Issue #040 - The Benefits of Probiotics
Welcome to November's edition of the Eczema Bulletin e-zine, and thank you for subscribing.
This is the 40th edition of the Eczema Bulletin. It will bring you articles and news about eczema, and also any updates to what-is-eczema.com. If you would like to add any suggestions for articles or news, or even add your own then I would love to hear from you
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This month's Eczema Bulletin includes
- November's Featured Article – The Benefits of Probiotics
- My favourite eczema news article
- Tip of the Month
- 5 Ways To.....manage underarm eczema
The Benefits of Probiotics
Probiotics are bacteria and yeasts that are beneficial to your body. There are over 400 different strains of probiotics.
They are known as the friendly bacteria, and they are a live bacteria. They are said to balance your immune system. It is also reported that they help with leaky gut syndrome, aiding with inflammation.
Researchers found that when someone has a weak immune system that they are more likely to have certain bacteria on their skin. These bacteria can cause your eczema to get infected. When your immune system is more balanced, the number of 'bad' bacteria on your skin will reduce. This means that the risk of infection decreases.
Leaky gut syndrome happens when spaces between the cells in the lining of the gut appear. These spaces allow bacteria, toxins and undigested proteins and fats to get into the bloodstream. When your body tries to get rid of these, the result is often seen on the skin. You may see the symptoms of eczema, acne or
rosacea.
The friendly bacteria found in probiotics can help by sealing the spaces in the gut lining.
Probiotics can also be beneficial if you find yourself on a course of antibiotics. Antibiotics kill the bacteria in your body that is causing the infection, but they also kill all the good bacteria. Candida yeast grows in its place.
The probiotics slow down the growth of the Candida, and provide your body with healthy, friendly bacteria.
There are some mixed results on whether probiotics are beneficial to eczema. Some research shows that they are, and some show that they have an effect. They are completely safe to take, and they can benefit other conditions, so you may feel that they are worth taking.
Eczema News Article
Scientists in Queensland, Australia are working on the first food allergy vaccine.
They are looking at the proteins found in fish, shellfish and eggs which can cause an allergic reaction. The scientists are looking at changing the proteins so they can be used as a vaccine.
Different foods have different proteins, so a number of vaccines will need to be developed for the different allergies. They are hoping that the vaccine will be developed within the next 4 years.
If the development is successful and the vaccine becomes widely available, it could be a massive benefit for anyone with a food allergy.
Tip Of The Month - Eczema Treatment and Laundry
Whenever you or your child has an eczema treatment applied, it is extremely likely that some of it will end on your clothes and bedding.
Some of the treatments used can be pretty greasy. Ointments are a prime example. When you wash your clothes and bedding the grease can damage the rubber seal on your washing machine.
Here is one way to limit the damage done. After the load has finished put some biological powder in your machine. Then put it on a 95 degree cycle. This helps to get rid of the grease.
If you don't normally use biological powder you can get rid of the powder by putting your machine on an empty hot wash. This option isn't the most effective financially or time wise, but it will help stop the grease damaging your machine.
You could try hand washing your clothing and bedding first to get rid of some of the grease. I don't know how effective this is, but it may help if there is a lot of treatment used.
Unfortunately,
however much you wash your items you wouldn't be able to get rid of all of the treatment from the fabric. Here is a couple of ways to reduce the amount of treatment that gets on your clothing and bedding.
- Use the greasy treatments at night. You can wear some cotton clothing over the areas that have been treated. You can then hand wash them to remove the treatment
- Use occlusive dressings. You can use these night and day. If your eczema is on a small area you can use a bandage as a dressing. If it's on a larger area you may be able to get a specialist covering for certain areas, or even a bodysuit
- Try and use creams during the day. They absorb into the skin better and quicker. They are unlikely to sit on the surface of your skin and transfer to your clothes
If you have any tips on how to remove greasy treatments from your clothing and bedding, please let me know. If they can save time or money, even better :)
