Is Milk A Factor In The Eczema Picture?

Most North Americans grew up being told to drink milk “for healthy bones and teeth”. Scientists have questioned the validity of this dictum for years, and have found evidence that milk not only fails to live up to this promise, it can even cause a host of medical conditions, including eczema. In fact, eliminating milk and dairy from your diet, along with a topical eczema treatment to alleviate the dry, itchy condition of the skin, is often just what the doctor orders.Milk has been the subject of medical studies for decades – although the majority have been done on children. From 1988 to 1993, over 1500 articles were published about milk in medical journals. Dr. Robert M. Kradjian of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine culled these articles to omit inconclusive and irrelevant subjects and did a thorough study of the 500 articles remaining. Not one article referenced milk as the excellent food we have been led to believe. In fact, highlighted in the reports were conditions that are known to cause and be indications of eczema - intestinal colic, intestinal irritation and bleeding, allergic reactions, and asthma. Many with eczema also suffer from these conditions, and elimination of their causes often results in elimination of the eczema.According to Dr. Frank Oski, chief of pediatrics at John Hopkins School of Medicine, it is possible that 50 percent of all schoolchildren are allergic to milk. Other researchers think this estimate is too conservative. A study published in the Journal of Investigative Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that the frequency and severity of eczema and allergies are reduced for as long as five years when breast feeding mothers stop drinking cow’s milk for at least three months. Even the late Dr. Benjamin Spock, guru of children’s health and long-time milk advocate, withdrew his support of cow’s milk for children in his 1998 edition of "Baby and Child Care."More recent studies are also finding that the promise of healthy bones and teeth, the main reasons we’ve been told we need milk, doesn’t have any basis in science. In March 2005, Pediatrics published a review article stating that "scant evidence" has been found that milk and dairy products promote child and adolescent bone health.Eczema is caused by a combination of external and internal elements. A healthy gut is a major influence, as is the presence of allergies. Both are indicators of an overload of toxic substances. In the gut, the ‘bad’ and ‘good’ bacteria are out of balance, and in the case of allergies, the body is telling you that whatever you’re having the reaction to needs to get out. Skin problems like eczema result from the body trying to expel these toxins. The results can be unsightly, and very uncomfortable – especially for a child – as anyone who has seen a child with red, sore rashes can attest. Eliminating milk and other products that are known to cause intenstinal stress and allergic reactions is definitely called for.

Winter Causes Eczema Flares

With cold dry weather of winter approaching, you should be aware that it can make your eczema (also called atopic dermatitis) flare up by drying out your skin and causing it to crack, and become chapped. Although eczema is a chronic condition, remission is possible and control is definitely available. Here are some tips to help you "weather" the winter months:
Avoid things that can worsen your eczema, such as wool, irritating clothing, harsh soaps and cleansers
Use a mild soap that is especially designed for sensitive skin. Avoid using cleansers that dry your skin.
Also avoid spot creams and alpha hydroxyl acids.
Moisturize daily, or more often.
Start active treatment with either topical cortisones or the new non-steroidal creams or ointments prescribed by your doctor.
Relax and avoid excessive outdoor activity.
If you are sure that external factors such as allergens are a factor, you should consider seeing an allergist for allergy testing or a dermatologist for skin allergy testing called patch testing.
Speak to co-workers about your condition in order to help them better understand this skin disorder.

Photodynamic Therapy May be Helpful For SOme Eczema Conditions

Authors: Nestor MS, Gold MH, Kauvar AN, Taub AF, Geronemus RG, Ritvo EC, Goldman MP, Gilbert DJ, Richey DF, Alster TS, Anderson RR, Bank DE, Carruthers A, Carruthers J, Goldberg DJ, Hanke CW, Lowe NJ, Pariser DM, Rigel DS, Robins P, Spencer JM, Zelickson

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has significant promise in improving outcomes of patients with a variety of cutaneous conditions. A group of experts met to review the principles, indications, and clinical benefits of PDT with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). They also reviewed PDT with methyl aminolevulinate. The experts established consensus statements for pretreatment, posttreatment, ALA contact time, light sources, and numbers of sessions associated with ALA PDT for actinic keratosis and superficial basal cell carcinoma, photorejuvenation and cosmetic enhancement, acne, sebaceous skin, rosacea, and rhinophyma. They based consensus recommendations on their clinical experience and the medical literature. They also suggested future applications of ALA PDT. Experts concluded that ALA PDT is a safe and effective modality for the treatment of conditions commonly encountered in dermatology. Since downtime is minimal, the technique is suitable for patients of all ages and lifestyles. Appropriate light sources are available in many dermatology offices. The expanding clinical and financial benefits of PDT justify the purchase of an appropriate light source.

