Are you or someone you love suffering from eczema? If so, you know all too well how painful this skin condition can be.
You have likely tried many over-the-counter creams and ointments, yet nothing has worked. From there, your doctor may have prescribed a topical corticosteroid — the most common treatment these days. This will help manage the symptoms of eczema but comes with many side effects.
There is another way — eczema can be successfully treated from the inside out. By addressing the root causes, you can find lasting relief by making changes from within.
As a bit of background, eczema is extremely common among children and adults. Many are left with topical treatment options only — with corticosteroids being the go-to treatment. Corticosteroids suppress the immune system when they are used for a prolonged period of time. Also, they can only be used on certain areas of the skin as it causes thinning of the skin. If the eczema is really bad you may be prescribed prednisone. These treatments will help manage and suppress the symptoms but will not help permanently heal the condition.
Eczema is defined as atopic dermatitis. According to conventional medicine the cause is unknown. However, Functional/Naturopathic Medicine takes a much different approach — we view eczema as an external symptom of an internal problem and work to treat the underlying cause. The condition occurs due to inflammation, which the body releases in response to a threat to protect itself. This causes the immune system to go into overdrive and begin to attack its own skin cells. Those with eczema often have asthma and/or seasonal allergies also.
It is essential to address the root cause of the inflammation to heal the condition. There are many ways to do this naturally by addressing diet, healing gut microbiome, testing for food intolerances, adding herbal medicine and more.
Help is available to you! Connect with Dr. Andrea to learn more.
