Ankylosing Spondylitis Diary and Diet Research

"Staphylococcus aureus is emerging as a major culprit in eczema. As National Eczema Week (September 26-October 3) falls upon us again, London GP and tutor Dr Gouri Dhillon re-examines the management of the condition"

In some cases management may also include one of more of the following:

* Topical calcineurin inhibitors such as pimecrolimus cream or tacrolimus ointment
* Antibiotics
* Antihistamines
* Phototherapy
* Oral corticosteroids
* ciclosporin
* Azathioprine

"I've been told to use liquid washing detergent rather than powder (on clothes). "

The Healing Begins
I learned from my son's pediatrician, Dr. Paul Fleiss, that my eczema was directly the result of a deficiency of essential fatty acids, mainly the omega 3 fatty acids which are found in abundance in fish oil and flaxseed oil. Certain types of fat-metabolism malfunctions are more often found in patients suffering from eczema and psoriasis than in the rest of the population. Dr. Fleiss gave me a bottle of flaxssed oil and advised me to take two tablespoons of that oil everyday. (Healing is impaired and immune function decreased when there is a deficiency of omega 3 fatty acids)

I started taking 2 to 3 tablespoons of flaxoil everyday. Within 13 days of taking the flaxoil I noticed a dramatic improvement: the swelling of my feet and face had decreased, the itching was less severe, I was sleeping better and my vital heat had returned; I didn't feel so cold all the time.Later I added 1 tablespoon of black cumin oil and one tablespoon of Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) to my diet
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Eczema - Atopic dermatitis is indicated by an itchy, fissured, thickened skin, breaks in the skin, scabbing, flaking, and crusts extension of the patches or lesions or red raised skin patches. They can grow to form larger areas. Some people have dry patches, some have weepy eczema, some have raised, red, inflamed large or small areas, some have deep painful cracks that may be bleeding or oozing. One of the worse aspects of eczema is itching and consequently, the uncontrollable urge to scratch. In my experience, scratching did not make my eczema worse. It only make my skin look worse superficially.  Scratching gave me intense relief and I feel very sorry for children and animals who are prevented from scratching. I experienced the greatest relief in very hot water infused with bentonite or kelp. Upon immersing in the hot water I experienced intense itching (the heat of the water causes a rush of blood to the skin which triggers the itch) but I quickly felt immense relief after burshing my skin vigorously for 3 minutes under the water with a stiff nylon hair brush. After the bath I applied colloidal oatmeal lotion.

Psoriasis -Plaques and silvery scales on the skin, caused by too rapid replication and pile up of skin cells mark psoriasis. The lesions can weep fluids and may form small blisters. Questions & Answers About Psoriasis

No two eczema/psoriasis heal at the same time rate.For example, I  experienced the first 70% of my healing in a matter of weeks following the introduction of flaxoil in my diet, but the other 30 % required an additional year or more to complete the healing process. On the other hand, it took an entire year following the introduction of flaxoil in my son's diet before any sign of healing appeared (he had a large dry psoriasis patch on his shoulder). Most people would think that flaxoil is not working for them if they don't see results after a few weeks. Persit, persevere, and patience is the name of the game here.

(Robert Thena) About two years ago I was diagnosed with eczema. Since then I have had itchy spots on my back, legs and arms. I have used prescription creams such as Lac Hydrin and Temovate E to control the spread and itch. Recently I went on vacation for two weeks in France. By the end of the first week, all my symptoms were gone. I have been trying to figure out what in my home is causing the symptoms, and I would like to know if you have ever heard of Soft Water causing this problem. The apartment I stayed in France had rather hard water and was not treated. Since coming home, the symptoms have come back.