Wet Wraps Can Be Beneficial For Severe Eczema

If it seems that absolutely nothing will alleviate that red, cracked, and unbearably itchy skin, you may want to ask your dermatologist about wet-wrap therapy. Studies show that wet-wrap therapy can effectively re-hydrate and calm the skin. In one such study, children with severe atopic dermatitis who had not responded to other treatments were treated with wet-wrap therapy. The study found that the children experienced significant improvements. In just one week, these children averaged a 74% reduction in itch and experienced less sleep loss. Improvements to their skin lasted well beyond the two (2) weeks of treatment.1 Wet-wrap therapy also has been shown to significantly improve hand eczema.As the name implies, wet-wrap therapy involves wrapping wet bandages around the affected skin. The steps recommended by your dermatologist may differ slightly to accommodate a patient’s specific needs. However, the basic technique is as follows. Before the bandages are applied, the patient soaks in a bath with bath oil; then moisturizer is applied. Medication also may be spread on the skin affected by eczema. The wet bandages, which are generally moistened by soaking them in warm water or moisturizer, are then wrapped around the area. Wet bandages can be used on any area of the body that the patient will tolerate, including the face. To lock in moisture, dry bandages are wrapped over the wet ones. The benefits of wet-wrap therapy include:
Skin re-hydration
More restful sleep
Reduced redness and inflammation
Less frequent itching
Decrease in the Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria found on the skin
However, wet-wrap therapy does have some drawbacks. It is time-consuming. If you are treating a child, it requires a great deal of patience and supervision. Children tend to squirm when the bandages are being applied and may try to remove the bandages. As one parent said, “It’s not a nice thing for any parent to have to do.” However, most parents agree that the results are worth the effort when other therapies are not effective.When treating an infant or very young child, moistened pajamas may be used instead of wet wraps. Special care must be taken to prevent these children from becoming chilled.Wet-wrap therapy is generally only used for a week or two. To maintain the results afterwards, you must apply moisturizer frequently throughout the day and after bathing. Additionally, triggers must be avoided, and it may be necessary to continue using medication. If you feel that nothing will bring relief, be sure to talk with your dermatologist about wet-wrap therapy. It may be exactly what is needed to “wrap up” severe eczema.
Reference:1 Wolkerstorfer A et al. “Efficacy and safety of wet-wrap dressings in children with severe atopic dermatitis: influence of corticosteroids dilution.” British Journal of Dermatology, 2000 November;143(5)999-1004.

Another Option In Eczema Skin Care

Dermatitis-Ltd III. is a great option for individuals whose skin has been left sensitive and delicate by over-the-counter or prescription medications which often are messy, smelly, stain clothing, or thin the skin such as steroids. Skin appears more conditioned, even, elastic, and calm with Dermatitis-Ltd III.

The Baby Eczema Picture

If your baby has an itchy skin rash the problem may be eczema (also called atopic dermatitis). Baby eczema can crop up on a baby's cherubic skin when a child is as young as 2 months old. It generally appears on the forehead, cheeks, or scalp and sometimes spreads to the arms or chest. The rash often shows up as dry, thickened scaly skin, but is sometimes made up of tiny red bumps that may ooze or become infected if scratched. Eczema is thought to be a reaction to allergy-causing substances in the environment. About 10 percent of infants have eczema at some point, but many improve before they're 2 years old. Because the condition is often inherited, your child is more likely to develop eczema if you or some other close family member has any kind of allergic condition, says Amy Paller, professor of pediatrics and dermatology at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago.

Eczema And Skin Care

The skin is supposed to be slightly acidic which protects us from harmful bacteria, but most people use alkaline soaps that destroy the skin’s acid mantle and remove much needed moisture. Use pH balanced non-soap cleansers. Soap residue left in clothes can also irritate (use 1/3 of recommended and a brand like All Free & Clear). Most problems come from the use of harsh or sensitizing chemicals on the skin.

Internally speaking, the skin is the largest eliminative organ. Cleaning the body on the inside by detoxifying can be very beneficial in reducing the allergic (atopic) component. Greens are one of the best ways to do that (juice, blend, drink and eat them). Drinking enough water to hydrate from within along with taking your good fats like fish, borage and flax oil, as well as glucosamine, will help the skin retain moisture. To rebuild the skin, you need protein/amino acids. Vitamins, minerals, enzymes for digestion and beneficial bacteria as well as maintaining your alkaline pH on the inside are all crucial, and there’s a whole world of information on the how’s and why’s of that.
Food allergies and certain foods such as wheat, gluten, dairy and nuts can trigger eczema outbreaks. Hydrochloric acid deficiencies may also be associated as well as overproduction of candida (yeast) and consequently leaky gut syndrome. Further, underproduction of the delta-6 desaturase enzyme and overproduction of delta-5 desaturase enzyme which are involved in inflammation may be a key factor.

Nutrition, detoxification, anti-stress coping skills and external practices are all a part of healing eczema. The body is trying to tell you something, and it’s not just a defective on/off switch in the inflammatory cycle. Inflammation is the process that fights infection; and, if there is a bacterial or fungal overcolonization, steroids (which stop the inflammation process) may actually make the problem worse by allowing infection to run wild. Changing your body’s chemistry internally and externally to provide the proper environment for skin health can bring about a permanent change in this condition.