ECZEMA AS SKIN ALLERGIC DISEASE

Hypoallergenic Feeding

The prevention of eczema is achieved partly through hypoallergenic feedings. For example, an atopic baby should be breast fed. If that is impossible, the baby (until eight months of age) has to be fed a hypoallergenic diet that contains no egg, meat, fish, milk, or orange. The one suggested by the author allows everything outlined here.

Juice: Pineapple juice, grape juice, apricot juice, apple juice, Soya milk (15 1/2 oz.) combined with boiled water (151/2 oz.) Fruits: Pineapple, apple, apricot, plum, prune, banana Cereals: Cornmeal, rice, hominy, Post Toasties, puffed rice, barley cereal Meats: Lamb, beef, mutton, lamb chops Vegetables: Fresh or canned asparagus, lettuce, string beans, white potatoes Breads: Ry-Krisp Butter: Substitute salted Crisco Fat: Pure olive oil. Flour: Substitute cornstarch, rice, rye, barley flours Miscellaneous: Karo syrup, unflavored gelatin, hard candy flavored with peppermint or wintergreen – no soft candy. Important: Supplementary synthetic vitamins should be added.

Environmental Control

In order to further provide for the prevention of eczema, the child’s environment must be controlled.

a.     The bedroom of the baby should be free of dust, feathers, fur, animal hair, fuzzy clothing, and silk.

b.     The baby must wear cotton fabrics that have been washed with mild detergents (such as Calgon) and that have been rinsed out thoroughly. Woolen clothing (if unavoidable) should be lined with white cotton cloth.

ñ     The use of regular soap is to be avoided; an alkali-free soap should be used on the baby’s skin. His skin must never be scrubbed, but patted dry with clean towels, and open lesions on the skin should not be picked or scratched.

d.     The baby must avoid excessive exposure to the sun by the use of sun-screening agents.

*34/99/5*

MENTAL SYMPTOMS OF FOOD ALLERGY OR INTOLERANCE: MIND OVER MATTER

Thanks to the action of the autonomic nervous system, any disorder of the digestive system can be exacerbated by the emotions – IBS is not unique in this respect. The bronchi and the blood vessels are also controlled by the autonomic system, so they too can be affected, aggravating conditions such as asthma and migraine (due to expansion and contraction of blood vessels in the brain). Although the mechanism is not understood, mental stress also seems to make eczema and urticaria worse. Indeed, most of the physical symptoms of food sensitivity can probably be influenced by the mind.

If an illness has multiple causes it makes sense to attack it on several fronts at once. By coming to terms with basic personal problems and achieving a calmer approach to life, the symptoms of food sensitivity can sometimes be much reduced. It may still be necessary to avoid certain food items or undergo other forms of treatment, but it should speed the body’s recovery, and make it possible to return to a more normal diet sooner. And in the long run it will help to ensure continuing good health.

The approach used can vary considerably. For those who can afford it, a course of treatment with a professional psychotherapist may be the best answer, although it is important to select the person and the approach carefully. At its simplest, psychotherapy consists mainly of talking through past events and present problems, with assistance from the therapist or counsellor.

*207\180\8*