About eczema

|Karen Fischer

What is Eczema?

Eczema is derived from a Greek word meaning "to boil out".  "Eczema" is also the general term for any type of dermatitis that is itchy.

Mild eczema  Severe hand eczema

Eczema is diagnosed by doctors using the following criteria. Firstly you must have itchy skin, plus three or more of the following symptoms…

  • itchiness in the skin creases, such as the folds behind the knees and elbows, fronts of the ankles or around the neck (children under four years may also have it on their cheeks)  
  • dry skin
  • visible eczema affecting the outer limbs, cheeks or forehead
  • symptoms appearing within two years of birth (not always an indication, but very common)
  • family history of asthma, hay fever or (if under four years old) a history of atopic disease in a first-degree relative.
  • People with eczema tend to overheat as their skin does not regulate temperature properly.

Other symptoms include oozing and weeping in between the skin folds (such as elbows and knees); thickening of the skin, poor sleep, flaking skin, and scratch marks from scratching.

Eczema images atopic dermatitis   

Quick Facts on Eczema

 More than 1 in 5 Australian children suffer with eczema and it’s on the rise. In the United States there are 31 million people with eczema.

 Eczema is also known as atopic dermatitis and symptoms include flaking, red patches, cracks, weeping, crusting and itchiness.

 If both parents have previously had eczema then you have an 80 percent chance of developing

 According to allergy cross-sectional study in Germany, families who predominantly use margarine (as opposed to butter) are more likely to have children with eczema.

 More than 55 percent of eczema sufferers react to salicylates in foods.

  

The Eczema Diet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

What are the different types of eczema?

'Eczema' is the collective term for any type of dermatitis that is itchy and there are seven main types. Here is a comprehensive list of eczema types, the various symptoms to look for and your best treatment options.

Read more and see the photos >>

  

Eczema Facts 

Eczema statistics - photo of Ayva

 

Products 

At Eczema Life, we recommend nutritionist Karen Fischer's low food chemical program (The Eczema Detox) along with additive-free supplements for skin health and wellbeing. Click on the images to view more details:

           

 

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The Eczema Toolkit

the holistic way to clear skin

The Eczema Detox is Karen Fischer's latest best-selling eczema manual designed to help you find relief. Through her work she found some patients needed a special program to identify personal triggers, so the FID Program was created. The Eczema Clear Skin Toolkit combines gut health and nutrition with soothing, barrier repair skincare and supplements to calm the itch and support skin repair, the immune system and more. If you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked, this is the skin calming toolkit you've been praying for.

learn more

Eczema Friend

the itch buster  |  rash cream

The low pH eczema cream that helps to relieve itchy skin, red skin rash and mild eczema and dermatitis. Suitable for all types of rashes. It's the cream you'll wish you had tried first.

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Eczema News
Best and Worst Cleansers for Sensitive Skin, Eczema & TSW

Best and Worst Cleansers for Sensitive Skin, Eczema & TSW

|Ren Karen Fischer
Each time you shave or cleanse your skin, you may be silently damaging your skin barrier and biome. Skincare companies often put profits before skin barriers—and it could be contributing...

Frequently asked questions

Does food allergy trigger eczema?

Food allergy and eczema are closely linked, and allergies can absolutely make eczema worse, but they're often not what starts it in the first place. In fact, research suggests the reverse may be more accurate: eczema itself may come first and increase the risk of developing food allergies, rather than the other way around (Tsakok et al. 2016). One study found that babies with eczema were up to six times more likely to become
sensitised to foods compared to those without eczema. In children with established eczema, up to 66% showed food sensitisation, with confirmed food allergy in up to 81% of cases (Tsakok et al. 2016).

If you or your child has a diagnosed food allergy, those foods should be avoided for now. For additional guidance, the Food Intolerance Diagnosis (FID) Program in The Eczema Detox book can help identify food intolerances that do not show up in allergy tests (see next FAQ).
Do food allergy tests help eczema?

Skin prick tests and other food allergy tests including blood tests and patch tests can be unreliable on their own, so an oral food
challenge (supervised by an allergy specialist if you are prone to anaphylaxis), is the most accurate way to confirm whether you or your child is reacting to a particular food. For additional guidance, the FID Program in The Eczema Detox book can help you to identify your personal triggers.
About the authors

Ren Karen Fischer is a nutritionist, mother of two, and award-winning author of seven books, including the bestsellers The Eczema Diet and The Eczema Detox. Fischer is also a peer-reviewed published researcher, and is currently undertaking eczema research as part of a Master's by Research at Bond University. Combining clinical research with real-world experience, she is dedicated to advancing evidence-based care for eczema.

Nutritionist Bonnie Taylor holds a Bachelor of Health Science degree and helps people with eczema identify their individual triggers through the FID Program. Taylor has worked alongside Fischer for many years and offers nutrition consultations by appointment.