Lactose intolerance and eczema are both treatable conditions. Lactose intolerance is a digestive food intolerance; eczema is a skin condition. Maternal studies suggest that the two may linked in infants and children. However, the studies are not conclusive, making the link between lactose intolerance and eczema tenuous.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is typically more pronounced the older you get. Some people develop an inability digest any form of dairy, others may tolerate some dairy up to a certain amount. The reason for the age-acquired intolerance is evolutionary -- the further you are from needing mother's milk, the less lactase enzyme your body produces in the small intestine -- though you may be temporarily lactose intolerant as the result of an intestinal virus. Lactase enzyme is the critical element to digesting lactose, a natural sugar present in dairy. Without enough of the enzyme, your body cannot digest lactose, causing diarrhea, bloating, foul-smelling gas and discomfort.
Eczema
Eczema is an itchy inflammation of the skin. It appears as blisters and scabs or eruptions of scaly patches, which are thickened and uncomfortable. Eczema is chronic, meaning it requires more than three months of medical care, impacts your quality of life and requires treatment at home. It isn't entirely clear what triggers eczema; some of it may be hereditary, but dry air and allergies may play a part.
Linkage
While dairy and eczema are linked, lactose intolerance is not specifically seen as a source of eczema problem. A study of pregnant Japanese women published in the June 2010 "European Respiratory Journal" suggests that a mother's dairy consumption has direct impact on eczema in her infant. The study authors focused primarily on increased Vitamin D consumption as a protection against eczema. In addition, a 1995 Netherlands study of decreased colic and eczema in infants fed whey-hydrolysate based infant formula suggests a potential link between dairy and eczema, but not lactose intolerance specifically. In the 1995 study, the authors gave the formula to babies allergic to milk protein, which is not the same as lactose intolerance.
Potential
Lactose intolerance may be a cause of eczema; unfortunately, the studies are not conclusive. If you are lactose intolerant, see if removing dairy completely relieves your eczema. Slowly reintroduce dairy into your diet to see if your eczema returns. Use oral lactase enzyme tablets to avoid triggering your lactose intolerance and see how your eczema responds.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Lactose Intolerance: Causes; February 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Eczema; September 2009
- University of Michigan Health System; Children with Chronic Conditions; June 2008
- "European Respiratory Journal"; Dairy Food, Calcium and Vitamin D Intake in Pregnancy, and Wheeze and Eczema in Infants; Miyake, et al.; June 2010
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Symptomatology and Growth in Infants with Cow's Milk Protein Intolerance Using Two Different Whey-protein Hydrolysate Based Formulas in a Primary Health Care Setting; Verwimp, et al.; September 1995
