If you google, “what causes eczema?” The typical answers describe an inflammatory skin condition, genetic in origin, primarily related to an abnormality in the skin. The answers seem to suggest that since it is genetic we are unable to change the root cause of the problem.
Medicine can be terribly humbling at times, particularly when treating children’s eczema. But I have found that often my most humbling patient experiences are also where I learn the most about managing this frustrating disease. I want to tell you Tyler’s story as it provides a wonderful picture of how both the skin and gut play a role in eczema.
About a year ago, Jake and Amy, a new young beautiful couple, walked into my clinic with their newborn baby, Henry, in tow. As I pulled back the blanket of Henry’s car carrier, I immediately saw why they were there – their precious baby boy was covered in eczema. I gently pulled the little guy out of the carrier and peeled off his onesie. Most of Henry’s cheeks, belly and back were filled with red patchy lesions of eczema, and he was not happy about me touching them.
I think we need to start this with a fascinating story about misconceptions in modern medicine.
In 1981, at a small hospital in Perth, Australia, a young medical resident in training named Barry Marshall was looking for a research project. He was completing his gastroenterology rotation which largely consisted of seeing patients with painful peptic ulcers. It was commonly accepted at the time that ulcers were caused by stress, spicy foods, and too much acid in the stomach.
In 2016 my family moved to New Zealand as my husband was attempting to “find himself” in the midst of an unsatisfying surgical career. Unfortunately, my New Zealand medical license was delayed and I found myself alone at home most days, in a foreign country, with no friends and nothing to do – utterly lost. To stave off boredom, I dragged my family to jump off bridges with me in Queenstown or paragliding off cliffs.
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