Eczema


Eczema is a common skin condition affecting about 1 in 5 people. This is an inflammatory skin condition which usually results in cycles of red itchy skin and scratching which can lead to lesions.  Eczema can be presented differently depending on the type, while affecting the skin anywhere from the scalp to the bottom of your feet. Symptoms depend on the type of eczema, but it’s most commonly shown as dryness and redness. 

While your Dermatologist will prescribe you steroids and anti-inflammatory topical drugs that will relieve your symptoms, it’s important you know that it is temporarily and it wont heal or treat your eczema. Long term steroid use will thin out your skin and reduce your immune system. Naturopathic Medicine is also effective at relieving symptoms temporarily, however, even if you choose to do so conventionally, it’s important you still get to the root cause of your eczema.

Eczema irritation natural solution to a healthy skin

Diagnosis

General symptoms of eczema include: 

  • Itchy skin
  • Red / brown patches of skin / red skin rash
  • Thickened skin which may appear dry or wet. 

There are different types of eczema :

  • Atopic dermatitis (the most common) – chronic and inflammatory due to your immune system being in overdrive. Symptoms include dry scaly skin and redness. 
  • Contact dermatitis – usually happens when something is irritating the skin such as silver, plants, solvents, chemicals, acidic foods, wool, perfumes, latex etc. This causes inflammation, itchiness and burning like sensation but it is not chronic and will go away. If severe, it may cause blisters. 
  • Seborrheic dermatitis – usually appears on the scalp, upper back and face (especially on the nose). This typically happens due to fungus infections and overgrowth, such as Candida. Click here to read more about Candida causes and treatment. This type of Eczema may appear as redness, greasy skin and dandruff as crusty flakes. 

Other types are Dyshidrotic Eczema and Stasis dermatitis. Both are known to be ‘wet eczema’ as they include blisters. Stasis dermatitis is the most severe form of eczema due to circulation abnormalities. 

Baby / infant eczema can also be treated naturally. Ask Dr. Tali for more info here. 


Causes

There are many other links to your skin health such as gut health, hormones, liver health, nutrition and inflammation. If you put a pen on your cheek and keep drawing without lifting your pen, you will eventually reach the gut lining. This is to show that your skin is also a representation of what is going on inside of you, in your digestive organs. 

  • Family history
  • Allergies – either environmental or food. This happens through an immune system response which triggers eczema. 
  • Asthma and other lung conditions. 
  • Food sensitivities
  • Stress & anxiety – may not only trigger it but also worsen the symptoms. Stress increases cortisol which in turn increases prostaglandins in the body. These are inflammatory particles which worsen eczema flare-ups. 
  • Nutrient deficiencies – such as B vitamins, Omega 3, zinc and Vitamin D. Dr. Tali will do a full assessment to determine your nutritional status. 
  • Digestive disorders: conditions such as SIBO, IBS, IBD, Leaky Gut Syndrome and Celiac. 
  • Autoimmune conditions
  • Medications – while corticosteroids may be used to address symptoms of Eczema, it can also cause a rebound flare up and lead to a vicious cycle of flare ups and steroid creams. 
  • Products and toxins – it is easy nowadays to get in contact with different toxins and chemicals from house hold items, make up, soaps etc. Dr. Tali will may request the full list of these products in order to get to the root cause of your eczema. 

Eczema Naturopathic Treatment

Dr. Tali’s natural treatment to Eczema approach is individualized and tailored to your needs. As you can see, Eczema has many causes and its important to do an in-depth investigation into your history. Depending on your case, Dr. Tali may suggest testing such as Food Sensitivity Testing as it’s important to eliminate all the triggers to your flare ups. Adrenal Hormone Testing may also be suggested based on your individualized case to assess how much stress hormones you are producing. Dr. Tali will go over your house products as well as assess your nutritional status. Finding out the root cause to your eczema is key, luckily, you found yourself someone who is really curious and will take a deep dive to find it. 

Treatment goals for eczema is to always treat the cause, improve symptoms and flare ups by implementing a proper individualized treatment. Any other health concerns associated will also be treated and realigned. Dr. Tali uses evidence based treatment which includes herbal medicine, supplementation, nutrition, acupuncture, diet and lifestyle as part of her naturopathic medical treatment. Dr. Tali’s approach to Eczema isn’t just to optimize your skin health but it’s also to reduce inflammation, reduce stress, heal the gut and educate you about your health and body. Since it’s hard to avoid daily stressors, it’s best to make yourself more resilient to them, which is something Dr. Tali strives to do with all of her patients. Especially since research suggests that stress is one of the biggest triggers to your Eczema flare ups!