Re: 4 1/2 with excema and no allergies detected

You've already stated the major allergen/irritant. Antibiotics are a major eczema irritant (I can't overstress this). They cause/promote total body eczema flareups (almost instantly). You've stated that your daughter was on Antibiotics for a year; as a result, I am not at all surprised regarding her eczema condition. I can't imagine being prescribed an Antibiotic for a year; but nontheless and because I have an awesome respect for the resilience of the human body, hope still remains for your daughter. You are right. Masking/suppressing the problem is not the answer. You need to address the restoration of her immune system through her daily diet. I have three nieces (ages 7, 5, & 3) who've successfully conquered eczema and have no doubt that your daughter can do the same. We've educated my nieces at very early ages regarding healthy foods and their nutritional makeup. A big part of their longterm eczema freedom has to do with healthy eating (no junk foods/no soft drinks).

To help you in figuring out what foods to give your daughter to boost her immune health, the following website should prove to be very useful: http://www.wholehealthmd.com Check out the "healing eczema with what you eat" section. Beta carotene, zinc, and selenium are your immune boosters. Of the three, beta carotene foods will need to be your major focus. Zinc and selenium may need to be supplemented in an organic multivitamin. Vitamin C and magnesium will need to be daily supplemented as well (preferably through food or drink). In addition to that, a supplement of omega 3 cod liver oil, will be of great benefit to the skin by providing the essential fatty acids needed. I don't believe in oversupplementation for adults or children; thus, I recommend a good (organic) multivitamin along with the cod liver oil as necessary supplementation.

Because the skin is an external organ, you will need to address the external skin care as well. Clean skin is essential to healthy skin/eczema free skin. Daily cleaning of the skin is necessary and contradicts the doctor recommended twice a week bathing for eczema children. I totally went against that recommendation when it came to my nieces and attribute it to their speedy eczema recovery. To allow the elements like dirt and dust to remain on the skin for days promotes bacteria growth and excema irritation. The reason doctors made the recommendation of infrequent baths had to do with the irritation brought about by harsh soaps/cleansers and toxic chemicals used to treat water (like chlorine and fluoride). The smarter solution is not to stop cleaning the skin; but rather, to get rid of those irritants. In other words; change your soaps/cleansers and purify your treated water by using water purification/filtration systems if necessary. Avalon Organics, Aubrey-Organics, and Burts Bees Baby Bee collection are good products from which you can choose. Just keep in mind, clean skin is essential to healthy skin.

I started posting messages on this website due to the success we've experienced in healing my nieces eczema skin. We did this without the use of medications. We did this despite a hereditary eczema diagnosis. We did this despite severe (total body) eczema flareups. We've enjoyed immediate success that has endured for the longterm. I approached eczema in these three ways: Internal, External, and Foreign. Internal = Restoration of the immune health through good nutrition. External = Refers to cleansing, rehydration and restoration of the skin's moisture barrier (skin's protection against the free radicals/elements). And finally, Foreign = Identification and removal of the allergen/irritant culprit. All three of these had to be addressed. Had I ignored any one of these steps, eczema freedom for my nieces would not have been achieved.

When I read your post, my first thought was why do you need to test for the allergen when the allergen is clear. Antibiotics shout loudly in your child's case; especially a years worth. What I don't understand is why your doctors have never made the correlation. Antibiotics promote eczema.

One of the hardest things for some eczema sufferers is determining eczema allergen or irritant responsible for their breakout. I am confident that antibiotics, along with harsh eczema medications your daughter has been prescribed to treat her eczema (read the side effects - eczema is one) are the major reasons her eczema suffering has been longterm. Nonetheless, you can turn it around.

Your daughter will want to eat healthy when you teach her what those foods do. Talk to her about beta carotene and how it builds up the immune system so that it can fight those allergens that try to attack her. Talk to her about the function of the essential fatty acids and the skin. Instead of focusing on eczema, look up "skin" in the encyclopedia and read about it function. This will be of major benefit in understanding what it needs to heal. Water is of major importance. Have your daughter learn with you and you might be surprised at her eagerness to participate in the healing process.

A lot of times, laypeople think that an overactive immune system equates to a strong immune system. This is not the case. An overactive or out of balance immune system is a sign of an immune system that is weak and in distress. It is also a sign of a system overwhelmed by a toxic invasion. In your daughters case, antibiotics (and later, eczema medications) was that toxic invasion. Immune restoration focuses on strengthening the immune system through the proper diet. Beta carotene foods will be of major importance in your endeavor. Other elements will be equally important; however, this is one that I want to make sure you focus your attention on. The website I mentioned earlier will lay out the rest of the essential nutrients deficient in eczema sufferers. What you want to do is work with the body; not against (as steroid/eczema medications do). When you feed the body what it is lacking, it will respond with healing. The body heals itself. Where it needs help from us is in feeding it the proper nutrition sufficient to get the job healing done.

Your message was titled "... no allergies detected"; however, I detect several major eczema irritants. They are antibiotics and the eczema medications (like Elidel - linked to lymphoma/cancer) you mentioned above. As a result, and if I were to make a check list based on your posting, "Foreign" would be checked off. Internal and external would remain as the two areas of where I needed to place my focus.

aunty