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Childhood eczema treatment options can get confusing fast, especially if you don’t know what’s driving your child’s itchy skin rash in the first place.
If your child is scratching constantly, it’s easy to blame histamine (and think it’s a histamine intolerance issue). Or if they have scaly eczema skin, it’s easy to blame food and start to cut more and more out.
Couple all this with the stress of watching your child suffer, and childhood rashes can be devastating for the whole family while trying to figure out the best childhood eczema treatment plan.
That’s why I thought it was time to discuss specific itch triggers that hit children with itchy skin and atopic eczema symptoms especially hard. While the conversation focuses on children and babies, it’s definitely still worth tuning in if you’re an itchy adult since many of these hidden triggers could still apply.
Joining me to demystify itchy skin and talk about childhood eczema treatment options is return guest and my good friend Jennifer Brand, MS, MPH, CNS. Jennifer is a clinical nutritionist who helps children with chronic rashes navigate the journey to healthy skin and enjoy a childhood free from disruptive skin symptoms.
As the top pediatric skin referral resource among trusted nutrition experts, Jennifer's passion for helping children with chronic rashes stems from her own health challenges that left her feeling different, judged, helpless, and alone as a child, and her family members' struggles with eczema, psoriasis, and vitiligo.
She has helped hundreds of families get to the root causes of the problem through her signature and proprietary step-by-step method called Conquer Your Child’s Rashesᵀᴹ . Her work has been widely recognized on a variety of podcasts, and she is a member of the American Nutrition Association, and LearnSkin (where she served as faculty).
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In This Episode:
- How itchy skin affects children and parents/caregivers
- Does severity of eczema skin impact the severity of itchy skin?
- Why itchy skin ISN’T necessarily a sign of histamine intolerance
- Struggles that parents go through supporting children with atopic eczema symptoms
- List of itchy skin triggers
- Thoughts on skincare products for kids in need of itchy eczema relief
- Nutrient deficiencies that trigger itchy skin
- Childhood eczema treatment options and simple tips to stop itch
Quotes
“The skin pH is actually a little bit acidic, and that acidity helps maintain the skin's natural oils and protects it from harmful bacteria…If your skin pH becomes more alkaline, that's going to disrupt the natural flora on the skin, and that means that that normal healthy bacteria or the skin microbiome isn't going to grow as well. The skin barrier is going to start to break down.”
“When we're talking about eczema, the inflammation, the dryness, and the other damage on the skin that comes along with eczema triggers nerves in the skin that send itch signals to the brain that result in the need or the desire to scratch. So then it becomes such a vicious cycle because excessive scratching can cause more inflammation, a stronger urge to scratch. And so it's really that inflammation on the skin that is triggering the itch. And this has nothing to do with histamine.”
Links
Find Jennifer Brand online | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
Cure Your Child’s Rashesᵀᴹ Online Course
Healthy Skin Show ep. 149: How Staph Aureus Wrecks Your Skin w/ Dr. Julie Greenberg
Healthy Skin Show ep. 327: Demystifying Food Allergy Signs, Symptoms + Skin Rash w/ Dr. Ruchi Gupta
Healthy Skin Show ep. 176: Dealing With Recurrent Skin Infections w/ Dr. Peter Lio
350: What Drives Itchy Skin In Kids (And Natural Childhood Eczema Treatment Options To Stop It) w/ Jennifer Brand, MS, MPH, CNS {FULL TRANSCRIPT}
Jennifer Fugo (00:32.89)
Jen, I am so excited to have you back here on the show. It's like the Jen and Jen show from when we were in grad school. I love, you know, I will share with you, and I think the audience will appreciate this. Most clients when they ask me about you, they're shocked that we actually know one another because we went to grad school. And I'm like, no, no, no, we went to grad school together and we both had this interest in skin, just kind of in different populations, which is why I love having you here because I don't work with kids. You do.
And I know that one of the biggest issues and factors is itchiness. In adults, it's a problem. In kids, I can't even imagine what parents go through, and obviously the child, but the parents too when it comes to finding childhood eczema treatment options for atopic eczema symptoms. So first of all, welcome. And second of all, can you share what you see from your clinical perspective in terms of children, itchiness, and how this impacts everyone involved?
