Eczema causes symptoms of red, irritated and itchy skin. In some cases, a rash may accompany the condition or it may be marked by small, fluid-filled bumps. These symptoms vary from person to person and may appear on the hands, elbows, knees, face, neck or scalp. The cause of eczema is not known but it appears to worsen when the individual is exposed to certain triggers. Some individuals find that their eczema is triggered by skin care products, soaps, fabrics or environmental factors while others are sensitive to specific foods.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing a food allergy or sensitivity can be quite difficult. Your doctor may recommend food allergy testing, which examines your body's reaction to a small sample of the food substance administered under the skin by a needle. These results can be helpful, but they may also identify food allergies that are not the underlying cause of your eczema symptoms. Recording your diet and symptoms in a food journal can be very helpful in pinpointing trigger foods.
Common Triggers
Cow's milk, soy, eggs, wheat, fish and seafood have all been identified as common food allergy triggers for eczema. Other foods that sometimes cause symptoms to flare up include tomatoes, nuts, fish, citrus, and tropical fruits. Food sensitivities are more often the underlying cause of eczema in infants and children, although they may contribute to symptoms in adult patients, as well.
Elimination Diets
In order to determine the foods that trigger your eczema, you'll need to try eliminating them from your diet. Read ingredient labels carefully to identify sources of potential food triggers. Eliminating cow's milk is especially difficult because it appears in many different forms in processed foods. Milk protein may be lurking in any product that includes casein, actalbumin, lactoalbumin phosphate, lactaglobulin, lactose, margarine, non-dairy creamers, whey or whey hydrolysate.
Considerations
Identifying food triggers can be a long and tedious process. Your health care professional can provide guidance and prescribe topical and oral medications to reduce the severity of your eczema symptoms. In children and infants, food sensitivities are common triggers of eczema. Discuss your suspicions with your child's doctor before eliminating any foods from your child's diet. Your pediatrician can suggest appropriate substitutes to ensure that your child still receives all the essential nutrients for growth and development.
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