2023-10-21 00:00:00
Hidoc Medical Reporter Shin Na-kyung DirectorㅣSource: Hidoc
Recently, numerous studies have revealed that atopic dermatitis is related to intestinal health. If both pediatric and adult patients have atopic dermatitis, the risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis increases, and the severity of atopic dermatitis also affects the increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease. In fact, when looking at atopic dermatitis patients, it is often observed that the intestines are in an unhealthy state.
However, there are patients who complain of frequent stomachaches or soft stools even though no special problems were found during endoscopy or other tests. Representative examples include people with leaky gut syndrome or irritable bowel syndrome. In addition to diarrhea or loose stools, atopic dermatitis begins with repeated unpleasant digestive symptoms such as constipation and indigestion, and existing symptoms tend to gradually worsen.
Effect of digestive function on atopic dermatitis
70-80% of the body’s immune cells are concentrated in the digestive tract. This is why when digestive function weakens due to continued factors that can affect intestinal health, such as stress, eating spicy foods, or overeating, immunity decreases and abnormal inflammatory reactions occur. The intestines may recognize food as an allergy, causing itching.
And these digestive problems do not only apply to intestinal health. Various symptoms related to the stomach, such as frequent burping, farting, or indigestion symptoms such as a feeling of gassing, or inability to tolerate hunger, can also affect atopic dermatitis.
※If three or more of the following items apply, your digestive function is weakened and there is a high probability that it is affecting atopic dermatitis.
1) If you manage your diet, atopic dermatitis symptoms become less severe, but the moment you stop managing your diet, they quickly worsen.
2) You have bad eating habits, such as irregular meal times, binge eating, late-night snacking, and frequent snacking.
3) I often feel symptoms of indigestion. (frequent burping, farting, bloating, feeling sick, etc.)
4) I have been diagnosed with reflux esophagitis.
5) Difficulty withstanding hunger or hunger.
6) If I eat a little spicy or oily food, I have loose stools.
7) Even if you eat plenty of vegetables, constipation occurs often.
8) Even on an empty stomach in the morning or when it is time for the next meal, I am not hungry and feel like there is something in my stomach.
Diet: When it helps vs. when it doesn’t help with atopic dermatitis
In addition to the cases listed above, if you feel that your atopic dermatitis symptoms are improving following dieting, it is highly likely that decreased digestive function is related to the worsening of atopic dermatitis. The problem is that if the condition has already spread to an immune system skin disease such as atopic dermatitis, the symptoms can easily worsen and relapse even if management is slightly lax.
Diet alone has limitations in recovering digestive function.
The reason why diet management is important for atopy patients is not to treat atopy in itself by avoiding specific foods that cause atopy. This is because eating food carefully can be a preventative measure to prevent additional inflammatory reactions.
It is more important to manage your diet by ‘removing foods that are bad for you’ than ‘what you eat’, and what should take priority over that is observing the cause of ‘why I have this reaction’ following eating food. It is necessary to identify the digestive problems that are occurring and apply appropriate treatment methods.
Sleep and respiratory problems also affect atopic dermatitis.
Deterioration of digestive function is one of the main causes of atopic dermatitis, but it is not the only cause. Sleep quality or respiratory problems may also contribute to atopic dermatitis. For example, if you have problems with the quality of your sleep, such as taking more than 20 minutes to fall asleep or waking up frequently, the skin becomes dehydrated and becomes dry, flaky, and itchy.
If you live with respiratory problems such as rhinitis or colds, an immune response may occur in your body as if a virus has invaded. As a result, the immune system easily becomes oversensitive to external stimuli such as dust or pollen, causing an inflammatory response, and this irritation even affects the skin.
As such, there are many aspects to consider in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, and treatment methods must vary depending on which factors affect the symptoms and cause or worsen them. Therefore, it is most important to find the cause of your atopic dermatitis with a medical team and apply the necessary treatment and management.
Written by = Hidoc Medical Reporter Director Shin Na-kyung (oriental medical doctor)
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