Naturopathic Solutions For Eczema

Your skin is your body’s largest organ.

It’s also arguably one of the most important.

Your skin holds everything together, protects you from bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, helps detoxify, and turns sunlight into vitamin D to keep your bones strong.

The appearance of your skin can also be the first sign of something wrong on a deeper level.

Spots, rashes, and redness, are often signs of other imbalances in your body.

Today we will have a closer look at eczema, its cause, and some naturopathic treatments for skin conditions which can help manage it.

What Is Eczema

Eczema is also known as atopic dermatitis.

It is a skin condition characterized by itchy, inflamed, red, and cracked patches of skin.

Eczema is one of the more common skin conditions.

A report from the Canadian Dermatology Association states that 17% of Canadians will deal with some sort of eczema in their life.

It almost always begins before age five.

Most children outgrow the condition by their tenth birthday.

Symptoms Of Eczema

The presentation of eczema is different in children than in adults.

When eczema appears in adults it is characterized by the following:

• Rashes which cover the whole body
• Rashes appearing in the creases of knees, elbows, and at the nape of the neck
• Extremely dry skin
• Unyielding itchiness
• Very scaly rashes
• Skin infections

People who had eczema as a child and have outgrown it may still have extremely dry skin which is easily irritated.

Symptoms In Children

In children under the age of two, you will generally notice rashes on their scalp and cheeks if they have eczema.

These rashes can also bubble up and leak fluid.

Eczema in children at this age can also thicken and develop into knots.

In children over the age of two, symptoms can include:

• Rashes in the crease of elbows and knees
• Rashes in the crease between the buttock and legs
• Rashes on the neck, wrists, and ankles

The appearances of the rash may change over time.

Some of these changes might look like:

• Becoming bumpy
• Changing colour (becoming lighter or darker)
• Thickening and developing knots and a permanent itch

What Causes Eczema?

The exact cause of eczema isn’t known.

However, there are some triggers that are believed to aggravate the condition.

These triggers include:

• Irritants such as detergents, shampoos, and disinfectants
• Allergens including dust mites, dandruff, mold, and pollen
• Microbes
• Extreme hot or cold temperatures
• Certain foods including dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, wheat and soy products
• Stress
• Toxins
• Hormonal factors

Naturopathic Treatments For Eczema

If you or your child are suffering from eczema flare ups, there are a number of natural ways to get things under control.

Let’s take a look at some ways to provide treatment for this condition, and stop the itch.

1. Dietary Changes

As mentioned above, there are a number of foods which can trigger eczema flare ups.

A good place to start is by limiting or removing these foods from your diet.

Secondly, adding anti-inflammatory foods to your diet can help keep flare-ups under control.

Some anti inflammatory foods to consider adding to your diet include:

• Fish
• Leafy greens
• Cinnamon and turmeric
• Lentils and beans
• Colourful fruits and vegetables including cherries and apples
• Foods high in probiotics including yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, and miso

2. Liver Support

Your liver is one of your primary detox organs.

It works in combination with your lungs, kidneys, and skin in order to eliminate toxins and waste from the body.

Usually if your skin is aggravated, it’s an indication that your liver needs support.

You can support your liver in a couple different ways.

Naturopathic medicine uses nutrition, botanicals and supplements in order to support the liver and promote skin health.

Foods that support liver health include:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Dandelion greens
• Artichokes
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Dark leafy greens like kale

Eating the above foods is a good start on your own.

However, if you want to further explore botanical medicine and targeted supplementation, I can help.

Book an appointment with me, Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, so we can work together to create personalized solutions for your or your child’s eczema.

2. Topical Aloe Vera

Aloe vera gel has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.

Applying this gel can help to prevent infections, which can occur when skin is dry and cracked.

It also has wound healing properties which can help to soothe skin and hasten healing.

There are some things you should look out for when purchasing aloe vera gel.

Firstly, look for products with only a few ingredients.

You should also avoid any products with additives like alcohol, fragrance, and preservatives.

Ingredients like these can further irritate your skin instead of help it.

Before using your aloe vera gel, test a small amount of it on your skin.

This way you can make sure you don’t have any adverse reactions to it.

Aloe vera is generally safe, but it can sometimes cause some stinging.

3. Stress Management

Stress can aggravate eczema and other skin conditions.

If you are dealing with chronic stress due to situations at work or at home, you may find your eczema harder to manage.

Additionally, you may notice it flares up more when you’re under unusually high amounts of acute stress.

In these instances, finding ways to better manage your stress can help you decrease the stress in your life and better manage flare-ups.

4. Selenium Supplementation

Selenium is a trace mineral which can help decrease inflammation.

It works by preventing oxidative stress by interacting with enzymes in the body.

Foods high in selenium include:

• Tuna
• Brazil nuts
• Port
• Beef
• Oysters
• Shrimp
• Mushrooms
• Tofu

5. Acupuncture

A 2019 study in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine reviewed the effectiveness of using acupuncture as a treatment for eczema.

In this study, acupuncture was shown to reduce the intensity of itchiness.

It was also shown to be better than conventional medicine at reducing the area and severity of eczema.

More studies will need to be done in order to conclusively add acupuncture to the list of concrete natural solutions for eczema.

For now, however, it looks promising.

Book Your Appointment With Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, Today

Are you tired of the itchy, cracked red skin that comes with eczema?

Perhaps your child is dealing with this skin condition and it pains you to see them so uncomfortable all the time.

Maybe you’ve been using pharmaceutical solutions for dealing with eczema, but are worried about the long term effects of using steroid-based creams on your skin.

It’s time to try something new.

Book your appointment with me, Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, and find out about how naturopathic medicine can help you get clear, itch free skin, today.

Book your appointment with me, Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, today.