Jennifer Brand (01:31.278)
Yes, absolutely. And I do want to say thank you for having me back, and I appreciate our long term relationship. And I know my clients as well are always a little bit surprised. They're like, you've known each other that long? And I'm like, yes, we have. So, anyway, yes, diving in today, and I'm so glad we're having this conversation because there is so much pain and suffering, and it's not just for children who are struggling with chronic skin rashes, but for the parents too.
And it's really heartbreaking because as a parent, you're up all night with your child who's miserable because of their debilitating itchy skin. Their diet is getting smaller and smaller because everything that they eat seems to make them itch, and you're terrified of what to feed them. Antihistamines don't seem to help. Prescription creams might not even be helping much, if at all. And you feel helpless, you know, you've tried everything, nothing’s solving the problem. You're exhausted, you're stressed, you're anxious, and you feel guilty because you can't help your child, and you're completely consumed with trying to. And what I really want parents to know is that there are a lot of things, both external and internal, that can drive the itch that a lot of people don't realize.
And I really want to share this information because I think it's really important. Because when kids have chronic skin rashes, I find that most parents start chasing histamine down the rabbit hole. And kids end up on these antihistamines, low histamine diets, and both can be problematic when used long-term and certainly when they aren't getting to the root cause of the problem, or when they really don't even help with atopic eczema symptoms in the first place, which I often find that they don't. And you know, the deal is that yes, histamine can cause itch, but there's a lot more going on, and understanding these different factors can really give parents and caregivers of kids with itchy rashes some direction so that they can manage symptoms more effectively, and really start to get to the root cause of the problem for their child.
Jennifer Fugo (03:23.095)
And I would imagine too, as we've talked about on the show with other allergists, especially lately, the impact of children specifically having such compromised skin barriers that they are, I mean, itching, clawing at sometimes. And probably I would imagine this happens in their sleep and they don't even realize this is happening, waking up, their skin is a mess. You know, this does put them at a greater risk for food allergies and whatnot. So if we're looking at this compromised skin barrier, right? So we'll just say like, you might see it online as leaky skin. Does the state of a child's skin drive how itchy they are, is it the other way around, or what do you think drives itchy skin?
Jennifer Brand (04:09.582)
So the state of a child's skin really can be a major driver of their skin symptoms. And when we're talking about the state of the skin, we have to talk about pH because that, along with the skin microbiome, really plays a role in what's happening with our skin barrier and whether or not somebody has leaky skin, which makes them more prone to developing skin rashes, certainly like eczema. Which, then having that broken skin barrier, like you were mentioning, absolutely makes somebody more prone to developing allergies, both food and environmental.
And so when we talk about pH, that is referencing how acidic a substance is. So we measure that on a scale of zero to 14, seven’s in the middle with neutral. So the lower the number, the lower the pH, the more acidic, the higher, the more basic or alkaline. And so a lot of people would, it's like, it would be a natural assumption, like we want things to be perfectly neutral. But that's not correct, because the skin pH is actually a little bit acidic, and that acidity helps maintain the skin's natural oils and protects it from harmful bacteria. And if the pH becomes too high, or basic or alkaline, and I know a lot of people want to alkalize everything, right? And this is a really good example of why we don't want to do that.
So if your skin pH becomes more alkaline, that's going to disrupt the natural flora on the skin, and that means that that normal healthy bacteria or the skin microbiome isn't going to grow as well. The skin barrier is going to start to break down. You're going to end up with more pathogenic bacteria on the skin, including Staph aureus, which is really a common, unwanted, overgrown bacteria on the skin of people who have eczema. And you can also end up with leaky skin. And so when you have this out-of-balance skin pH and skin microbiome, you get dryness and flakiness, you get more sensitive skin, you can get more skin infections. You definitely get that leaky skin, and definitely skin irritation and itching.
Jennifer Fugo (06:03.09)
Yeah, and I know from doing research about Staph aureus, and obviously I've had a lot of guests like Dr. Peter Lio on the show talking about the problems with Staph, Dr. Julie Greenberg came on the show to talk about problems with Staph. Staph loves a more alkaline pH, it thrives in that environment. So we don't realize how important this is. Again, I love that you underscored this, that the whole concept, and this is where we have to be careful in the world of wellness, that people say things and they make these claims about how everything should be alkalized, but don't realize that certain areas of the body really should not be alkalized. They actually need to be acidic because that is physiologically where they operate best.
And so I love that because as you shared, most people blame histamine when looking for childhood eczema treatment. You have itchy skin, it must be histamine. So what you're saying is that, and you already alluded to this, histamine may not really be the culprit. And if it's not, what do you see in your practice that parents might not realize could be driving the itch?
