Many people suffer from eczema (atopic dermatitis). Eczema is an itchy, red rash. It can appear all over the body, and many people have it on their elbows or behind their knees. Babies often have eczema on the face, especially the cheeks and chin. They can also have it on the scalp, trunk (chest and back), and on the outer arms and legs. Children and adults tend to have eczema on the neck, wrists, ankles, and in areas that bend, like the inner elbow and knee.
The number of sufferers has increased 2/3 times over the past 30 years. For every 10 children, 1 or 2 of them have eczema. That is 10% to 20%. For adults, the rate is 1% to 3%, or 1 to 3 of every 100 adults.
Causes
Eczema, in common with most ill health conditions, is believed to establish itself only when the body's natural defensive and healing systems are at a low ebb. From our experience we have found that people suffering from czema often have an intolernace to several if not all of the following: dairy, yeast, wheat, caffeine, citrus fruits & alcohol.
It is particulary important with eczema that the body is alkali as a body which is too acidic is a perfect host for a skin complaint such as this.
A sensitivity to pesticides has also been indicated from our experience as making eczema worse. A switch over to organic foods has proven to be successful in some cases. (interestingly non organic celery contains a fungus which can lead to skin irritations - one of our clients make the switch to organic & her eczema cleared up)
Eczema often improves when the approach is taken to improve the immune system. This can be done through probiotics, de-tox/drainage support for the liver & additional supplemenst such as multi vitamins, antioxidants, milk thistle, zinc & flax seed oil.