Let me start off by saying there is no cure for dyshidrotic eczema. Sounds harsh, I know, but it’s the truth. What you can do is learn to manage it to the point that it’s minimal or even no longer visible. We’re going to talk about some vital factors that contribute to eczema flare-ups.
So, you just realized that those little blisters on your hands (or feet) are actually dyshidrosis or dyshidrotic eczema (DE). You get past the emotions after spending hours on the Internet scouring for answers and staring at pictures. Where to go now? How do you derive upon the trigger? There are three main categories: 1) Stress 2) Diet 3) Allergen. And of course all three combined. Let’s start with allergens.
Some people develop DE due to allergies. This can come from a food, an irritant such as dryer sheets or laundry detergent, metals such as nickel, and even dust. DE caused by allergies appears to be less common but is still possible. The best way to test this would be with an allergy test (pin prick and blood test). Your doctor will expose you to the potential allergen. If you suspect a specific irritant such as detergent, you can test this by self exposing and then eliminating. A daunting task nonetheless.
And now I present, the silent yet strategic killer, stress. Silent because you don't always see and feel whats taking place within the body. Strategic because the effects of stress interfere with memory, learning, lower immune function, decreased bone density, and increasing blood pressure just to name a few. As someone who has studied the effects of stress on the body, I can tell you that there is an entire hidden cascade of horrible things taking place. The two stress categories are mental (emotional) and physical. Mental stress would include things like being stuck in traffic, argument with a partner, new job interview/work stress, or death of a loved one. Physical stressors would be something such as a traumatic event causing bodily harm (car accident), an infection, or surgery. When you are under physical or emotional stress, your body releases hormones such as cortisol (main stress hormone) and epinephrine (adrenaline aka flight or fight hormone). In response to the release of this excess energy, your body also has an increase in glucose (increased blood sugar), heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate increase. Large bodies of evidence indicate that stress can activate inflammatory response in brain as well as peripherally (Rohleder, 2014; Calcia et al., 2016). Inflammation and increased blood sugar sounds like a twisted recipe for a syrupy cocktail of chaos. And it is. Everyone has bacteria and fungi within their bodies to help aid in processes like digestion. Fungi can occur as yeasts, molds, or as combination of both. These organisms love sugar so an increase in blood sugar equals one hell of a good time (multiplication of bacteria if you know what I mean).
We talked about how stress can cause an increase in blood sugar levels, now add a sugar rich diet and you’ve got the perfect storm. Diet plays a massive role in skin conditions and a large portion of your immune system lies in your gut. You may be eating an excessive amount of sugar without even realizing it. There are numerous hidden sugars in foods nowadays (i.e Maltodextrin) and it’s extremely important to read labels. By this point, you know that consuming sugar will cause an increase in blood sugar (just like stress). Insert carbohydrates. This is where it gets tough. Without getting complicated and lost in a bunch of scientific terminology, carbs provide energy to all cells. There are simple carbs (breakdown into sugar) and complex carbs, which include fiber. Dividing carbohydrates into simple and complex, however, does not account for the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar and chronic diseases. To explain how different kinds of carbohydrate-rich foods directly affect blood sugar, the glycemic index was developed and is considered a better way of categorizing carbohydrates, especially starchy foods. Foods (that happen to be our favs) such as bread, rice, pasta, chips, and potatoes all breakdown in sugar and are on the higher end of the glycemic index for example.
What does this all have to do with dyshidrotic eczema? Well, an increase in stress and poor diet can cause an increase in bacteria that live in your gut. An increase in bacteria causes inflammation, which can show its face in the form of skin conditions such as eczema. A change in diet to combat overgrowth and its negative effects is a highly controversial topic. I can tell you that stress and large amounts of sugar were the cause of my DE. I went through a plethora of tests, medications, and biopsies that I will list out in the next blog post. I will also talk about all of the changes I had to make to get my DE under control.
I totally understand how overwhelming all of this information can be. I hope I was able to simplify it for you and provide some insight. The road to managing your DE is long and daunting. But one day you’ll look back and see how far you and your skin have come.