Has itchy, inflamed skin held you back from being your true self? Or worse, have you watched your child suffer from the constant discomfort of an eczema flare-up? You’re not alone.
An estimated 17 percent of Canadians will suffer from eczema problems at some point in their lives. For some people, eczema appears and disappears during childhood, just to rear its head again in adulthood. If skin issues have been troubling you or a family member, this is a sign it’s time to discover an eczema naturopath in Calgary.
A Naturopathic Doctor will create a custom eczema treatment plan just for you—so you can leave hormone creams, steroid ointments, and painful flare-ups in the past.
What is Eczema on Your Skin?
Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by dry, irritated skin. It can occur anywhere on the body but is most commonly found on the wrists, elbows, and knees as well as on the face, back, arms, and legs. During an eczema flare-up, your skin can become itchy and inflamed, causing you to scratch excessively. Unfortunately, the more you scratch, the more likely you are to open a wound on your skin—and increase your chance of infection.
Following an eczema flare-up, the affected skin can appear scaly and thickened. In some cases, eczema can even affect the pigmentation of your skin. Patients with lighter skin tones can develop pink or red patches. Those with darker skin tones can be left with purple, gray, or ashen marks following a particularly painful or itchy flare-up.
What Causes Eczema to Develop?
You may know it as a skin condition, but eczema is actually one of the most common autoimmune disorders in the world. When an irritant triggers your immune system, your body produces inflammation in response. This resulting inflammation is what causes the most common eczema symptoms on the skin.
For some people, eczema and its inflammatory response are hereditary, and family members share similar symptoms. However, an immune system response is frequently triggered by toxins in your environment or by an irritant you’ve come in close contact with, like metals or dyes. Most commonly, eczema is caused by a digestive issue, such as an allergen in your diet or the food you cook, a food sensitivity, or a condition like leaky gut. Likewise, eczema is more frequent in stressed or anxious individuals.
What Are the Common Signs of Eczema?
Eczema is generally characterized by dry, inflamed skin, as well as other symptoms like:
✓ Scaly or leathery skin
✓ Cracks behind the ears
✓ Itchy skin or patches of skin
✓ A rash on the cheeks, arms, or legs
✓ Open, crusted or “weepy” sores (typically during a flare-up)
✓ Raised patch or patches that are red or darker than the rest of your skin
How Does a Naturopathic Dr. Care for Eczema?
A therapy regimen of medicated ointments and lotion can only reach so far beneath the skin. Unlike dermatology, naturopathic doctors care for eczema from the inside-out, not the outside-in. Plus, you don’t want to suppress eczema and inflammation—you want to clear it out of your system. This is where an eczema naturopath in Calgary comes in.
A Naturopathic Doctor focuses on natural, holistic therapy to effectively care for your symptoms and get to the source of your chronic inflammation.
Step One: Determine What’s Causing Your Eczema
Before beginning treatment programs, our naturopaths will start with pain-free diagnostic testing. Testing allows your physician to rule out causes of your eczema, such as contact irritants or ingested allergens, to determine how to best treat your condition.
Tests that can help discover the cause of your eczema include:
- Food Sensitivity Testing: Food intolerance and inflammatory foods can contribute to skin issues such as eczema.
- Allergy Testing: Allergic reactions to potential ingested or contact allergens can cause eczema.
- Genetic Testing: You may be genetically inclined to eczema or inflammation-inducing conditions.
Step Two: Developing a Custom Treatment Plan
Once your test results come back, your Naturopathic Doctor will be hard at work customizing a therapy solution to treat the root cause of your eczema. For instance, if you’re suffering from food sensitivity, your naturopath will work with you to implement dietary changes that can heal your current inflammation. If your eczema is tied to a digestive condition, such as a leaky gut, your naturopath can care for your digestive system with supplements and nutraceuticals.
Frequently Asked Questions
At Neurvana Naturopathic Medicine Integrative Clinic, our resident Naturopathic Doctor in Calgary, AB has more than 10 years of experience in progressive naturopathic medicine with knowledge of homo-toxicology and homeopathy. At our clinic, Dr. Lisa Keen uses her knowledge to harness complex homeopathic remedies to help identify the root cause of skin issues and bring patients a sense of relief.
Depending on your age, eczema can clear up on its own. However, you want to figure out what caused the eczema to prevent it from happening again and to control potential flare-ups in the future. Visit Dr. Lisa Keen at our wellness centre in Calgary to learn more today.
Yes! One of Dr. Lisa Keen’s favourite success stories at our Calgary clinic was a one-year-old who was treated for severe head-to-toe eczema. With a diet change and homeopathic remedies, the child has not had an eczema flare-up in years.
Say Goodbye to Your Eczema
It’s time to stop letting eczema hold you back. Ditch the steroid creams for a doctor who will care for your eczema from the inside-out. Visit an naturopath today.