Posted on 05/02/2019 8:46:03 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions across the U.S. has found a connection between a skin microbiome imbalance and eczema flareups. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group describes their study of the skin microbiome and the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which has been associated with eczema.
Prior research has shown that S. aureus is more abundant on the skin of people who suffer from eczema. It has also led to the discovery that people who have eczema tend to have lower concentrations of cells that assist in building up skin barriers—this is why S. aureus is able to flourish.
To better understand the relationship between S. aureus and the skin biome, the researchers collected samples from human skin and bred colonies of the bacteria on mouse skin. They found that S. aureus made use of a process called "quorum sensing" as a means of communication between S. aureus individuals. The bacteria use it to know when to release toxins and enzymes that break down the skin barrier, allowing the bacteria access to interior parts of the skin, which causes flareups. The researchers also found that other bacteria living on the skin actually fight off the toxins using proteins that interfere with quorum sensing. When the researchers cultured some of the "good" bacteria and applied it to the skin of mice with eczema, it prevented flareups.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Makes me wonder if anti-bacterial soaps does more harm than good.
There a topical probiotics you can buy (amazon).
Another researcher has developed a bacterial mix which he claims will allow you not to have to bathe. I think that was available on Amazon at one time, might still be.
So proper hygiene is called for?
BFL
Interesting, but my son’s eczema has internal as well as external causes. Certain foods cause a severe reaction, the skin barrier would make no difference.
Also, bleach baths help heal eczema. I was skeptical when the dermatologist prescribed it, but it works. Add about 1/3 cup of bleach to the tub and it really helps. Wouldn’t that be killing off the helpful bacteria?
At Easter we discovered that he has one external cause. He snuggled with his aunt’s cat and within half an hour his wrists were raw and open and dripping blood. He also had a few bites of a quick bread before I stopped him so he consumed a small amount of eggs, his most severe allergy. So we cannot be sure if it was contact with the cat alone or the combination with eggs.
Yes, it would kill the good bacteria, but also the key strain of bad bacteria in the article.
Unfortunately, hair follicles and fabrics retain the person’s bacteria to reinfect the skin, for both bad and good strains. If the good strains aren’t good enough, the bad wins.
I’ve had a type of eczema my whole life, and I agree that there are other factors involved besides the bacteria.
The type I have involves only my hands and feet, and throughout my life it’s traveled around.
Now, it mostly shows up on my left foot. Only my left foot. That foot has been operated on. I talked to someone yesterday who has the same thing and hers is now primarily in her right foot. She’s had an injury on that side.
I’m still willing to try the topical probiotic and the bleach bath to see if either of those things helps.
Very interesting. Thanks for the post.
Our son was a preemie. A few months after we introduced solid foods into his diet he developed eczema. Nothing worked, using the elimination diet to figure out if allergies might be the source showed no difference.
The wait to see a dermatologist was so long that I scheduled an appointment with a functional medicine doctor, who was booked just as far out. By the time he saw a dermatologist it was so bad that his earlobes were separated from his head from eczema. His neck, arms, legs, hands and feet were horrible.
The functional medicine doc did a blood test and it showed a long list of food allergies. The list is so long that it’s incredibly difficult to eliminate all the foods. We try to avoid the most severe, but haven’t been vigilant enough and need to get more serious. The problem is that he’s allergic to the most common foods(eggs,wheat, dairy,chicken, beef, onions, garlic, potatoes,and more...) so finding allergen free food that a little boy will eat is expensive and difficult.
Right now it’s mostly inside his elbows, behind his knees, on his wrists and feet. He’s a trooper but it’s not fun for him to manage.
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