Treating Eczema Naturally
October 15, 2009 by Anna
Filed under Health & Wellness
When our daughter Nicole was just a toddler she started getting red, scaly, dry hands and feet that she would scratch until the poor skin was shredded. We took her to a pediatrician who diagnosed her with eczema and told us it was a life long condition that was often hereditary and was treated primarily with cortisone creams. We were informed that eczema was often closely linked to other conditions like hay fever, food allergies and asthma –conditions that her father suffered from as well as having a few dry patches on his legs. It seemed our daughter’s eczema was more serious because despite following the doctors orders precisely, the problem got worse.t
As concerned parents, we began to research and look for alternative treatments. Another health professional directed us to a very sticky lanolin salve that had to be kept from smearing all over with white cotton gloves and socks. Our daughter hated this but without the salve she would itch herself bloody every night. We went to a naturopathic doctor who told us that she might be allergic to various foods and so began an elimination diet that proved she was indeed sensitive to all dairy products. Eliminating dairy was even harder than the white gloves as it turned out nearly all her favorite foods were dairy based. But we were beginning to make some progress.
We discovered that eczema could be aggravated by irritants like smoke, chemicals, detergents and even weather conditions could increase her symptoms. We switched to all natural cleansing agents and reduced cleaning powder for her clothes by half. We learned that cotton clothes were the best for her skin and not overheating was important. Even having her hands in water too long could make her condition worse and perhaps being excused from her turn doing dishes was one of the few good things her eczema brought.
We discovered that a vitamin deficiency of B6 could contribute to the condition and we found that two other dietary supplements made a huge difference.
- Fish oil- omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil helps reduce inflammation throughout the body. This mean less redness and itchiness for skin conditions including eczema.
- Probiotics- helps reduce eczema flare-ups in many children. Flare-ups on the skin usually reflect an imbalance inside the digestive tract. Probiotics populate the gut with “good bacteria” that can suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria which compromise the immune system’s ability to function.
Emotional stress was another factor that could trigger a flare up and of course, Nicole was the child with a raging temper and absolute determination not to be stopped by anyone or anything. That was a harder factor to work with, especially with 3 other siblings and Irish genes. We learned that when she had had enough, it was important to support her to take care of herself – often by spending time alone in her room and listening to her music. As she got older, taking time out really seemed to help her cope with daily stress and often that was when she would apply her ointments.
It seems we must have gone through scores of over the counter creams as well as home made potions. The lanolin based salve we discovered could have harsh chemical pesticide residues and other contaminants in it because, again relief was short lived. Vitamin E and pure shea butter seemed to be consistently helpful. But it wasn’t until we discovered evening primrose oil, that the condition could be said to go into remission. Using the oil daily, significantly decreased the dryness, itching, and scaling. Evening primrose oil contains a fatty acid known as gamma-linoleic acid which has anti-inflammatory properties which could explain its ability to relieve the symptoms of eczema.
While I’m sure there’s not one single treatment that will work for every child, I think it’s important to take the journey wherever it leads you. It took us years to find the right balance of eliminating foods, adding supplements and keeping those areas cool and well nourished with organic emollient creams and oils to ease Nicole’s distress. We had to continually modify our treatments based on what we were finding and what her needs were as she got older. Having a child who is hurting tests a parent to their core. Fortunately, today, more is known on how to manage eczema naturally and relieve a lot of the distress for both child and parent.
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