I've battled eczema since I was about 8 years old. I'm almost 30. It's had it's up and downs but has been terrible lately. I'm convinced I have some sort of contact allergy causing it but now I'm wondering if diet could be part of it too. I know a lot of LOs end up with eczema and out grow it (if only I was that lucky!). I'm hoping there's a mom on here who's done some research on the effects of diet on eczema. I don't know where to begin. I'm all for reading books but there are a LOT out there and, again, I don't know what's the most helpful! Can anyone point me in a direction to start?!
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I've had eczema pretty bad since I was a little baby. It has definitely gotten better for the most part and evolved, but I was never one of the lucky ones to outgrow it.
I've had a couple of doctors recommend various diets and eliminations to see if it helps. Dr.Perricone's Anti-Inflammatory Diet, basically Paleo, and/or "eliminate dairy sugar carbs soy grains.." I've never been able to do it. But my eczema has flared up recently and I was intrigued by @MRs. High heels: Whole30 journey to resolve her eczema type issues! I think I'll make some changes after our vacation!
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Ditto what @shopaholic: said. My understanding is that because it is autoimmune related, that a low inflammation diet like paleo is a good way to go.
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@shopaholic: I wouldn't be surprised if some aspects of diet help. I ate a pretty clean diet for about 3 months last year (a notch above Whole30, I'd say?). But, I don't remember if things were any better then or what. I don't know if this is connected to my outdoor allergies either. It's hard to know what to eliminate to help things. Eliminating dairy, sugar, carbs, grains, etc. all at once and what's left?! LOL.
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@Revel: I guess I don't know much about eczema and the origins of it... What do you mean by autoimmune? Like my body is reacting to something, hence the attack on my immune system, resulting in eczema? (That's a mouthful, LOL!)
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@LindsayInNY: Ha I'm totally not a science person, but how you explained it is what I was trying to say. I don't know if it's truly an autoimmune condition, but more that it tends to show up with people who have allergies, celiac, things like that. My SO has bad eczema and also allergies and I've tried encouraging him to try a paleo diet for it but he's not yet been willing. We're hopeful LO won't have inherited his condition.
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@Revel: I think I need to suck it up and try it at least for a period of time. The eczema is consistently in the inside of my arms/elbows but also on my face. That's the worst. My eyes are SUPER bad right now - the inside and outside corners especially. My eye doctor thinks it's an allergic reaction and gave me a new solution to try. But if it is a reaction, it's giving eczema-like symptoms. SO not enjoyable! Or cute.
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Yes!! I did the whole30 and my eczema is almost completely gone! I'm still going to an allergist (today, actually)... to get bloodwork done, but I wrote a post about it not too long ago.
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@LindsayInNY: I get flare-ups always really bad when the seasons change and in the winter. The corners of my eyes, mouth, ear lobes, and knuckles are the worst as an adult. Weather and environmental allergens definitely play a role.
For the face, I'll only use medication steroid ointments now if I'm really suffering terribly. I've found using the Eucerin Original Cream and re-applying all day every day helps a lot.
I know the elimination diet is SO HARD. I mean, what IS left? That's why it's been a hard sell for me. But I don't doubt an anti-inflammatory diet would help. I've had one doctor tell me to eliminate grains (white carbs) and dairy first to see if that helps. He said those 2 are usually the main culprits.
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@Mrs. High Heels: I'm reading your posts now... I didn't realize eczema was one of the issues! I've been taking Zyrtec daily for over a year to prevent oral allergy syndrome reactions (basically allergic reactions to certain foods due to outdoor allergies - it's a cross-reaction or something). I forgot to take it this past Sunday and was sneezing like crazy! I've had allergy testing done but want to have the patch testing done since I feel like it's a contact allergy. But now I wonder if it is in fact more diet related... Sigh.
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@LindsayInNY: I say give the Whole30 a try for 30 days, and then start reintroducing everything back one by one to see what you're most affected by. I have a suspicion that I'm either affected by gluten/wheat or dairy... I'm thinking wheat, but I think by eliminating dairy it's really helped with some of my bloated and lethargic feelings. I recommend reading the book "It Starts with Food" to really help you understand why they're against each of the food groups they want you to refrain from eating (grains, soy, dairy, sugar, legumes). Also, google "Leaky Gut"! It's fascinating stuff.
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@Mrs. High Heels: That's what I'm thinking... Not to make total excuses but I think I might start with eliminating certain things one by one to see if I can pinpoint a cause - sugar, dairy, wheat. I'm not sure which to start with. I think I'm going to read that book you recommended though!
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@shopaholic: That's why I figured environmental allergies were the issue. But I feel like I'm getting worse and not better now! My gut says there's something else at issue here though...
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@LindsayInNY: my cousin has eczema and hers is better when she is processed sugar free and gluten free.
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@MrsH: That's my fear
My gut says it's either dairy, sugar or gluten. All of which I will really miss!
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I didn't start getting eczema until I was about 22. I had a lot of symptoms that none of my doctors could figure out and went gluten free at 24. Most of my issues vanished or have been well controlled after going gluten free, but it helped my eczema very little, if at all. I was really bummed about that! On the other hand I have a friend who went wheat free at the suggestion of her dermatologist and it helped her eczema a lot. You just have to figure out what is right for you. Good luck!
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@mrs. 64: Talk about frustrating! I have an allergist appointment in two weeks so maybe that'll help. In the meantime, I think I just need to try eliminating some things and seeing how that goes?
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@mrs. 64: I've never had eczema in my life until I was 29! Talk about frustrating.
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I've had eczema for as long as I can remember, I've had it on my hands since giving birth to my 11 year old. Like @Shopaholic: it worsens when the season change, my earlobe just cleared up after close to 4 months (I was pregnant when it started this year!) and now my knuckles are swollen and cracking
I know what it's like to have it on your face too, I was seeing an acupuncturist a couple years ago for it, which helped a little. She recommended the anti-inflammatory diet and said it has to do with excess heat and my kidneys. When it's on my face my eyelids swell, itch, burn, and turn bright red, then flake away and return. worst place ever! I wasn't willing to put my family through the elimination diet though, nor did I have time to cook 2 separate meals for us.
I have found that only using products without sodium lauryl sulfate help a little bit, I think my hands are from contact dermatitis. I switched laundry soap, hand soap, shampoo, and only use eucerin original thick cream.
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My niece had pretty bad eczema, and an alternative dr suggested to my sister that she eliminate gluten. It cleared up very quickly for her after that change.
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I didn't know much about eczema until my LO had it around 3 months old. After doing a little research I found that his eczema could be related to the foods I was eating since he was drinking breast milk. I decided to eliminate dairy and wheat from my diet, and I noticed a huge difference in his skin.
After a year we did some blood test to determine his allergies -- dairy, egg, and peanuts. Later we added dust mites to the list. When he has exposure to any one of his allergies, his skin immediately takes a hit. It takes about 2 weeks for the food to completely leave his system, and his skin shows improvement. We have to moisturize him twice a day with Vanicream and treat the bad eczema spots as needed with steroid cream.
We also only bath him with soap once or twice a week so that it doesn't dry out his skin. I've also tried Alpha Keri Oil (found on Amazon) for baths instead of using soap to moisturize the skin. Of course immediately moisturize with lotion after baths/showers.
While I haven't read it yet, the author of Call the Midwife, Jennifer Worth, published a book called Eczema and Food Allergy: The Hidden Cause. She didn't accept the medical community's answer to her eczema and took a proactive approach to determining foods that worsened her eczema.
Hope this little bit of info helps. I'm still learning about it myself, in hopes of improving conditions for my LO.
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