Jennifer Brand (07:17.038)
I think one of the primary things that I see, especially when we're talking about eczema, I will say that the majority of kids in my practice do struggle with eczema. It is the most common childhood skin rash, and since my practice is focused with children, that's usually what I see most of. But when we're talking about eczema, for example, the inflammation, the dryness, and the other damage on the skin that comes along with eczema, it triggers nerves in the skin that send itch signals to the brain that result in the need or the desire to scratch. So then it becomes such a vicious cycle because excessive scratching can cause more inflammation, a stronger urge to scratch. And so it's really that inflammation on the skin that is triggering the itch. And this has nothing to do with histamine.
Jennifer Fugo (08:08.689)
100% agree, and I want to make sure to point everyone to Dr. Shawn Kwatra’s interview we did, I guess it was about a year and a half ago, all about the fact that most itchy skin rashes are not histamine driven. And it was really fascinating because he's done a lot of research in his itch lab, as he calls it, at Johns Hopkins University, and really found that this whole idea that it's just a histamine problem just isn't so. And as you pointed out, that we could have signals from other areas of the body moving up the nerves, pain can be one of them, that gets mistranslated in the brain as itch. And that we also get signals, I know we're going to mention this because we've talked a lot about the gut and we'll talk a little bit about it today, but we have other episodes we can link up where you've discussed this in children. But that you could have issues within the gut that are translated and sent up the vagus nerve to the brain, the brain reads that discomfort, that inflammatory picture, and sends it back out to the system as itch.
So I think this is a really important message because I don't have kids, but I have this deep seated empathy for parents who are just, you just want your kid to be well. You just want them to sleep through the night. And it is so hard. And even I would argue, and maybe you can speak a little bit to this, Jen, but devastating to parents to see their child suffering this much.
Jennifer Brand (09:47.63)
It's so devastating, and I hear from so many parents, it's just the guilt, feeling like they've done everything, they don't know where to turn, they don't know what to do next. So they've literally done everything and at the same time, they feel like they haven't done enough.
And sleep is such a huge issue, and for biochemical reasons itch gets worse at night. So a lot of these families, the parents co-sleep with their children. I can't even count how many clients I have that tell me that they co-sleep with their child, parent on either side, holding their arms down so they don't scratch all night. And if they're not literally watching their child 24-7, they draw blood. The child wakes up in the morning with bloody sheets. It is absolutely devastating. And again, parents continue to chase whatever they can, and it's this histamine factor down the rabbit hole. And I also see so many of these children on different types of antihistamines which, if they help, great, let's get your child some relief. That's what they're there for. At the same time, so many of these antihistamine medications, even over-the-counter, or prescription ones, they don't help with the itch.
Sometimes I find that they help somebody get more sleep. And this is a question that I ask my clients, if they are on antihistamines, okay, is it helping with the itch or is it helping them sleep? Because there's a difference there, and then that is also a clue for me, to help me determine what is actually driving the itch. Is it histamine? Because of course, there are certain things that, when we're talking about skin rashes, yes, there can be histamine components. A lot of times they're not. And so that is a clue. If the antihistamines help with the itch, okay, there's a histamine component. If they're not helping with itchy skin, there's a lot of other things that could be happening.
Jennifer Fugo (11:43.244)
Yeah, and when we talk about those other things, I think it's good to kind of separate it from the external of what's happening outside of the body, and then the internal. At least that's kind of my approach, outside in, inside out. So in terms of external triggers that maybe parents haven't necessarily heard of that drive atopic eczema symptoms, what are those that may be making their kids itchier?
Jennifer Brand (12:07.694)
There are countless things that can be going on from an external perspective contributing to the itchy skin problem. Some of the more common ones are clothing and fabrics that can cause itching. In particular, two of the most irritating fabrics to avoid are wool and nylon. Both have fibers that can be prickly and rough, and make your child's skin itchy. Some people are allergic to wool, which definitely can make itching worse and even cause hives. So, in general, avoid synthetic fabrics, because they are going to cause more itching and skin irritation.
