Eczema

Eczema, also know as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic disease (lasting over the course of years) of the skin affecting more than 15 million Americans and growing in numbers. Often it affects people suffering from other conditions, such as asthma or hay fever. Skin that is affected by eczema usually looks red, dry and scaly, and is extremely itchy. Usually eczema is found in specific areas of the body but also can affect the entire body. In children, the most commonly affected areas are the cheeks, chin, back, stomach and arms. The hands, feet and creases of the elbows and knees are also affected. In adults, eczema is commonly found on the eyelids, neck, hands and wrists and behind the elbows and knees.

Eczema is a genetic disease which arises from the interplay of multiple genes with external environmental factors. One of the most common symptoms of eczema is its itchiness (or pruritis), which can be almost unbearable. Constant scratching can also cause the skin to split leaving it prone to infection. In infected eczema the inflamed skin may crack and weep ("wet" eczema). However, we can better understand this disease by learning how the immune system functions - and malfunctions. The immune system protects by attacking threatening bacteria, viruses and other foreign invaders. It is critical to your health, comfort and survival. However, sometimes ---for reasons not fully understood---the immune system does not work properly and it can start attacking the body instead of attacking foreign invaders. In the case of eczema, once the immune system is triggered, it sends a false alarm to the skin cells, telling them that they have been damaged. The skin cells react by attempting to repair this "damage."

The cells at the center of this inflammation are called T-lymphocytes that are thought of as the soldiers of the immune reactions of the body. There is excess stimulation of T-cells by genetically altered "atopic" Langerhans cells, which are resident in the epidermis and are responsible for presenting antigens to lymphocytes. This creates a genetic defect in the epidermal barrier that makes the skin susceptible to breakdown by irritants such as detergent and dust mites which may allow increased penetration of antigens. There is a reduction in the cell-mediated immune response; chemotaxis of neutrophils and monocytes is reduced which explain the increased risk of infection of the skin in this condition. Genetic, immunological as well as skin barrier defects are important factors. Eczema is not just a skin disease - it is a disease of the immune system that attacks the skin.

Over the years, many treatments have been used, from topicals to systemics, to treat eczema. In many cases, the treatment has sometimes led to serious side effects, including, but not limited to liver damage and a decrease in white blood cells, which may make people more susceptible to infection. 99 percent of all pharmaceutical drugs do not heal or cure, but merely hide or mask symptoms that leave the causative factors intact. We know that people with this disease have abnormalities of the immune system.

Since most autoimmune diseases and chronic conditions, including eczema, are caused by delayed autoimmune responses to foods in the digestive track, the logical step, then, is to test for and identify the foods that cause these reactions. If you suffer from eczema then you need to be tested for delayed food allergies. The most effective reliable test available today to accurately diagnose delayed food allergies is the Sage Delayed Food Allergy Test. Why not order now?

Get Tested for Delayed Food Allergies