The Bio Brainer

As I mentioned in the last post, I have a severe case of eczema and have lived with it since the day I was born. I was “officially” diagnosed with my eczema condition at age 3. From there, my pediatrician recommended to my parents that they take me to the allergist and the allergist then recommended me to my dermatologist. Little did I know, that would be the start of frequent visits to my trio of doctors. 

My severe case of eczema is mainly due to my multitude of allergies. It was 5th grade year when I got tested after I came home from school, and my eyes were swollen and half shut. 

For a week, I stayed home and walked into each of my doctor appointments expecting for them to prescribe a new cream, medication, or lotion. It was after a couple visits and nothing was working that my pediatrician sent me to the allergist. At the allergist, the first thing they had me do was do an allergy test. Sitting in my medical gown, I felt each of the skinny, cold needles pricked my back as the substances were injected into my skin. This was to test to see which allergens I was allergic to. If I was allergic to one of the substances, my skin would become red and swell, signaling that I was allergic to that allergen. 

From the look of my swelling back, I was allergic to a lot more things than I had realized. With a slew of both environmental allergies and food allergies, it was quite the list. With my food allergies, I was mainly allergic to dairy, but my body also had negative responses to eggs, potatoes, wheat, and tomatoes. Alongside the grocery list of foods, I was also allergic to pollen, pet dander, certain soaps / detergents, and dust. This meant that if I consumed or was around any of these allergens, then my body would trigger a defensive response, causing me to break out in an allergic reaction or in my case, eczema. 

Eczema is a non – contagious, chronic inflammatory skin condition that includes inflamed, itchy, dry, red skin. When an allergen (e.g. dairy) enters your body, your body sends a hoard of white blood cells that disperse chemicals and other substances as a defense mechanism. As a result, your skin becomes inflamed and irritated, causing it to become itchy, red patches of skin. Areas of eczema differ from person to person, but the most common ones are behind the knees, neck area, outside the elbows, arms, legs, hands, feet, and cheeks.