If you suffer from the distressing condition of atopic eczema and wonder if its possible to treat it (or even prevent it in the first place) without the hassle, misery and expense of prescription pharmaceuticals – look no further! However, before specifically dealing with natural ways to prevent eczema, let’s consider what exactly eczema is, and other forms of the disease.
Eczema is the generic term for a specific group of distressing inflammatory skin conditions resulting in:
• Itchiness – often extreme
• Dry skin and scaly patches of skin
• Rashes
• Blisters
• Infected skin
There are various defined types of eczema, including:
• Atopic eczema
• Contact dermatitis
• Seborrheic dermatitis
• Dyshidrotic eczema
• Stasis dermatitis
For this article we will be considering the most common form of this skin disorder – atopic eczema, characterised by dry and itchy skin, particularly in the creases of the skin behind the knees and elbows.
What are the causes of atopic eczema?
The fundamental underlying predisposing factor of atopic eczema is an overactive immune system – the common factor of all allergic diseases. This factor will be considered later. With the immune system working in such a heightened state the body reacts inappropriately to a number of “triggers”, including environmental stressors and foods, to initiate inflammatory reactions.
Given that similar processes drive food allergies and asthma, eczema is often seen within this triangulation of conditions – this being known as the “Atopic March”.
Before considering natural ways to prevent eczema, it would be productive to consider the known triggers of the distressing condition – these include:
Environmental
Potential environmental allergens and/or irritants including:
• Soaps, shampoos and body washes
• Laundry detergents and fabric softeners
• Household surface cleaners and disinfectants
• Candle fragrances
• Metals – nickel being a particular problem (as found in jewellery)
• Fabrics – for instance polyester
• Formaldehyde – this is found in disinfectants, adhesives and (rather worryingly) some vaccines!
• Isothiazolinone – an antibacterial often found in personal care products
• Dust mites – also a known allergen in the condition of asthma
• Prolonged exposure to dry air and extremes of heat or cold
Emotional stress
This may manifest in two primary ways:
• Stress may cause existing flare-ups and symptoms of atopic eczema to worsen – here stress is an aggravating factor and not a primary cause
• Stress – particularly when worrying about eczema – may be a primary causative factor of the flare-up
Foods
Certain foods are often implicated in atopic eczema flare-ups, including:
• Dairy products (covered in detail later)
• Eggs
• Gluten
• Nuts
• Seafoods particularly shellfish
Treating atopic eczema – what are Big Pharma’s answers?
Before considering the answer to this question, let’s consider just why the pharmaceutical industry is committed to this particular market. One obvious reason is that the global atopic eczema market size was valued by market research at $5.3 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $22.6 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 15.1% from 2022 to 2031.
It’s very easy to be committed when you and your shareholders can take slices from this particular pie!
So, as an attempt at treating atopic eczema, what wonderful and profitable options has Big Pharma managed to come up with? Examples include:
Corticosteroids
These are essentially hydrocortisone (steroid) treatments available as:
• Creams
• Lotions
• Gels
• Mousses
• Ointments
• Solutions
These concoctions are available in four different strengths (potencies) – these are:
• Mild (available over the counter without prescription)
• Moderate
• Potent
• Very potent
It should be noted that irrespective of the potency of the particular preparation used these are still steroids. Long term use of even low potency steroid preparations, carry the risk of known unpleasant health and bodily consequences.
An example of a low potency hydrocortisone preparation is clobetasone. This carries the risk of a number of potential side effects, including:
Common side effects
• Burning or stinging sensation
• Allergic reaction – seems somewhat counterproductive!
Uncommon and serious side effects
• Vomiting
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss
• Dizziness
• Tiredness and lethargy
• Extreme mood swings
All of the above may be symptoms of steroid-related adrenal gland suppression – a potentially dangerous development.
• Confusion
• Extreme thirst
• Hot flushes
• Unusually raised frequency of urination
All of the above symptoms may be related to raised blood sugar levels.
An example of a higher potency (prescription only) hydrocortisone preparation is betamethasone. This carries the risk of a number of potential side effects, including:
Common side effects
• Burning or stinging sensations
• Itching at the skin site of application – just what you need with eczema!
