Knowing About Eczema Triggers & Elimination Diet

By Charlie Brown

Eczema is supposed to be an inflammatory skin issue also referred to as atopic dermatitis. It could lead to itchy rashes, oozing blisters, and skin irritations. It may also cause some sort of leathery skin patches that may appear over time. Eczema is pretty common in children who are even younger than 2 years of age. However, it could occur in adults and older children. Environmental and hereditary factors may play a pivotal role in triggering the condition but the underlying cause of eczema is not really understood.

Many kids are known to grow out of the issue and may encounter only a few or maybe no outbreaks in adulthood. Many individuals suffering from eczema often are diagnosed with certain food allergies. Some of the most common food allergies related to eczema may include eggs, cow’s milk, soy products, fish, nuts, gluten, and shellfish etc. Consuming specific foods may not exactly cause eczema, but may be triggering a flare-up in case you are already suffering from the issue.

Elimination Diet Only under Supervision

Remember that elimination diet could be most effective only under a qualified health professional’s supervision, particularly, when small kids are involved. There are many foods that are common food allergens that could be potential eczema triggers. It is pretty challenging to determine the right eczema diet. Here are some foods that could be avoided.

Dairy Products: Avoid commercial dairy products. You may use unpasteurized raw milk but it may sometimes, trigger eczema in some individuals. You could try raw milk provided you are not allergic to it.

Gluten: Avoid wheat, rye, barley, farro, einkorn, and even spelled, as these are gluten-based grains. You could find gluten in certain oats, lentils, and spices too.  Purchase only gluten-free certified products. Consume millet, quinoa, teff, and buckwheat instead of gluten based whole grains.

Eggs: Chicken eggs have triggered eczema in many individuals. However, duck, quail, and goose eggs are often well-tolerated.

Soy:  Soy milk, tofu, seitan, tempeh, miso, edamame are some of the products that contain soy and must be avoided if you are allergic to soy. However, there could be hidden soy in processed foods also so look for ingredients such as vegetable protein, vegetable oil, vitamin E, and much more.

Peanuts& Tree Nuts: Avoid peanuts and peanut oil. However, most manufacturers label clearly if their products are peanut free. You need to be extra careful with Asian food items as they may contain peanuts. Tree nuts may include almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pine nuts, Brazil nuts etc. Some nuts are well-tolerated but it is best to avoid consuming all tree nuts in the beginning and then slowly reintroduce one by one at a time and observe the reactions. This would help in effective elimination.

Acidic Foods: Pineapple, tomatoes, citrus fruits etc. are supposed to be highly acidic and they often trigger eczema flare-ups. You may not exactly be sensitive to these foods but they could have an adverse impact on eczema-prone skin. They could make matters worse.

Conclusion

Eczema is a pretty complex clinical condition. Eczema-friendly diet could help in the overall and proper management of the condition. Even though you could see visible changes in eczema condition with effective dietary changes, they are sometimes not enough. There are no guarantees that eliminating the triggers and eating right would help you get rid of eczema.

Charlie Brown

Author Bio: Charlie Brown is a freelance content writer. He has written many articles on technology, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, career, travel, health, etc. He has great experience in the field of writing. In his free time, he loves to spend more time in sharing his knowledge with his friends.