About 40 to 50 percent of patients with eczema show an allergic reaction to foods. Of these, milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat and fish account for 90 percent of foods that exacerbate the condition. Also called atopic dermatitis, eczema appears as a very itchy rash which, in severe cases, can significantly affect a person's quality of life. Aside from food, several other factors can make eczema worse, including skin irritants, changes in temperature or climate, infections and major life changes or stress. Identifying the triggers of eczema, including possible food allergies, is the first step to managing this chronic skin condition.
Finding Foods That Trigger Eczema
Step 1
Write down all the foods you suspect make your eczema worse. Using a month-long food diary, list all the foods and ingredients that you ate and the places you've had them. One or more foods might trigger your eczema, so make a thorough list.
Step 2
Take note of the specific symptoms of eczema, as well as the part of your body where those symptoms appeared. Also note how severe the flare-ups were and how long it took before symptoms disappeared. List other possible triggers you might have encountered, including skin irritants such as soap, detergents, wool, cleaning solvents; changes in temperature or humidity; other allergies; skin infections; and major life changes or stress.
Step 3
Consult your doctor or allergist to find the causes of your eczema. He might conduct a thorough medical history, including personal or family histories of hay fever, allergies or asthma. The triggers and symptoms diary will help you and the doctor isolate the cause.
Step 4
Allow the doctor to perform diagnostic tests, including a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge, which is the most definitive method for assessing food allergens. Other diagnostic tests for eczema include an atopy skin test, skin prick test and blood test.
Eliminating Food Triggers of Eczema
Step 1
Avoid all foods implicated by the food challenge and other diagnostic tests. If you have multiple food triggers and depending on your severity, you might have to eliminate all food triggers at once to get the eczema under control. Depending on how rapidly you improve, your doctor will tell you when you can re-introduce those foods.
Step 2
Read labels on food products to ensure the ingredients do not contain any trace of allergens. In severe cases of food-related eczema, you might have to avoid food products that were manufactured in the same facility as the allergy-causing food.
Step 3
Find other nutritional substitutes if eliminating egg or milk from the diet, especially if the patient is a child, or if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have other medical conditions that can affect your diet.
Step 4
Avoid other triggers of eczema. Unless the doctor determines that your condition is only affected by food, avoiding all other triggers can help significantly improve your condition.
Step 5
Keep the skin moist with lotions, have frequent warm -- not hot -- baths, and apply wet compresses to irritated skin. Apply anti-itch or antihistamine creams and take nonprescription oral antihistamines to relieve itch and rash.
Tips and Warnings
- An eczema rash can appear within minutes or days after exposure, so it is important to get a detailed food and symptom history for at least a month to get a better picture of your triggers and eating habits. Also include the places you ate at or frequented because environmental triggers might exist there too. Severe cases of eczema usually have several triggers that can provoke symptoms at the slightest exposure. Perform the food challenge only under your doctor's recommendation and supervision because there is a risk of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. Perform an elimination diet only under your doctor's supervision. Do not self-diagnose or self-treat by eliminating foods from the diet, especially for infants and children, because removing certain foods from your diet for long periods of time can have detrimental effects on your or your child's health. 4. Check back with your doctor for follow-ups, even if your condition improves.