Less common side effects
• Blistering of skin
• Dry skin
• Thinning of the skin with easy bruising
Rare and serious side effects
• Blurred vision
• Eye pain
• Loss of vision
• Severe headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
Non-steroidal treatment
Big Pharma has developed a steroid-free treatment for moderate to severe atopic eczema – this involves a class of drugs known as “monoclonal antibodies” that work by blocking certain natural proteins in your body (interleukin-4 and interleukin-13) that may cause inflammation. An example of this is Dupixent – a drug that is subcutaneously injected.
Given the horrific catalogue of potential side effects, clearly Dupixent is not overly specific in which proteins it blocks. These side effects include:
Common side effects
• Joint pain
• Pain and swelling at injection site
• Cold sores
• Sore throat
• Insomnia
• Toothache
• Dizziness
• Muscle pain
Serious side effects
• Eye-related side effects
• Eosinophilic conditions
• Severe allergic reaction
Given the multitude of potentially damaging side effects of the pharmaceutical industry’s answers to treating atopic eczema it would be constructive to look at natural alternatives.
Natural ways to prevent eczema – what are your choices?
Preventive measures
Stress management
Given that emotional stress – particularly when worrying about eczema happening in the first place– may well be a primary causative factor of the flare-up, it is productive to commence and practice regular stress management techniques. These may include:
● Visualisation and mental imagery exercises
● Deep breathing exercises
● Meditation
● Listening to relaxing music
● Counseling or therapies (such as cognitive behaviour therapy)
Avoidance of “trigger” foods
Dietary considerations, crucial in all disorders, are a vital factor in natural ways to prevent eczema – in this case because certain foods may “trigger” the condition. Known triggers of atopic eczema include:
• Dairy products
With ANY allergic-based conditions such as atopic eczema, dairy should be eliminated from the diet entirely. The allergenic nature of dairy (particularly when denatured by heat) has been shown to be a precipitating or aggravating factor in many distressing allergic conditions. Many plant-based physicians have suggested that adopting a plant-based and totally dairy-free diet can, in some cases, actually eliminate allergic disorders. (See my article dairy and health)
• Gluten
• Nuts
• Seafoods particularly shellfish
• Eggs
If you suffer from atopic eczema, to determine which particular foods are “triggers” for your condition, keep a daily food journal and record all that you eat and how this relates to the timing of eczema flare-ups and eliminate any implicated foods.
Avoidance of environmental triggers
Try to avoid exposure to known environmental triggers. (See above for details of these)
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy can be used effectively as a treatment for the symptoms of eczema (and allergic conditions generally) but can this complementary technique be included amongst natural ways to prevent eczema in the first place?
Certainly, in many cases the answer to this question is yes. The mind and body are not disconnected entities but actually work together in a synergistic fashion. The science of psychoneuroimmunology has long recognised that the power of the mind has a phenomenal ability to control and influence the immune system and that hypnotherapy can facilitate this process. (See my article on hypnotherapy & allergies)
Natural treatments
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is worth considering– this traditional Chinese medicine technique involves inserting thin needles into the skin to stimulate specific energy points on the body and has been shown in many studies to be effective in symptomatic treatment of atopic eczema. Additionally, this wonderful treatment modality acts to decrease stress levels.
Therapeutic foods
As a complete contrast to foods that actually trigger atopic eczema flare-ups, a number of nutritional foods may relieve the symptoms of this disorder – these include:
• Apples
• Sourdough bread
• Broccoli
• Spinach
Probiotics
Research has suggested that eczema may be linked to imbalances of our natural gut microbiome. This means that the symptoms of atopic eczema may be worse if there’s an imbalance of beneficial bacteria within the digestive tract.
These imbalances can be rectified by consuming probiotics in the form of natural supplements or within fermented foods. (For further details see my blog post on probiotics)
Traditional Chinese herbs
For this particular form of treatment to be successful, it is recommended that the particular combination of herbs should be tailored to the individual suffer by a skilled practitioner of Chinese medicine.
Natural oils
As a treatment to skin affected by eczema the following oils have been shown to be effective when applied topically:
• Coconut oil – also has antibacterial properties
• Sunflower oil – reduces rashes and eliminates blistering
Vitamins
Studies have shown that moderate → severe atopic eczema correlates with bodily deficiencies in vitamin D levels. Consequently, vitamin D supplementation is recommended in this situation and has been shown to be effective in controlling the symptoms of the condition.
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“BE TRULY FREE – BE PHARMA FREE”