3 Things Your Doctor Doesn't Always Tell You When You're Dealing With Eczema
I don’t know about you, but whenever I would go to the doctor growing up about my skin I was always just handed a cream and told it would make it go away. To be completely honest, this answer sucks. It really isn’t a solution because it doesn’t deal with what’s causing your skin to become irritated to begin with. After years of doing my own research trying to heal my own skin and also working with clients to allieviate their skin issues I’ve come to know some things doctors often overlook when it comes to skin health regarding eczema/atopic dermatitis.
Gut Health Really Does Matter
Your immune system starts in your gut - this is where nutrients are broken down and absorbed to be utilized for all the functions within the body. When the body can’t absorb certain nutrients it can translate into bigger issues due to deficencies. This translates to skin, when you aren’t able to absorb the nutrients you need to replenish your skin it can lead to “leaky skin”. Just like when you have a leaky gut lining and start to react to lots of different substances, your skin will become more sensitive and start to do the same.
Your Topical Creams Do Have an Impact on Your Internal Health
Anything you put on your skin is being absorbed into your body, directly into your bloodstream. With this in mind, this means any type of steroid or immunosuppressant cream you use on your skin is being absorbed into your body and therefore does interact with your health! This is especially important to think about when it comes to using these kinds of creams on any area of the body but especially over areas such as your thyroid and any lymph nodes.
Topical Steroid Withdrawl (TSW) is a Thing
Just like any other kind of medication, there is a possibilty of withdrawal when it comes to your medicated corticosteroid products. This typically happens when you’ve been using corticosteroids for an extended period of time (they are usually only recomended for short term use). I went through this after using a “natural cream” for months that was given to me by my acupuncturist that contained steroids I was unaware of at the time! TSW is also known as “red skin syndrome” specifically because when it happens your skin becomes extremely red and tight. Some people will get blisters as well as swelling, dyrness and in extreme cases you can even get fevers, headaches and more. It’s always wise to make sure you wean off of corticosteroids when you’ve been taking them for an extended period of time for this reason.
Everyone is so unique when it comes to skin health and there are multiple causes behind why you might have eczema, getting to the source of that issue is beyond important when dealing with it. Whether that is atopic allergies, food sensitivities, pararsites/candida or even hormonal/immune system dysregulation. It’s important to understand why you body is doing what it is doing before you mask it.