I had dreadful eczema on my legs as a child. I remember the stinging, itching, and raw sensations. The ultimate relief was dipping into a cool Maine lake but that remedy was only possible during the summer. I felt embarrassed by the large red spots. I was a cheerleader and so self-conscious. The only medical treatment back then was dabbing mineral oil on the sores. Little did we know that if I stopped eating the “healthy” wheatgerm and homemade whole wheat bread, the eczema would vanish.
As an adult I had recurrent eczema on my eyelid and then on my hands. The doctors misdiagnosed it as a staph infection. When the antibiotics didn’t work, the conclusion was eczema...again. The treatment was topical steroids to heal the angry wounds.
Well, it has been one year without eating gluten/wheat, and my skin is clear and soft for the first time in my life...no more blotches of flaring sores. The explanation from my physicians over the years was that I just had sensitive skin. I now know it was because my insides were inflamed as my immune system fought off the gluten/wheat.
If you suffer from eczema, consider gluten a possible culprit.