Eczema and Dermatitis

Eczema can affect your whole family but you can treat it naturally and effectively with some common sense, some detective work, some vigilant avoidance of allergens and some clever supplementation where necessary.

Dermatitis or Eczema is a general term for any type of inflammation of the skin. Types of dermatitis include atopic dermatitis, nummular dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis.

The inflammation of the skin that accompanies dermatitis (or eczema) produces scaling; flaking, weeping, crusting, thickening, colour changes, and often itching and typically appears on the face, in the bends of elbows and behind the knees.

Several underlying problems can lead to eczema:
(We will go into more detail for each of them following this list)
1.Hypochlorydia -low levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
2.Leaky gut syndrome- in which tiny particles of undigested foods pass through the intestines and enter the blood stream provoking allergic reactions
3.Candidiasis an overgrowth of yeast or fungus in the body
4.Food allergies
5.Genetic weakness in the enzymes which converts fatty acids or an essential fatty acid deficiency (Not enough good fats in the diet & therefore also in the body).
6.Contact dermatitis from contact with perfumes, cosmetics, rubber, medicated creams, ointments, latex, plants, metals, and even sunlight can cause some types of dermatitis. Eczema or Atopic dermatitis is known to affect allergy prone individuals.

7. STRESS

1. Low acid in the stomach.
No body regardless of age can produce adequate stomach acid if they are dehydrated or lack the ingredients to make it. Stomach acid needs water of a minimum of 30mls/kg of body weight per day. Water is to be druk regularly throughout the day.
The body also needs adequate levels of zinc, sodium and potassium to produce hydrochloric acid.

2. Leaky gut can be caused by premature introduction of solid foods ( more details following), inflammation in the gut caused by stress, antibiotic therapy or other medications. In adults this can also be from smoking, alcohol and coffeee or caffiene drink consumption.

3. Candida overgrowth. In our digestive tract there is a fine balance between the "good" and "bad" organisms. Candida is common during pregnancy due to changes in hormones. A baby can "catch" candida from the mothers vaginal canal during child birth,which is another reason why probiotic supplementation is recommended for expecting Mum's!
A diet poor in nutritional goodness or lacking vitamins and minerals, antibiotic therapy or stress ( modern life!) can cause an imbalance between the good and bad guys.

4. Food Allergies are the most common cause of eczema in all people. It is essential to the recovery from eczema that a person of any age find out what their allergies are. In a baby being breastfed, the Mother must find out her allergies.
We recommend the very effective Delayed IgG testing from US Bio tek in children and adults and if testing babies then Hair testing can be used.

5. EFA deficiencies The human body needs dietary oils for every cell! If the boyd is lacking in these oils cellular communication is not as effective as it could be. The skin is also dependant on lubrication and oils help with this also. For anti inflammatory action we need the EPA found in Omega 3 oils. Many people try to get this from Flax seed oil but as this is coming from a vegetable source the body needs to convert it using an enzyme process. This enzyme process is dependant on several nutritional co-factors being in perfect balance with each other. Some of these nutrients are zinc, magnesium and B6. For this reason some people prefer to get their EFA's ( Essential Fatty acids) from Fish oil Omega 3 which does not require a conversion. Certainly in non vegetarian people it would seem that high quality omega 3 fish oil is the way to go.

What other causes are there?
Triggers vary from person to person, but tend to include changes in weather and atmosphere, hot or cold weather, exposure to allergens, infections such as colds and stress. If other family members also have allergies, hayfever, asthma, and atopic dermatitis then it is more common for a child to develop it also.

Baby eczemaCommon food allergies
The most common forms of food allergies are eggs, peanuts, soy foods, wheat (breads, cakes, biscuits, pastries, pasta etc) and dairy products including cheese. Milk, yoghurt, ice cream etc.
Soak all grains before eating, baking, this includes muesli's or breakfast cereals this breaks down phytic acid which can irritate G.I tracts and cause allergic reactions.


Older children and adults can do the following:

1.Take a digestive enzyme or HCL supplement with meals to increase digestion of all foods eaten.
2.Multi vitamin and mineral with high dose B complex vitamins are helpful to increase body's natural skin function and circulation.
B vitamins aid in the reproduction of all cells, cell formation and cellular longevity. Deficiency of this vitamin group has been linked to dermatitis.
3. Essential fatty acid supplementation such as omega 3 supplementation, Cod Liver oil, Salmon, Black current seed oil, flax seed oil and Evening Primrose Oil.
4. Add a high potency supplement of probiotics to your diet daily as a lack of bowel flora from any use of Anti-biotics will also contribute to this condition.
5. Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids because they inhibit inflammation and stabilizes cell membranes.
6. Vitamin E -relieves dryness and itching.
7. Zinc- Aids in all healing and supports natural immune function
8. Kelp Because it contains Iodine and other minerals needed for skin healing of tissues.

Recomendations:

1.Dark oily fish such as salmon, sardines.
2.Avoid all allergy foods including foods with raw egg which contains avidin, a protein which binds to biotin and prevents it from being absorbed.
3.Avoid sugar, strawberries, white flour, chocolate, fried foods and processed foods.
4.Avoid gluten containing foods such as Rye, Oats, Barely and Wheat foods for 6 weeks and see if dermatitis improves..
5.Use a Body oil rich in essential fatty acids such as the recipe above everyday.
6.Keep your house de-humidified (moisture free) and take only one shower or bath per day as these deplete natural skin oils.
7.Avoid soaps and chemical bubble baths that irritate your skin. Choose a natural non irritating soap for sensitive skin.
8.Keep your colon clean by going to the toilet every day. Use a bulking fibre supplement if you have to such as psyllium husks or flax seeds NB: always take a fibre product separately from other supplements.
9.Do a detox to get rid of candidiasis and possible parasites and gut repair programme with your natural health practitioner to heal your leaky gut wall.
10. Juice therapy can be very effective. Try the following: carrot, beetroot, cucmber, celery, apple.
11. Homeopathy may also prove to be helpful. Look into the following remedies for the right one for you or your child: Pulsatilla, Arsenican album, Lycopodium, Graphites, Petroleum, Sulfur, Thuja, Sepia.

Herbal Treatments for adults:

1.Drink a cold infusion of equal parts of fresh Nettle, Chickweed and Cleavers twice a day.
2. Mix equal parts of tinctures of Red clover, Nettle, Chickweed, Baical skullcap and cleavers and take 1/2 tsp of this mixture three times a day.

Other Topical applications to try:
1.Skin & Scalp cream from NZ Health Shop has been professionally formulated for eczema and dermatitis.
2.Aloe Vera gel
3.Evening Primrose oil applied directly to the skin can help the body's response to cracks and sore areas of the skin.
To relieve itch make a cream with Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Chickweed oil, Zinc oxide, yoghurt and a little honey. Mix together and apply to skin.
4.Dried herbs of Calendula, Chickweed and St John's wort can be infused into Olive oil for 2 hours over a water basin and applied to itchy and painful skin.

Have a professional consultation with our team at NZ Health Shop Ltd.

Kirsten has the following comment:
Eczema is a common complaint and many people put up with it for years because their Doctor has only given them steroid creams etc to use. Naturopaths have great success with treating eczema because we treat the whole person. We have very good formula's that can give you relief very quickly in most cases too. If you have any questions about this article or you would like to call me to make an appointment please call our office in Auckland on 09 378 0444 or from out of Auckland call 0800 4 NZ HEALTH.