Get your eczema under control with advice from holistic clinic Melbourne

Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that causes a red, itchy rash in various parts of the body. There are different types of eczema, though the reason it appears and the treatments are very similar between types.

In childhood, eczema typically appears in the fold of the arms and legs. First it is red and itchy. Often children have to wear gloves in the night to stop the damage from scratching in their sleep. When scratched, the skin can break and scabs form. These scabs are dry and flaky and can be slow to heal, before another round of red itchy rash appears.

In adults, eczema can present anywhere on the body, though one of the most common areas is the hands. Little fluid filled blisters appear which are very itchy. When they burst, the skin in that area becomes raised and rough. This type of eczema is called pompholyx and in my experience as a Naturopath Melbourne, it strongly correlates with stress and zinc deficiency.

The origin of eczema

Most types of eczema have a hereditary component. Ever noticed that disorders of an overactive immune system (think asthma, hay fever and skin rashes) run in families? There are a number of genes that can predispose you to eczema – some of these genes affect your skin’s ability to build a healthy protein barrier in the skin’s outer layer. Others may inhibit your ability to convert anti-inflammatories in the body e.g. omega-3. If you have any of these genes, you can live free of eczema. What Integrative Medical Clinic Melbourne observe is that an environmental, dietary or emotional trigger can “switch on” immune over activity, leading to symptoms. Control of these triggers is enough to prevent eczema flairs ongoing.

The relationship between stress, the gut and eczema

While we still have a lot to learn in relation to the gut-skin connection, what we do know is there is a strong link between increased intestinal permeability (AKA ‘leaky gut’) and skin inflammation in eczema. This is because a layer of immune tissue resides directly below the gut lining. Factors such as ongoing high stress or poor microbial gut health can lead to leaky gut, which in turn allows particles to seep through to the immune system. The immune system will then recognize these particles as foreign, which triggers an inflammatory reaction to try and get rid of the ‘invading particle’. Gut health naturopathy Melbourne recommends speaking to a practitioner who can help identify what is causing leaky gut in you if you suffer from an inflammatory skin issue.

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Created on May 18th 2018 10:56. Viewed 444 times.

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