears to be able to correct defects in the inflammatory mechanisms and immune system in people with eczema (Pizzorno and Murray, Encyclopaedia of Natural Medicine, 1990). Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) have also been shown to reduce itching substantially when used as skin creams (Z. Hautkr. 63:184-90, 1988; Rec. Adv. Bot. Hort. Pharm 1: 235-80, 1986).
Your Daily Eczema Defence Plan
Taking the following natural remedies each day can help ensure that you won’t have to worry about unsightly red skin patches ever again:
Evening primrose oil 3g
Fish oil 1g
Zinc 30mg
Vitamin A 25,000 IU (7,500 IU if you are pregnant)
Vitamin C 3g
Quercetin 600mg
Betaine hydrochloride as directed by a practitioner
Neem 1 capsule (or use skin cream)
Burdock
(avoid in pregnancy) 4x250mg capsules or 5ml extract
Chamomile herbal tea or skin cream
Liquorice herbal tea
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