Foods that Reduce Eczema Flare-Ups

Eczema can be extremely distressing—it’s estimated that more than 31 million Americans suffer. The word “eczema” is an overarching term for several conditions, all of which produce an inflammatory response that we see as a rash, itching, and/or dry areas of skin. 

While there are plenty of creams, steroids, and medications that can help calm the symptoms, dermatologists believe that a variety of lifestyle issues can be a trigger. One of these is diet.

There’s plenty of information online about the types of foods to avoid (we’ll cover those briefly), but not so much about what you should be eating. 

So, let’s put that right… 

Diet, Food, Eczema Flare-Ups, and Allergies

• An overview of what causes eczema
• An overview of what you shouldn’t eat
• Diet and beneficial foods for eczema flare-ups

An overview of what causes eczema

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, of which there are many different types. Doctors still don’t know exactly what causes the condition. However, it’s known that several triggers can exacerbate it.

The most common types of eczema are:

• Atopic dermatitis
• Contact dermatitis
• Seborrheic dermatitis

Food is known to be a trigger. There are other common substances and environments that can also cause it to become worse. These include:

• Pollen
• Sudden changes in weather
• Dust mites
• Pet dander
• Shampoo
• Detergents and cleaning products (including laundry products)
• Body washes and shampoo
• Perfumes and aftershave
• Stress
• Hormones

An overview of what you shouldn’t eat

When it comes to food, it can be a challenge to discover exactly what causes your eczema to worsen. Allergy tests might help but are often inconclusive. A typical US diet includes processed foods that contain a wide variety of foodstuffs, chemicals, additives, and more. This makes discovering what foods to avoid even more complicated.

To try and identify your food triggers, you’re going to need to confine your diet to purely natural foods for a while. That way, you might be able to work out what foods cause you to react.

Some common food triggers (and, therefore, ones you might want to avoid) include:

• Peanuts
• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Wheat
• Soy
• Citrus
• Gluten
• Certain herbs and spices
• Fish and shellfish

Diet and beneficial foods for eczema flare-ups

It can be complicated to determine what foods are beneficial for eczema and help prevent it flaring. Some of the very foods that are on the above list also feature here. This is because the condition is highly individual to you. This means a bit of trial and error is going to be necessary.

The following may help to reduce your symptoms.

• Healthy fats, such as olive oil
• Legumes
• Grains
• Fruit and veg that contains quercetin. This includes berries, grapes, apples, pepper, and broccoli
• Fruit and veg that’s high in vitamin C. This includes tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, oranges, and strawberries.
• Green tea
• Nuts (but probably not tree nuts)
• Fish that’s high in omega-3 fatty acids
• Foods that contain probiotics, including kefir, miso soup, kombucha, unpasteurized sauerkraut, and tempeh.

Working out which foods actively prevent your eczema from worsening should be carried out in conjunction with advice from your dermatologist. Together, you can work out a system that tracks and records what improves your eczema and what causes it to worsen. 

Be patient—this is not a quick fix. However, in partnership with an expert eczema clinician, you’ll be able to put an active plan in place to help manage your condition and improve your quality of life.

Get Bespoke Advice about Food, Eczema Flare-Ups, Meds, & Lifestyle at Bayou City Dermatology

The importance of consulting an expert medical doctor to determine what triggers your eczema can’t be overstated. At Bayou City Dermatology, our clinical team consists of highly experienced doctors and medical practitioners who can help you better understand your condition and create the right lifestyle and medication combination to reduce your symptoms.

Don’t suffer from upsetting eczema issues a moment longer. Visit https://www.bayoucitydermatology.com/services for information and call our team today to book your confidential consultation.