Eczema -

Why is it difficult for you to overcome eczema? The reason is in the fact that each person's eczema has a different and sometimes multiple underlying causes, and addressing that specific cause is the key to eliminating it.

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is an inflammatory condition which can impact individuals across any age, from early childhood to later life. The most prevalent type, known as atopic eczema, affects 1 in 5 children and 1 in 10 adults in the United Kingdom.

Many of you believe you cannot overcome eczema because you’ve been told you must learn to live with it or, even worse, manage it with steroid creams that come with various side effects, such as skin thinning, which is challenging to recover from.

So, why is it difficult for you to overcome eczema? The reason is in the fact that each person’s eczema has a different and sometimes multiple underlying causes, and addressing that specific cause is the key to eliminating it. Eczema exists in various forms, including contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, neurodermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, stasis dermatitis, dyshidrotic dermatitis, and nummular eczema, and each of these may have distinct causes and triggers, requiring different treatment approaches. Nonetheless, these diverse forms of eczema share common symptoms, such as swelling, oozing, dryness, sensitivity, itching, crusting, inflamed, red, and rough skin. The severity of your condition may determine whether you experience all or only a few of these symptoms.

So, what can be the root cause or trigger for eczema? Through my experience, I have found the most common causes are:

Stress is a major cause of many conditions, including skin problems. Whether it’s mental or emotional stress, it can trigger eczema and make it worse by increasing systemic inflammation. Acute stress can be helpful, but chronic stress can increase cortisol release and create a heightened stress response. Cortisol is vital for everyday functions and plays a critical role in the stress response. When you face a physical or psychological threat, cortisol levels rise to provide energy to deal with stress-inducing triggers. However, too much cortisol can cause widespread inflammation and have harmful effects.

Stress is an inevitable part of life, nevertheless, we have the capacity to alter our perception of what is stressful and how we react to it.

Dysbiosis – bacterial overgrowth, yeast infections, and parasitic infections can disturb the balance of your gut microbiota and modify your immune reactions by generating metabolites that can lead to an inflammatory environment. This ongoing imbalance in the gut microbiome and the immune system continues into adulthood and consequently plays a role in the progression of eczema.

Histamine intolerance. Histamine is a very important chemical with various roles within your body, such as eliminating allergens as a component of your immune reaction, relaying messages to your brain, and stomach acid production to facilitate the digestive process. We all have a different threshold of histamine and when it becomes too much for our body we start having histamine intolerance symptoms one of which is eczema. Some dysbalances in our body cause it, for example, certain bacteria varieties release histamine which increases histamine levels in your body potentially causing histamine intolerance. Parasites trigger an immune response by activating mast cells to generate histamine, contributing to the development of histamine intolerance as well. In some cases, a deficiency of DAO enzyme that is produced in our gut and supports histamine clearance may be the cause.

Chemicals from shower gels, shampoos, creams and make-up, and household cleaning detergents etc. can worsen your eczema. Sometimes simple changes to natural products can reduce the severity of your symptoms.

As you’ve observed, eczema can be caused by a multitude of factors and triggers, and it can be challenging to eliminate it without identifying the underlying cause. If you’re interested in discovering how I can assist you, please schedule a complimentary 20-minute session by visiting my homepage

Intestinal permeability or leaky gut can result in nutrient deficiencies and harmful toxins cross the intestinal barrier causing systemic inflammation that will lead to skin disorders, DAO deficiency and histamine intolerance.

Eczema has a genetic component. It tends to run in families, and individuals with a family history of atopic dermatitis are at a higher risk of developing the condition. Genetic mutations of FLG gene that is responsible for keeping the skin hydrated are considered one of the main genes involved in the development of eczema.

While genetics significantly predisposes someone to eczema, you can alter the gene expression by affecting environmental factors, immune system responses and eliminating triggers.