YOUR SKIN HEALTH IS LINKED TO YOUR DIGESTION

If you suffer from eczema, psoriasis or any skin condition you know how frustrating it can be. Many treatments and personal care products address the symptoms of dry skin, flaking, itching and redness, but only provide short-term relief. Because the skin is a reflection of your internal health we must look to the gut to better understand what is at the root of your symptoms.

Your digestive system is a hub of activity, responible for the absorption of nutrients from your food, the excretion of unwanted waste and the metabolism of medications. Throughout the lining of the intestines there are billions of beneficial bacteria called flora that work to keep levels of unwanted pathogens, bacteria, parasites and yeasts low. However, many things can upset this balance including eating foods you are allergic or intolerant to, being constipated, being stressed, eating on the go, etc. Over time, if this “bacterial balance” is upset, there will be damage to the intestinal wall causing you to develop symptoms of digestive upset and/or skin conditions.

To illustrate my point, let’s say you are intolerant to gluten (but maybe haven’t realized it yet) and you eat two slices of whole-wheat toast for breakfast. Once the gluten reaches your intestines it will start to cause an inflammatory reaction because your body is intolerant to it. Inflammation causes the immune system to respond, leading to the formation of immune complexes that are deposited in the skin causing a variety of skin conditions. Some people may also experience bloating, gas, diarrhea and other digestive concerns and should be tested for irritable bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) if this describes them. Identifying what foods may be aggravating your skin condition is best done with the guidance of a licensed naturopathic doctor who will do either blood testing or a food allergy elimination diet program with you to determine what foods you are intolerant to.

Once offending foods are identified and removed from the diet your symptoms should start to improve fairly rapidly. On top of removing foods, you can also do a number of things that will help rebalance the healthy flora in the gut including:

1)    Taking a probiotic supplement. Probiotics are healthy beneficial bacteria that will help repopulate your gut and control unwanted pathogens.

2)    Making sure you are regular. If you have issues with constipation, increase your water and fibre intake. Consider 1 teaspoon of ground flaxseed a day to provide fibre and health omega 3’s which will help decrease any inflammation.

3)    Get tested. If you think you have a number of food intolerances and are having trouble identifying them, see a licensed ND who will perform an IgG blood test for over 100 common foods.

4)    Consider supplements like L-glutamine and Quercetin for help with healing the lining of the gut that is damaged by inflammation.

Healing the gut takes time and requires patience. Skin conditions can be very uncomfortable to live with, especially if the lesions are in places on the body that are visible to others. While you address your gut health, you can consider these options to help with the symptoms:

1) Get a humidifier and place it near your bed. Buy one with a medicine well and use essential oil of lavender to help soothe the skin while you sleep. The moisture from the humidifier will help the skin from drying out which causes flaking and itching

2) Do a series of infrared sauna treatments. Infrared saunas use dry heat and provide the body with an opportunity to detoxify. This treatment alone has had a major impact on many of my patients who suffer with skin conditions.

3) Avoid steaming hot showers. Despite how much you might be tempted on a cold winter morning, the extreme heat will dry out your skin and make your symptoms worse.

4) Find a moisturizer that is free of unwanted parabens and alcohol that dry out the skin. Use the Ecoholic Body blog to find good products http://www.ecoholic.ca/books/mean15/

5) Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and healthy omega 3 fats (including flax and fish oils). A whole foods diet is full of vitamins and minerals and anti-oxidants all needed for healthy skin.

6) Decrease your intake of saturated fat including red meat and dairy products. Saturated fats cause inflammation in the gut.

Skin conditions are treatable but you have to go below the surface to really get long lasting results. Whether you have been struggling with eczema for years or have a new diagnosis you can get results by improving digestion and making changes in your daily routine.

Dr Nicole Basque, Naturopathic Doctor, practices at The Pear Tree Naturopathic Clinic located at 1067 Champlain Street in Dieppe (857-1300). Fluent in French and English, Dr. Basque practices family medicine and is currently accepting new patients. Call for an appointment today and join us on facebook. You can also follow her on Twitter @nicolebasqueND and her blog at http://nbasque.blogspot.ca/