Some fabrics to choose instead, cotton is helpful for some people. It breathes, it absorbs sweat, it's easily washable. Some caveats with cotton, though. Always read labels, because some things that are marketed as cotton actually contain significant amounts of other materials like polyester, so irritating. Look for 100% cotton. Also look out for dyes in cotton clothing, because those can increase the risk of a sensitivity reaction. Linen can be an option, it's a natural fabric. It's gentle, it's soft, light. It's breathable. Some other fabrics that work really well for a lot of my clients, they have fabrics that are laced with zinc. Zinc is anti-itch and also can be antimicrobial, so that can be really helpful as well.
Jennifer Brand (13:39.566)
And some other things to really avoid in your childhood eczema treatment are are pretty common recommendations that some people follow while a lot of people don't. These include laundry soaps and dryer sheets. Laundry detergents are common triggers for skin rashes. They contain harsh irritating ingredients, they include fragrance, allergens, and dyes. So always go for free and clear products. And then fabric softeners and dryer sheets, they're usually fragranced. Just avoid them completely, there's no need for them.
Another itchy skin trigger that I find really fascinating is water. I hear from so many of my clients that their child just screams in the bath. And this is aside from, of course, if the skin is open and broken, you know, the water can be irritating. But even aside from that, a lot of kids are super irritated by water. So if your water is hard, for example, that might be causing the problem. Hard water has minerals in it that can combine with different chemicals that are in body care products, even like natural, clean body care products. The hard water, those minerals, can combine with those chemicals and more easily let them sneak in through the leaky skin, which can cause irritation. Hard water is also alkaline, right, while the skin is acidic, so that can be irritating too. So a lot of my clients do find it helpful to get a water softener and even a water filter in the house.
Jennifer Fugo (14:59.628)
And Jen, I want to add to this, because this was one sneaky way that I figured out that my water here in my house where I live is hard, is that I would get this weird, hard, whitish buildup around the edge of the faucet. And even, I have one of those metal countertop water filtration things, because we have a lot of chlorine and other things in our local tap water. And even around the edge of the little spout, again, really thick, hard, crusty. That's a sign that you have a lot of calcium and other things in the water, which I didn't realize until I did a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis test, and it came back with really high calcium.
And actually, everybody knows Christa Biegler, she was doing this on me, and she's like, do you have hard water? And I was like, I don't know. And she asked me, do you have these rings around your faucet? And I was like, actually I do. I never would have guessed that tap water could be hard. So there you go. It can be hard even if you have tap water. I didn't realize that, but that's how I figured it out. So, 100% agree with you there.
And what about the weather? I mean, I've heard from clients who are like, I swear, I feel like the weather impacts my skin and that if they go on vacation, say to a different area, like maybe they go to the beach and it's hot and humid, or they go to the desert, or some place else, they feel like their skin totally changes. Do you find that that could be a factor?
Jennifer Brand (16:39.694)
Absolutely, and it's so interesting because I have some clients that feel better in the summer and others that feel better in the winter. So everybody's different. So when it comes to that hot weather, you know summer weather, it is more humid. Well, let's talk about the heat first because I think this is so fascinating. So hot weather, obviously we get sweat, right? And sweat is important. We need it because as it evaporates, it helps control our body temperature, it cools us off. It also contains properties that naturally moisturize the skin, they are antimicrobial so they can help maintain the skin microbiome in a healthy balance.
But sweat is also a common irritant for people with chronic skin rashes. Sweat actually can increase fluid loss in people that have broken skin and leaky skin, which makes their skin drier. And then the sodium in sweat can also increase itching and stinging. Sweat mainly consists of different chemicals like water, urea, lactate, and other minerals. And so the buildup of those chemicals on sensitive skin can be a trigger for rashes in some people, particularly in the sweatiest areas of the skin.
And then also hot temperatures, right? That can worsen itchy skin symptoms because it leads to dilation of blood vessels, which happens naturally to cool the body down, but that also triggers inflammation, which leads to itching. The sun also, generally speaking, is our friend. And so this can be another reason why some people might do well in warmer weather, because Vitamin D is made when the sunlight hits our skin, and there are some significant correlations between low levels of vitamin D and a worsening of chronic skin rashes like eczema skin. But for some other people though, the sun isn't tolerated. It's hot, it causes sweating, which can lead to more itching. And some people even have photosensitivity, which is an immune system reaction that's triggered by sunlight.
And so now when we're talking about those dry, cooler climates, low humidity and cooler temperatures lower levels of filaggrin. Filaggrin is a protein in the skin that's critical for maintaining the skin barrier. And low levels are a key factor in developing chronic skin rashes, certainly like eczema, because this contributes to skin barrier dysfunction and leaky skin, which, of course, can cause more itching. So in people that do, and possibly people that have lower levels of filaggrin, might do better in the warmer temperatures because of that issue with the cooler temperatures, lower humidity really affecting that filaggrin protein.
