Q & A: Expert Answers to your Health Questions

I have suffered from an extreme rash on my legs for a year and a half now. I have been to numerous doctors, ranging from dermatologists to naturopathic doctors and allergists. The allergist recently said I had eczema with allergies to mold, grass, weeds and trees. He prescribed two different antihistamines and an ointment. These haven’t seemed to help either. Any suggestions?

Stansbury responds: I sympathize with your struggle. Your eczema sounds a little unusual. Although antihistamine drugs and topical steroidal ointments do nothing to cure the underlying inflammation, they usually at least do something to suppress the symptoms of eczema. Also, eczema is most common behind the knees, in the creases of the elbows and on the hands.

The diagnosis of eczema would be most likely if you experience other sorts of allergies, such as hay fever or sinusitis. Another supportive clue would be if eczema ran in the family. Does the rash involve itchy little blisters that are typical of eczema; or, when it’s outbreak of such duration as yours, dry, scaly, itchy skin?

Other health questions that might provide a key to your situation would include your circulation. Diabetics and those with poor circulation to the legs can develop poorly healing wounds or dry, scaly, purplish patches lower legs. How is you digestion? An inability to eliminate wastes from the bowels, or insufficient bile, which limits the processing of fats and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, can lead to skin eruptions. Are your kidneys functioning well? When wastes are not eliminated through the urine, their accumulation can cause an itchy rash –though usually on the whole body, not just the legs.

Assuming the diagnosis you’ve received is correct and the rash on your legs truly is eczema, then the following ideas might help. Consider taking flaxseed oil on a regular basis, as taking these over several months can help all sorts of allergies. B vitamins often are helpful for atopic conditions (eczema, hay fever, asthma and allergies) and deficiency of any of the Bs is well known to cause dermatitis. Antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, and the minerals zinc and selenium, are useful in reducing allergic tendencies. Supplements of beta-carotene, rutin and Quercetin may benefit allergic conditions by stabilizing the blood vessels and blood cells that are involved in histamine release and response.

Finally, some herbal solutions might be helpful. Herbs that reduce allergic hypersensitivity include feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and turmeric (Curcuma longa). Liver herbs, such as milk thistle (Silybum marianum), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), burdock (Arctium lappa) and Oregon grape root (Mahonia aquifolium), would be helpful if there is any underlying liver congestion, gallstones or constipation. Herbal literature emphasizes these liver-supportive alterative herbs for skin rashes and eruptions.

Willard responds: Eczema is a common skin problem, caused by a breakdown in the function of the skin as an organ of elimination. The skin plays a major role in excreting the body’s wastes and often is referred to as the “third kidney” or “third lung.” Poor bathing habits, using soaps that clog the pores, wearing synthetic materials that don’t breathe, and eating foods that produce toxic wastes and excessive amounts of mucus all prevent proper functioning of the skin. The eliminatory function of the skin is assisted by the right balance of essential fatty acids (EFA’s). The liver helps process toxins, aids in control of fatty acids in the body and also may play a prominent role in eczema.

It is good to start all eczema programs with a two-week cleanse, concentrating on healthy whole foods and herbs to cleanse and strengthen the liver, blood and eliminatory organs. Herbs for cleansing are dandelion, cascara sagrada (Thamnus purshiana), red clover (Trigolium pretense), burdock and uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi).

The cleansing program is quite important in your case. When eczema is isolated mostly on the legs, it usually is caused by toxins in the liver and colon. You should follow the cleanse with a healthy, whole-foods diet. You also may benefit from being checked for candida-at least 50% of the eczema patients I have seen also have a candida yeast problem. By eliminating the yeast through a candida diet, you often can resolve the eczema. Brushing the entire body with a dry brush also aids in reducing the overall load on the skin. Avoid the area of the eczema, if it’s sensitive.

EFAs coat the skin and make it more resistant to environmental challenges, and their use often is the central part of any eczema program. A variety of EFAs can be found in your health-food store, but my favorite is a combination of krill (500 mg, twice a day) and black currant oil (2,000 mg, twice daily). Other oils I have found successful are borage oil, fish oil and evening primrose oil. Even tough cases of eczema can see some dramatic results, usually within three to six weeks. For the first three months, I also use a tea (1 cup daily) or tincture (30 drops daily) of equal parts dandelion, sassafras (Sassafras albidum), burdock and red clover.

Eczema responds very well to homeopathic remedies. The most common remedy used is sulfur 30x, taken three times daily. Other supplements I normally recommend are beta-carotene (25,000 IU, twice daily), vitamin C (1,000 mg, twice daily) and zinc (15 mg, twice daily).

I hope you find something we’ve mentioned resolves your situation and you can put this problem behind you. Eczema is often a “smoke detector” that is really telling you to clean up your diet and include more EFAs in your diet.