Eczematous dermatitis is a skin disease which can be acute or chronic and is characterised by erythema, papules and vesicles with varying degrees of inflammation, crusting, scaling and skin eruptions. Usually this term is used for eczema in general and of all the different kinds of eczema, this is probably the most common and certainly not be underestimated. The frequently chronic skin condition, marked by an ugly rash, can be a plague, not only for teenagers, but also for adults. Burning or smarting is another frequent complaint. The acute form, often characterised by oedema or crusting and oozing, is capable of causing lesions everywhere, much to the patient’s annoyance and embarrassment.

It should be realised that eczema can have a number of underlying causes. Once the cause has been determined it will be possible to decide upon the appropriate treatment.


Dietary advice

Vitamin A plays an important role in the health of many tissues and helps to maintain a smooth, soft, healthy skin. Vitamin A occurs in nature in two forms, as retinol and as carotene. Retinol is the only preformed vitamin A available from dietary sources and can only be found in foods of animal, fish or poultry origin, such as liver and fish oils. It is produced by these animals from carotene. Carotene is found in green vegetables and carrots, and our bodies are also able to convert it into vitamin A.

Time and again an almost immediate improvement will be seen when dairy products are omitted from the diet, as these tend to aggravate eczema. Besides milk, eggs are another source of food intolerance. Wheat, because of the artificial processing of the grain, can cause unidentified skin diseases. Again, amazing results can be obtained from wheat-free diet, substitute with buckwheat, millet, potato flour, rye, rice or soya flour.

Infantile Eczema: this condition occurs when previously breast-fed babies have been weaned and are given cow’s milk instead. Cow’s milk contains nine times more protein than mother’s milk and a babies immature digestive system is unable to cope with the increased protein intake. Baby milk formulas based on cow’s milk can be substituted with soya formulas or with Nanny goat’s milk.


Remedies

Please remember that if you are taking any prescribed medication or have a medical problem,you should consult your own medical practitioner before starting any new course of treatment.

It is not appropriate to make specific recommendations via our website, please contact the clinic for an appointment or call our helpline.