Jennifer Fugo (19:14.31)
That's fascinating. I did not know that. See, this is why I love doing the show. Because we, and even you and I, I mean, we talk like every week, and we share things and you learn and pick up different things from different individuals then we all benefit from it. So I'm glad that you actually shared that because then, when it comes into being in these different environments, a lot of times, I'm sure parents are also, well, I don't know where they stand. I think as adults, we use a lot more personal care skincare products. I know I certainly do. I would think that there are, I mean, we talked about the fragrances and other concerns with laundry detergents and such, but is it possible there could be ingredients even in, say, natural skincare, that could be a problem that drives itchy skin in little kids?
Jennifer Brand (20:07.63)
Absolutely, and trying to figure out what skincare product is going to work best for your childhood eczema treatment plan is probably one of the biggest challenges that my clients go through and experience. And just to start off talking about the skincare products, many on the market are not pH-balanced for the skin at all. Remember, again, the skin pH is acidic and most skincare products out there are more alkaline, which is going to shift the skin's pH to more alkaline, damage that skin barrier, you're gonna get leaky skin, more skin infections, and that disruptive itch.
So three of the products, or I should say ingredients that I recommend avoiding, and these are actually natural, so we'll shift over to natural for a second, but coconut oil. Number one thing that I don't recommend using topically. It's a potent antimicrobial, it can disrupt the skin's healthy flora because of that, getting skin dysbiosis, you get that imbalanced skin microbiome, more skin symptoms like the itch. Essential oils are in a lot of natural products out there, and these can cause rashes and allergic reactions. You know, it's really interesting. There are a lot of products out there that contain chamomile and lavender, which generally are helpful for a lot of people. However, they are actually common allergens. So essential oils, definitely you want to avoid those. You know, aside from the chamomile and lavender being common allergens, the more you use any of these types of products on the skin, especially broken skin, the more likely you are to develop an allergy to them. And some essential oils are also antimicrobial, so they're going to disrupt that skin microbiome.
And then a big one that I recommend avoiding, especially for little kids, especially if they haven't eaten these foods yet, are food-based products, using them topically. So if your child has a broken skin barrier, if your child's struggling with eczema skin, they are a lot more likely to develop food allergies through that broken skin barrier. It's a primary mechanism for the development of food allergies. So what happens is, you want to avoid food-based products completely. And just remember when the skin barrier is broken, greater chance of developing allergies through the skin, don't put food-based products on your child as part of your childhood eczema treatment plan. If you're moisturizing your child and you have allergens on your hands, food-based allergens, that can contribute to sensitization to those allergens to your child. So always wash your hands before moisturizing your child.
And I will say too, because there's a lot of gray area with all of these things, if your child is already eating and tolerating those foods orally, there's a way less likely chance of getting sensitized through the skin. It's mostly like, if your child hasn't eaten those foods first yet, if they don't orally tolerate them, or if they already have an IgE allergy to them, keep them off of the skin.
Jennifer Fugo (23:14.63)
Can I add to that? For anyone who missed Dr. Ruchi Gupta's episode, she's an allergist at Northwestern University. She's in their research lab, which she was on the show, so if you're not familiar with this whole concept of becoming sensitized, children are becoming sensitized. And when I say sensitized, it's not just like, oh, we ran a test and it shows that they're reactive on an IgE test to X, Y, and Z. It's that they literally have a response, like a really significant allergic response to these things. They do believe that it is coming from the skin exposure, and that the way that most people are introducing foods to their children because of this dogma about wait, wait, wait, don't do this, don't do that, don't give children allergens early, was actually a mistake. So I'll link that up in the show notes. I think that's really important for parents to hear because there is something that we now know can be done. It is taking a massive effort to undo years of miscommunication. I don't wanna say miscommunication, incorrect information that was passed down to pediatricians and doctors and such, based on information about keeping these allergens out when we really shouldn't have. So it is crucial to get allergens into the diet as early as possible.
