Eczema is a common but severe form of chronic skin disorder. About one in ten people in the world are affected by it at some point of their lives. Most people who have eczema may also have asthma and certain allergies as well.

The common causes of eczema could be a combination of these factors:

• Exposure to irritants and allergies from food and environment
• Depressed immune function
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Stress

In an eczema flare up, the skin may be red, itchy or present with fluid filled lumps. Especially for children who have flare up will scratch the skin so much that it can be dry, scaly and leathery.

Not only does eczema affects a person physically but is also can have emotional and psychological ramification. So, it is important that eczema is stopped and reversed.

Here are 4 key strategies to stop and reverse eczema:

1) Stop all food irritants

Avoid foods that can cause irritation and allergic reaction to the body:

• Refined carbohydrates – upset the metabolism of essential fatty acid
• Saturated fats – triggers inflammation in the body
• Animal protein – cause the body to be acidic and increase the saturated fat intake, which triggers inflammation in the body
• Processed food – contain sodium, salt, sugar, preservatives, additives and trans fat.

2) Stop all skin irritants

Avoid body wash or soap containing sodium laureth sulphate (SLS), which is a common detergent used in body wash and shampoo. Skin care containing fragrance, artificial dyes and certain preservatives are irritants to sensitive skins. Check the labels carefully.

3) Eat proper nutrition

When the body cells are properly nutrition, they will be able to respond to irritants and allergic reaction better and manage the stress and inflammation.

• Fruits and vegetables – provides antioxidants to fight the irritants as well as making the body cells environment alkaline (pH balance) for the cells to function optimally. Fruits and vegetables also provide a source of fiber, which helps to maintain a healthy intestinal environment and reduce food sensitivity.

• Plant based protein – high in fiber, minerals and low in saturated fat. Plant protein helps to maintain an alkaline environment in the body cells.

• Good fats – oily fish, nuts and seeds are good fats. They are rich in Omega-3, which helps to reduce inflammation.

• Complex carbohydrates – whole grains, fruits and vegetables are complex carbohydrates with low glycemic load that help to maintain hormonal balance

4) Detox

Toxins present in the body create stress and allergic reactions that cause flare up in eczema.

• Water – Drink plenty of water to flush off the metabolic waste.

• Chlorophyll – Cleanse the blood through the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect and removal of heavy metal from the body.

• Herbs for detox:

• Senna leaf and Buckthorn– helps with colon cleansing, speed up waste transition time in the intestine.
• Bearberry – reduce inflammation and treat urinary tract infection
• Burdock root – purify blood by removing toxin build up in the blood
• Sheep sorrel – purifies the liver and lymphatic system
• Turkey rhubarb – stimulate gall bladder to expel toxic waste matter, purifies the body of waste bile.

Using either one of these strategies alone may not be enough for chronic eczema as most likely you may have been suffering from eczema for a long time. Therefore, you would need to employ all the 4 strategies in a multi-prong approach  over a 3 to 6 months period before you start to see any improvement. So, have patience and perseverance.

Do you have any other strategies to stop eczema? Share with me in the comment box below.

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