While it can be difficult to understand the connection between allergies and eczema when you are looking at them as two different issues, there is a strong connection between the two. This has prompted experts to start to wonder if allergy testing and eczema could be connected.
The basics
There is a conversation happening right now, specifically about the connection between eczema and food allergies. Does having eczema lead to developing food allergies easier than those without food allergies? Can food allergies lead to eczema? Does one worsen the other over time?
The evidence says that those who have eczema are more likely to develop or have food allergies in life. Likewise, those who have a food allergy are often more likely to have eczema, usually in moderate to severe cases.
The role of allergy testing
When you are looking at the connection with allergy testing and eczema, the suspected goal or idea is that having a food allergy test done could just be the key to reducing or even eliminating eczema entirely.
When a food allergy test is done, the sample is tested for IgE, which is what determines an allergic reaction versus a non-allergic reaction (ex: an allergy versus an intolerance). If the IgE is present, it can also bring to light that the patient is suffering from eczema as a result of dealing with a food allergy.
When a food allergy is detected (even if it’s a mild one) and the food is avoided, eczema could clear up. Most people think of food allergies and anaphylaxis, but there are many symptoms and manifestations of food allergies. One of these is eczema.
A potential cure for eczema
When a baby, child or even adult is going through a bout of eczema, the first thing to do is to figure out what topical problems could be causing the problem. Perhaps new products or laundry detergent; maybe it’s even something in the local environment. It isn’t until all of those have been ruled out that allergy testing is done, showing the result is, in fact, an undiagnosed food allergy.
As such, the research shows that food testing could possibly be a cure of eczema and that, when used earlier in the diagnosis pattern, it could save time and effort for everyone involved. Not to mention that it can help determine the food allergy that may or may not be known.
Only time and experience will tell whether or not allergy testing could be a potential cure for eczema. It’s exciting to think that such a cure exists, especially with those who are dealing with moderate to severe cases of eczema on a daily basis with no real results coming from traditional topical issues. As time goes on and more research is conducted on varying age groups and genetics, the answer may just come as a major improvement for those living with eczema.
While there are some who are trying to connect the dots between eczema and food allergies — and which comes first — it’s clear that food allergy testing and eczema could just be the ticket to the right answers.