But again, talk to your pediatrician, talk to your allergist if you have concerns. Obviously, if you yourself as a parent have an allergy, that can sometimes make you nervous about your child developing that allergy. So have those conversations, and make sure that you're not holding out for two years before introducing eggs to your kid if that's just not a safe thing to do. We want to get allergenic foods, especially those top nine, in at an appropriate level. So that way, as Jen shared, you don't start reacting to it because it was introduced through the skin barrier instead.
And Jen, do low nutrient levels play a role? You mentioned about vitamin D can be a factor, low levels can increase the risk of rashes and itchy skin. What about other nutrient levels?
Jennifer Brand (25:43.534)
Yeah, absolutely. And to your point, Jen, absolutely it is so important to get all the foods possible into your child's diet early on before they can get sensitized through the skin. If your child has an IgE allergy, work with your doctor, avoid foods that they've told you to avoid. Otherwise, you need to get them in. And it's very challenging. This is another thing that I find really challenging for parents in my practice. It's terrifying to add these foods in. And, like you've said, this dogma that's been created around waiting to add the foods. It's really hard for parents to get over that, too, and to get over that fear to get these foods into the diet when their child is struggling with rashes. So I just wanted to add to that because it's so important.
Jennifer Fugo (26:29.67)
100%.
Jennifer Brand (26:36.72)
But when it comes to low levels of certain nutrients, absolutely. And, this kind of also goes along with keeping foods out unnecessarily and being on these elimination diets that do not solve the root cause of the problem. We have episodes on that that people can reference, so I won't go there. But some of the primary nutrients that I see problems with in my practice are protein, iron, zinc, vitamins A and D, and omegas.
Starting with protein, protein, when you eat it, is broken down into amino acids. These are the building blocks for every structure in the body down to the cellular level. So you can think of amino acids as the raw scaffolding for your child's body. And actually not eating enough protein is one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when they're trying to heal what's happening on their skin. And children are particularly impacted by this because they have higher metabolic needs compared to adults. They're growing, they're developing, they're on a healing journey. So they have even greater metabolic needs. And the bottom line with protein is that if your child isn't getting enough, their skin is not going to be able to heal no matter what your childhood eczema treatment plan looks like. And certainly that means their itching is going to persist.
Another really important nutrient to make sure enough of is getting in is iron. And this is critical for healthy skin and a robust immune system. Low levels of iron can cause itchy skin. Zinc, another critical nutrient for skin health. It plays a central role in skin barrier integrity and in immune system function. A zinc deficiency can result in unfavorable skin changes, including itchy skin. Zinc deficiency is actually usually caused by problems like absorbing it from the diet or not eating enough of it. Vitamin A, also another really important nutrient for making and repairing skin cells. It also helps fight inflammation due to certain skin issues and not getting enough vitamin A actually can play a role in the development of eczema and other skin problems, of course, as well as their associated symptoms.
Jennifer Brand (28:33.71)
And we mentioned vitamin D, and it's so interesting because low levels of vitamin D are actually linked in the literature to more severe eczema skin symptoms, including itchy skin. And vitamin D actually helps combat overgrowth of Staph aureus bacteria on the skin. And that overgrowth, of course, can absolutely contribute to skin symptoms as we've discussed.
Jennifer Fugo (28:58.31)
Wow. The one thing I'll also add to vitamin A, because vitamin A is a fat soluble nutrient that mostly, most abundantly, is found in animal sources. A lot of people, and I don't know what it is, I think it's our community of people, unfortunately, who are not well. A lot of people cannot convert beta-carotene very efficiently to vitamin A. So if you're assuming, oh, look, it says vitamin A in my child's multivitamin, and this goes for an adult, you're probably not getting nearly as much as you would hope for. I tend to find, I know in kids it's harder to do a lot of labs because it's hard to prick kids, you know, a lot aren't tolerant of that. But adults, a lot of adults, the vitamin A level is low. So just be aware of that. I think that's always a factor, I'm like, look, let's just keep in mind, you might have a hard time making that conversion. And some people genetically just struggle with that. So I think that's something to potentially consider. Sometimes we’re making choices about what type of nutrient we're gonna take. So diving into those internal factors, what are some things inside the body that could be going on that could be involved with itch?
Jennifer Brand (30:11.95)
So I'll mention two. There's so many different ones. I do want to talk a little bit more about food allergies because they are so often looked at as the root cause of the problem. And what I really want people to know is that food allergy and eczema are two completely different health problems. Food allergies actually affect about 30% of kids that are struggling with moderate to severe eczema, and we're talking about those IgE food allergy reactions, like diagnosed IgEs. So that 30%, that means that a bigger chunk of kids that have eczema do not have true food allergies. So food allergy skin symptoms typically result in hives, which is different from something like eczema. But what happens is the inflammation that allergies cause can make eczema worse, because eczema is an inflammatory skin condition.
