Eczema - An Explanation

[Owen Reid]

Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
Eczema is a chronic, recurrent skin disease and presents as one of the
most common inflammatory skin diseases in childhood. Sufferers
experience intractable itching with subsequent skin damage, soreness,
sleep loss and the social stigma of visible skin damage. Although the
cause is not understood , there appears to be a genetic predisposition
as well as a combination of allergic and non-allergic factors that
determine the diseases expression.
Eczema or Atopic Dermatitis is known as the itch that rashes. Eczema
displays in infants as red skin with oozing cracks and small pustules.
Eczema lesions are found on the face, wrists, folds of skin and nappy
areas of the buttocks. As the child ages the eczema presents as
papules and thickened skin in the joint areas. In adults eczema
displays as papules and thickened crusted sores that often weep as a
consequence of scratching. Adult eczema is found in flexures, on the
face, neck, legs, feet, back of the hands and the genital areas.
Triggers of Eczema
Some people have a genetic inherited tendency to develop eczema,
indicated by eczema occurring in families predisposed to hay fever and/
or asthma. A normally harmless substance in the environment will often
trigger an outbreak of eczema in people born with this tendency. How
eczema is first triggered and how severely substances will affect the
skin is uncertain as everyone with this genetic tendency is different
and reacts differently.
This makes identifying triggers and controlling symptoms difficult. A
process for identifying individual triggers is often by elimination
and can be a long and drawn out procedure. Although people react
differently and different substances affect each individual
differently there are some common substances that are most prone to
triggering an eczema flare-up:
* Dust mite * Animal dandruff * Pollens * Environmental and seasonal
changes * Stress * Some foods ( egg, cows milk, shell fish, peanuts,
wheat, nuts, rice, food additives and some fruits) * Alcohol and
coffee.
Nutrition
Nutrition plays a very large role in the outcome for eczema sufferers.
An important reason for eczema occurrence is the western diet which
promotes inflammation in the body. A defect in the bodies ability to
metabolise Gamma-linolenic acid, (GLA) is thought to play a major role
in the onset and development of eczema. GLA is the molecule produced
from linoleic acid, the body makes Prostaglandins and Arachodonic acid
from it. These two products are used by the body to trigger allergic
reactions and the bodies response to injury and attack. When there is
too much GLA, the body has excessive inflammatory response. The
Western diets have an excessive amount of Linoleic acid (omega 6) to
the alpha -linolenic acid (omega 3) of 10:1.so GLA promotes
inflammation when the person has a defect in its metabolism or usage.
This defect is, I believe, the reason that some people suffer eczema .
It is proposed that an eczema sufferer should supplement their diet
with specific nutrients, particularly calcium, iodine, vitamin C and
omega 3 fatty acids. Vitamin C @ 50 to 75mg/kg has been found to be
beneficial. Flaxseed oil and fish are good sources of omega 3 fatty
acids. The inclusion of Vitamins A & B6, Zinc and Selenium,
Biotin, Evening Primrose Oil & Lecithin are also proposed. Dosages
should be worked out by your Naturopath or "enlightened" Doctor .
www.healthfocusnow.com/eczema.php for more options.