Main photo by Hosein Zanbori on Unsplash
If you have Dyshidrotic Eczema, you know that your skin can be very sensitive to certain foods and ingredients. But did you know there is a diet out there for sufferers? In this blog post, we will go over the different dyshidrotic eczema diets and how it works!
What Causes Dyshidrotic Eczema To Be Painful?
Dyshidrotic eczema is painful because it is triggered by an allergic reaction to the proteins in one’s environment or ingestion.
Dyshidrotic eczema is a form of eczema that typically appears as small, fluid-filled bumps on the hands and feet. A dyshidrosis is a form of dermatitis where itchy blisters develop mainly in between ten toes or fingers but can also appear elsewhere, such as elbows, knees, or armpits.
In most cases, dyshidrotic eczema flares up when the sufferer is exposed to a particular allergen, or their body may just react spontaneously.
Dyshidrotic eczema tends to be worse after physical contact with an irritant such as soap, woolen clothing, and other materials that can transfer the protein from one’s skin into others'.
This causes significant itchiness and often leads to secondary infections. It is usually treated with anti-inflammatory creams or ointments, blockers for histamine receptors, topical antihistamines, and emollients like petroleum jelly that help soothe the skin heals.
Dyshidrotic Eczema Diet Plan
Below are the best diet plans for you to follow and get rid of your dyshidrotic eczema.
Paleo Diet
The Paleo diet emphasizes eating foods that would have been available during the Paleolithic era. These include fish, wild game, foraged fruits and vegetables, eggs as long as they are from pastured hens, legumes of all types including soybeans, grains such as cornmeal or quinoa in moderation, certain oils like olive, coconut, and avocado.
The Paleo diet does not include legumes high in lectins such as soybeans or foods containing nightshade potatoes or eggs from chickens fed a grain-based diet. Dairy is also excluded due to the histamine content of cow’s milk proteins which may worsen symptoms. It's also important to avoid bread, pasta, cereal, processed foods high in sugar or starch such as potatoes, most dairy products, and most grains.
Low-Cobalt Diet
In the 1920s, a low-cobalt diet was found to help patients with dyshidrotic eczema and another dermatitis. The low-cobalt was presented as an option for those who did not respond well to treatment.
The best place to start is by eliminating any food that contains cobalt, for example, cocoa powder and dark chocolate.
This diet requires you to avoid:
- Cocoa Powder or Dark Chocolate
- Green Tomatoes (due to the high content of tomatine)
- Chocolate Milk with Artificial Sweeteners because they are artificially sweetened with soy lecithin, which contains cobalt
- Alcohols
- Soy Milk (due to the high content of soy lecithin)
- Coffee with Artificial sweeteners because they are artificially sweetened with soy lecithin, which contains cobalt.
This diet is best for dyshidrotic eczema patients who have failed to respond to standard treatment, and for dyshidrotic eczema that is resistant. It should be noted this diet can also help reduce the severity of symptoms in Dyshidrosis.
Low Nickel Diet
A low nickel diet is possible to follow with a few adjustments. You should avoid processed foods and food additives containing high nickel levels, such as canned foods, drinks from cans or bottles, bread made using metal utensils or machines, and canned or packaged foods.
You should also avoid bread made using metal utensils or machines; canned or packaged foods; processed food products such as corn-flavored cereals, spices used in cooking, condiments for salad dressings such as soy sauce, baking powder, and seasonings for soups such as bouillon cubes.
Wear your gloves to avoid contact with nickel objects, if possible. Avoid wearing jewelry or watches that contain high levels of nickel such as stainless steel rings or bracelets, necklaces made from nickel-containing materials such as leather cords, watch straps made from nickel-containing materials, earrings with metal posts or backs made from nickel-containing metals such as stainless steel.
Anti-inflammatory Diet
The anti-inflammatory diet is a healthy diet that is designed to help reduce inflammation in the body. Dyshidrotic eczema can be an inflammatory condition, so this diet may help with it. You need to avoid inflammatory foods like sugar, alcohol, and processed meats and start eating more foods that are high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.
The best anti-inflammatory diet for dyshidrotic eczema is a plant-based vegan or vegetarian diet because it eliminates all processed meats which have been shown to increase inflammation. You should also include leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans when possible, as they also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Vegetarian diets are a great option as they provide the fiber, omega-three fatty acids, and antioxidants that sufferers need without all of the sugar or processed meats which can both worsen dyshidrotic eczema symptoms.
Dyshidrotic Eczema Diagnosis
To diagnose that can dyshidrotic eczema, you need to do a skin biopsy, which involves taking a small sample of your skin and examining it under the microscope.
This will help determine if there's an underlying cause like allergies or food sensitivities that could be triggering these dyshidrosis flare ups.
If these tests come back normal, the only thing you can do is try to identify triggers that may not have shown up on your skin biopsy and avoid them. For example, if a certain detergent or soap is causing itchiness after hand washing, switch brands until you find one without this reaction.
The same is true for food sensitivities. If you eat a certain type of food and an eczema flare up occurs, then it's possible that this particular food could be the cause.
Once you've identified what triggers your dyshidrotic eczema outbreaks, start avoiding them and see if eczema goes away.
Unfortunately, you may have to spend a lot of time identifying triggers because there's no way to get rid of dyshidrotic eczema permanently.
But getting your skin as healthy as possible will help it heal faster when eczema does happen.
And as long as you're careful to avoid your triggers, it should be possible to reduce the intensity of future outbreaks. Moreover, the more you keep at it, the better your skin will heal from a flare up.
If your condition is causing too much discomfort or embarrassment to go out in public, consider staying home or only using products that are hands-free. Dyshidrosis gloves may also be worth checking out if they're available.
There are a lot of diets you can follow to get rid of dyshidrotic eczema. But to make it effective, make sure to consult with a doctor first. It is uncomfortable and often painful, but there are many ways to get rid of it and still enjoy your favorite foods.