Control and Prevention of Eczema Through Elimination of Dietary Cow’s Milk and Hen’s Eggs

1320 Words3 Pages

Introduction

It is believed that certain foods we eat cause allergic reactions, and the consumption of milk and eggs is believed to be a few of the most common food triggers in people with eczema. According to current research, cow’s milk allergy (CMA) is the most common food allergy in infants and young children, affecting 2% to 3% of the general population.1 Most children grow out of their allergy by the age of three, but for those that do not, eliminating milk and eggs from an adult diet can be very difficult. Currently, we are aware that the immunity of the digestive tract recognizes certain proteins as a foreign invader, causing an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, we do not yet fully understand the mechanism of why some food proteins are an allergic trigger in certain individuals, and why other types of foods do not elicit an allergic response in others. Because of this, the relationship between dairy products and eczema is still under debate. The purpose of this paper is to prove that eliminating hen’s eggs and cow’s milk from the diet may help to control and prevent flare-ups of eczema in individuals with eczematic hypersensitivities to these foods.

The source of food allergies stems from a hypersensitivity of the body’s immune system. In some people, their immune system identifies certain milk and egg proteins as harmful, triggering the production of IgE antibodies to neutralize the protein. These IgE antibodies signal the immune system to release histamine and other chemical mediators, which causes a variety of allergic symptoms. Histamine is responsible for many allergic responses, including rashes and hives. Atopic skin inflammations, with highly pruritic eczematous manifestations, are common problems: ...

... middle of paper ...

...

2. Birkas D. A strategic and systemic treatment approach for atopic eczema. Arezzo. 2005; 2:184-198.

3. Businco L, Businco E, Cantani A, Galli E, Infussi R. Beincori N. Results of a milk and/or egg free diet in children with atopic dermatitis. Allergol Immunopathol. July-August 1982; 10(4):283-288.

4. Abemathy-Carver KJ, Sampson HA, Picker LJ, Leung DYM. Milk-induced eczema is associated with the expansion of T cells expressing cutaneous lymphocyte antigen. J. Clin. Invest. February 1995;95:913-919.

5. Neild VS, Marsden RA, Bailes JA, Bland JM. Egg and milk exclusion diets in atopic eczema. British Journal of Dermatology. January 1986;114(1):117-123.

6. Worm M, Forschner K, Lee H, Roehr CC, Edenharter G, Nigge-Mann B , Zuberbier T. Frequency of atopic dermatitis and relevance of food allergy in adults in germany. Acta Derm Venereol. March 2006;86(2):119–122.

More about Control and Prevention of Eczema Through Elimination of Dietary Cow’s Milk and Hen’s Eggs

Open Document