New research indicates probiotics may bring relief for this skin condition
Eczema is a persistent skin condition that’s very difficult to treat. However, new research indicates that probiotics may be able to relieve eczema. Probiotics are friendly or healthy living microorganisms (mainly bacteria) that occur naturally in your body. But, most people on a Western diet tend to be deficient in these healthy bacteria that provide numerous health benefits.
What Is Eczema?
Atopic dermatitis or eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that is commonly linked to allergies. People who suffer from eczema may also develop asthma or hay fever. Eczema often affects infants and children and continues into adulthood. It can also start later in life. Eczema can affect any area of a person’s body, but commonly appears on the face, inside of the elbows, and on the hands, arms and backs of the knees. Eczema tends to flare up periodically and then subside. Atopic dermatitis isn’t contagious.
What Causes Eczema?
Currently there is no known cause of atopic dermatitis. It may be due to a malfunction in your body’s immune system. Some research currently being done indicates that AD and other atopic diseases are most likely genetically determined, which means you may inherit it from one or both of your parents. You have a one quarter chance of developing some type of an atopic disease if your parent has one. If both of your parents have an atopic disease you have about a 50% chance of being atopic yourself.
Symptoms of Eczema
People with atopic dermatitis tend to cope with lifelong conditions such as dry, inflamed, easily irritated skin, hand dermatitis (occupational skin disease), infection of the skin (herpes and staph), and problems of the eye (dermatitis of the eyelid or cataracts). They may often be able to reduce these symptoms by avoiding the use of soaps or other irritants, using certain nourishing moisturizers, or applying ointments or creams to relieve itching. When symptoms become too much to bear, it’s a good idea to book an appointment with a skin specialist or dermatologist.
How Probiotics Treat Eczema
Probiotics provide a natural remedy for eczema and research has focused on their role in treating this skin condition for over 20 years. Dutch researchers report that treating pregnant mothers and their infants with select strains of probiotics may help to prevent eczema in children with allergies in their family history, particularly during their first three months of life.
Other studies, including one conducted in Australia, show that probiotics significantly improved SCORAD indexes (used to assess atopic dermatitis) in children.
Sources
Reuters: Probiotics may reduce skin condition in some kids
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5985G520091009