All Things Eczema
Hi, friend. Let’s talk about eczema. Not only is it one of the most common conditions that gets brought up to me as a pediatric PA, but the physical, emotional, and economic toll can be so high. If you have a child with eczema, I’ve personally been down that road, and it can be so disheartening and discouraging.
Eczema is NOT…
First, let’s talk about what eczema is NOT.
Eczema is not a lotion deficiency, as much as mass marketing and advertising will lead you to believe. The economic burden of eczema alone is 5.3 billion dollars a year. I promise you, your sweet child’s eczema is not due to your inability as their mother to find that perfect lotion or balm.
Eczema is not a given. I’ve had so many mamas tell me their Pediatrician or Dermatologist has shrugged their shoulders, told them we don’t know why eczema happens, and that it’s simply grown out of. They write a prescription for topical (and sometimes even oral!) steroids and send you to the pharmacy. They jot down expensive lotions and creams, and off you go to the store. Then you’re left confused as the cycle repeats itself, and the eczema returns, and off you go to get more steroids and more creams.
So what is eczema?
Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that affects an alarming number of children in the United States, and this number is climbing each year. Eczema often presents as dry, itchy, red, and sometimes even painful skin. It can be found anywhere on the skin, but tends to affect specific places like behind the knees, behind the ears, face, and creases of the elbow. Infants especially can be affected because of their freshly minted skin barrier.
Why is eczema a problem?
Aside from how uncomfortable eczema can be, and the increased risk of skin infections because of angry, broken down skin, eczema points to a much bigger problem. The skin is a window to the gut, and if the skin is inflamed, you can bet the gut and immune system are inflamed too. Unfortunately, it can be quite a vicious cycle. When the healthy skin barrier is lost, the immune system is activated. Chronically damaged skin then causes a chronically reactive immune system. This overactive immune system then feeds and exacerbates the eczema.
Eczema ignored can also lend itself to a lot of problems down the road. The unfortunate reality is that 50% of children with eczema will go on to develop asthma and 30% will develop food allergies. We call this the “atopic march.” Each of these conditions lend themselves to more prescriptions, steroids, and an overactive immune system.
Let’s talk inflammation.
So why are some kids stuck in a hyper-inflammatory and immune-system-overloaded state and some kids aren’t? We have a lot of theories, and at the end of the day, it’s likely multi-factorial. It’s not always so simple. There are multiple factors at play including:
Genetics/Epigenetics
Hygiene hypothesis: the concept that we live in an overly sanitized world, and our reduced exposure to bacteria leads to an under-stimulated and overly responsive immune system
Gut imbalance
Nutrient depletion
Inflammatory diet
Glutathione depletion from stress, poor diet, mercury/thimerosol post-vaccination, methylation issues, and Tylenol use
Aluminum exposure
Stress
What are some free, easy things to incorporate at home to reduce inflammation?
Get outside, rain or shine, 30-60 minutes a day.
Prioritize your child getting the recommended daily amount of sleep for their age.
Take a good look at the toxic burden in your home – what are you using for laundry detergent, shampoo, lotions, etc?
Minimize SUGAR. Take a good, hard look at all those snacks in your pantry. Children under 2 years old should be getting 0 grams of added sugar daily. Over 2? Only 25 grams of added sugar.
Avoid food allergens.
Focus on a low inflammatory diet – increase prebiotic and probiotic foods, polyphenols, and fermented foods while minimizing large amounts of gluten and dairy.
Omega 3 supplementation.
Take a look at Vitamin D status (though I recommend getting this tested first, to see how much should be supplemented).
You can find some of these supplements on my Fullscript account under “Pediatric Immune Support.” As always, these go-tos are generalized and not specific medical advice for your child. Always consult your pediatrician or reach out to me before starting a new medication or supplement for your child.
What else can you do?
An integrative and holistic approach to eczema takes a look at all the factors listed above to create a personalized plan to tackle the root cause for your child. Eczema prevention and treatment will vary with each child. The goals of holistic treatment are to soothe the skin, rewind the skin barrier damage, reduce inflammation in the body, develop and sustain a healthy gut microbiome, and balance the immune system. Book your discovery call today and we can tackle this together.
Sources:
https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/what-is-eczema/eczema-statistics/
http://acaai.org/allergies/allergic-conditions/skin-allergy/eczema