And the other, probably major, internal cause of the problem that I see are issues in the gut microbiome. In particular parasites, H. pylori, Candida, all of these can cause itchy skin, again in the absence of histamine. It's really interesting too, because with parasites, there's a really strong connection between cases of chronic hives and parasitic infections. And if your child has high eosinophils and high IgE on lab work, particularly without identified food or environmental allergies, which I see a lot in my practice, parasites could be the culprit. There was a study that actually found there was a prevalence of parasitic infections, and this was both in adults and pediatric patients. So, of the patients that they looked at with chronic hives, 75% of them actually had parasitic infections. H. pylori can also be a cause of chronic hives. And then Candida can contribute to increased IgE levels in people with chronic hives, and it can also cause hypersensitivity reactions leading to itch.
Jennifer Fugo (32:10.694)
Like I was saying earlier, you can't discount the gut. The gut is a huge piece to this and I do think it's a worthwhile endeavor as part of your childhood eczema treatment plan. I think it's good for parents and caregivers to hear though, that this isn't just an adult problem, that yes. And Jen, can you just say this clearly? This can happen. Dysbiosis and balance of the gut happens in babies, yes, and can be a piece of the pizzle when it comes to itchy eczema relief?
Jennifer Brand (32:36.366)
I see gut imbalances in 100% of my clients that are struggling with chronic skin rashes, and I see children ages zero up to like early teens. But I work with a lot of little ones who are less than a year old and the gut dysbiosis can be pretty significant.
Jennifer Fugo (32:53.062)
I just think parents need to hear that, because I'm sure that they might think, people might rationalize, I could see that. How could you have that messed up of a gut? You haven't been here that long, right? It's entirely plausible. But I think it's important for parents to know that that could be a factor even in a very, very young child. So with all that said, do you have like maybe top three tips for itchy eczema relief that you could share with the parents and caregivers listening who are struggling with itchy little ones?
Jennifer Brand (33:26.798)
Yes, I have so many tips for itchy eczema relief and childhood eczema treatment ideas, but number one. Okay, stop chasing histamine. I mean, it's a place to start, but don't continue to if you're finding that's not helping solve the problem. So number one, you really have to protect and support the skin barrier. Number two, we want to address those external factors that we mentioned. And number three, check out those internal factors that are happening, and make sure that you're addressing everything from the outside in and from the inside out.
And I actually do have some resources that might be helpful for people. I do have a free guide, it's called Ditch the Itch. And it goes into a lot more detail about what we talked about today, Including strategies that you can start using now to help your child itchy skin There's also a link in there to what I call my cheat sheet, it's my guide to eating for healthy skin. So it lists all of the nutrients that are important for healthy skin like the ones we talked about today, as well as many others, and examples of foods that they are found in.
And then another resource for childhood eczema treatment options – if you want to dive really deep into the subject, is that the entire first module of my online course, it's called Conquer Your Child's Rashes, is dedicated to ditching the itch, and also to learning strategies to manage your child's debilitating skin symptoms, supporting the skin barrier to prevent leaky skin and skin infection, as well as for lowering the risk of the development of both food and environmental allergen sensitization through leaky skin. So those are some things that are available for folks out there.
Jennifer Fugo (34:56.006)
Well, we will link up to all of your links and such in the show notes. Thank you once again for being here, I so appreciate it. I hope that this is really helpful for parents who are struggling, who aren't sure what to do. Like you said, trying everything and feeling like you're just not doing enough. I think if you look at it one way, it could feel overwhelming, like, oh gosh, there's so much more that we have to do. Or flip side, you could say, oh my goodness, there's so many other things that we now can take action on. Thank goodness, right? Two different ways to look at it. But either way, thank you so much for being back on the show. I so appreciate you and I'm sure we'll do this again some other time. You always come back and share some really great information.
Jennifer Brand (35:44.206)
Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. And yes, there's always hope. There's always more to try. There are answers out there. So if your child is struggling, do not give up. Keep fighting, keep going, and you will get to the root cause of this for your child. They don't have to struggle with this for the rest of their lives.
Jennifer Fugo (36:03.122)
Thank you, Jen.
