eczema

[Guest guest]

Here’s

a good article I have on eczema –

Carol

 

Understanding the causes of eczema helps you deal with the root causes of this

potentially serious skin disease.

 

Understanding Eczema:

Understanding eczema is not much different from the kind of thinking you would

do if a plant you have is not thriving. You probably would say to yourself that

your plant is “not doing well”, “wilting”, or

“withering”, in your attempt to make a diagnosis. You would first

consider whether you failed to give the plant something it requires to flourish

and then wonder if the plant might be exposed to something that did not agree

with it. You know from science of horticulture that if a plant is stressed by

pests, germs or toxins, it may require more nutrients; if it is undernourished

it may be more susceptible to the effects of pests, germs or toxins.

 

We, as human beings, are more complex than plants in that we need a greater

variety of nutrients and are subject to a greater variety of germs and toxins,

but the most important difference between us and plants is that there is a

greater variety among us than there is among the plants. Each one of us is

different from everyone else.

 

Even though every human being is biochemically

unique, you can still use a general biological map to guide you towards

understanding the causes of eczema.

 

If you take the strategy for treating the sick plant and apply it to yourself,

you might ask the following questions:

 

1. What kinds of nutrients do I need to get in order

for my skin to heal?

2. What kinds of toxins do I need to avoid in order to heal

my skin?

 

According to scientific knowledge the kinds of nutrients a person needs in

order to thrive are; vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids,

carbohydrates, water and other factors such as light, love and rest.

 

The kinds of toxins a person needs to avoid in order to thrive are allergens.

Examples of allergens are food, pollen, dust, chemicals, mold and other

microorganisms. Examples of other toxins are lead, mercury, aluminum, compounds

produced by living creatures including ourselves and our germs; and synthetic

compounds, most of which are products of petrochemicals which in turn come from

oil. Radiation of various kinds is potentially toxic as well.

 

Based on the above information you need to ask yourself questions beginning

with the word “could.” For example, with my eczema, I asked myself

these questions “Could I have an essential fatty acid deficiency that may

have contributed to my eczema?” “Could I have accumulated high

levels of damaging cortisone compounds in my liver and kidney?”

 

The literature on the incidence of nutrient deficiencies or special nutritional

needs and the prevalence of toxins in our environment provides ample scientific

backing to the legitimacy of posing these questions and understanding their

relationship to eczema.

 

Causes of Eczema

• Something is out of balance. e.g., The body is producing too many or too few hormones. In the

case of eczema low thyroid function can be a major cause in the development of

eczema. When the thyroid function is low, circulation is reduced. In advanced

cases of hypothyroidism, the skin, in fact, may receive as little as one-fourth

to one-fifth the normal blood supply.

 

With reduced circulation, the nourishment supplied by blood is reduced and, at

the same time, waste products are not removed promptly and completely since

blood is the primary remover. The result is a skin which is not normally

healthy and the development of itching, swelling, blistering, oozing, and

scaling of the skin (Barnes, pp. 112-114).

 

• Something is wrong with digestion. If the intestinal tract is not

healthy, neither is the rest of the body including the skin. It is the point of

fuel and nutrient entry that runs the body.

 

James Barker, N.D., in his article, “Skin Health, Eczema, and

Preventative Strategies”, summarized the importance of protecting the

intestinal tract integrity for eczema patients by saying: “If the eyes

and the skin are the portals through which we may observe the body's internal health,

the gut then is the door through which a majority of disease initiates its

entrance into the body....It goes without saying that...the first area of

treatment then for the patient displaying eczema should be the gastrointestinal

lining, without a doubt” (p. 58).

 

Before I developed eczema I always suffered from certain allergies to foods

which caused me to constantly experience bloating, diarrhea, stomach ache,

heart burn and eventually I was diagnosed with ulcers. Eczema is directly

related to the dysfunction of the intestinal tract.

 

• Infection. If the immune system has to get up every day and fight germs

(harmful bacteria, yeast, parasites...etc.) it is not surprising that it may

become cranky and overly reactive to environmental stimuli.

 

Eczema is the immune system becoming overreactive and

hyper responsive to normal stimuli. In Chinese medicine they describe this

condition by saying that a person has too much " heat " .

 

Infections from the growth of Candida albican

is common among eczema patients. For example, in my case, many parts of

my skin looked like it had fungus growing on it. I’m pretty sure that I

and virtually everyone else who has eczema has candidiasis. Candida albicans is

a type of yeast-like fungus that can cause weakening of the immune system and

infection known as candidiasis. Candidiasis

is the result of eating processed foods (white sugar, white flour, white

rice...etc.), using anti-biotics and different

medical drugs.

 

Exposure to toxins. The three primary ways that toxins enter the blood

stream and thus the body are:

 

1. through the digestive system (eaten),

2. through the respiratory system (breathed

in),

3. and through the skin (absorbed).

 

In our modern lifestyle, we are exposed to many harmful chemical substances. An

exposure to any potential toxins can sensitize us and lead to a diseased state

such as eczema.

 

Exposure to toxins can overload the kidney and liver and when that happens,

they become congested. As a result, the burden of daily detoxification can fall

on the skin since it is the biggest elimination organ, thus leading to skin

problems such as eczema.

 

• Invasive life events. A stressful lifestyle can affect the digestive

system greatly . When one is faced with emotional or

psychological stress on a daily basis, the body produces cortisol

(a hormone) which affects the intestinal tract by destroying friendly bacteria.

The digestive system becomes impaired. Most people under stress will say that

they feel pain in their stomach (quite typical to my case). Long term stress

can cause ulcers as the body continues to secret cortisol.

Stress can also stimulate the adrenal glands and exhaust them, causing them to

malfunction. A chain reaction can lead to a whole host of diseases including

that of eczema.

 

As you can see from the above list, there are several causes of eczema, and

therefore, there is no quick fix for eczema. To reverse eczema you must address

the causes of the eczema. So, please don’t waste your time and money on

any of the ‘quick cure’ lotions and potions offered on various eczema help websites. Look into the causes of

eczema and how to address them with changes in your diet and lifestyle. Only

you can do that, only you can become your own best healer. I did it through

research and the process of elimination and so can you.

 

References:

Broda O. Barnes, M.D., and Lawrence Galton. (1976 ). Hypothyroidism:

The Unsuspected Illness. New York:

NY, Harper & Row.

 

Barker, Jason, N.D. (May 2003). “Skin

Health, Eczema, and preventative Strategies.” Townsend Letter for

Doctors and patients. pp. 56-58. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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