Eczema 102: What Can Trigger Eczema? | Is Eczema Curable? Find Out What Can Cure Eczema Permanently

Another great post from itchylittleworld.com – Natural remedies for eczema to soothe your itchy little world..

In the first part of this series, Eczema 101: What Is Eczema?, we defined eczema and the variations of this skin condition. Now we’ll get into trigger eczema and irritants.

Please keep in mind that although these tips and information have worked for several sufferers, we are in no way medical professionals. If you’re experiencing severe symptoms or have a topical infection, it is always best to seek medical advice immediately.

What Can Trigger Eczema?

One thing about eczema is certain – there is no shortage of eczema triggers. And to make things really complex, the triggers vary from person to person making it quite difficult to identify at times. Here is a list of what can trigger eczema.

Airborne allergens: Anything in the environment such as dander from pets, pollen, dust and grass, can cause an eczema flare-up or exacerbate the situation. Often times HEPA air purifiers can help provide relief in cases like these, especially when asthma or sinus issues are a concern as well.
Food allergies or sensitivities: Many types of food have been known to trigger eczema and some commonly further inflame existing cases of eczema. Foods such as dairy, eggs and gluten are frequently linked with triggering eczema. And foods like tomatoes and other acidic foods often can cause existing eczema to flare up even worse! And you don’t have to have a proper IgE food allergy for the food to trigger eczema. The more complex, less understood and harder to diagnosis food sensitivity can trigger eczema just the same. So, while food allergy testing can be helpful in some cases, testing alone is usually NOT enough. It is very helpful to undergo an elimination diet to fully understand which foods not only trigger your eczema to begin with, but which foods may also aggravate existing eczema. Always work with a dietician, nutritionist or physician when undergoing an elimination diet to make sure you or your child is still getting a healthy-well balanced diet full of essential nutrients.
Fabric & Chemical Irritants: Many ingredients, fabrics or chemicals can cause eczema or exacerbate it when the skin comes in contact with them. Since anyone can be allergic to almost anything, the list of possible irritants is almost endless, but there are a few things that tend to more frequently irritate the skin than others. Nickel allergies are on the rise as is an allergy to propylene glycol, an ingredient often found in conventional skin care products. In terms of fabrics, it’s pretty common these days to react to latex and polyester and even nylon, which is referred to as textile dermatitis. Another big irritant is laundry detergent. Not only are there very harsh chemical ingredients used in detergents, but detergents, even natural ones, are very alkaline and really can irritate the skin which requires a slightly acidic environment to be optimally healthy. If you experience contact dermatitis, it’s important to read labels and make sure there are no added chemical based ingredients that can affect your skin. Our suggestion is to rely on natural eczema treatments that do not use harsh chemicals or preservatives.
Stress: This is quite possibly one of the most common triggers. Why? Because stress effects every one of every age and it can be very difficult to control. In fact, ironically enough, the more you try to control stress, the more stressed you can become. Mindfulness, yoga, and meditation can be great ways to relieve stress and are very healthy practices to introduce for overall better health and happiness. We have a great post about how to help children reduce stress levels HERE.
Medication: This trigger is not one that is commonly addressed, but many medications, both oral and topical can trigger eczema in individuals. Oral antibiotics, steroids, birth control and many more medications can strip the gut of healthy bacteria, which in turn can manifest in eczema. Read more about how antibiotics negatively impact our gut’s microbiome HERE. Definitely speak with your physician if you are concerned about any medication you are taking and how it can trigger your eczema.