Gluten diet dermatitis herpetiformis
IgA is present in affected as well as unaffected skin. Eruptions commonly occur on pressure points, such as around the elbows, the front of the knees, the buttocks, back, face, and scalp but can appear anywhere on the body. ) Dermatitis herpetiformis sufferers can find short-term relief in the form of dapsone, a sulfur-based antibiotic. For example, in one study that followed 86 dermatitis herpetiformis patients for several years each, only about 40% of the patients followed a gluten-free diet, and only five people reported complete success in alleviating their dermatitis herpetiformis symptoms through diet. The gluten rash is the itchiest rash possible. The degree of damage to the small intestine is often less severe or more patchy than those with celiac disease. Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a chronic disease of the skin marked by groups of watery, itchy blisters that may resemble pimples or blisters. The rash, which usually appears as clusters of itchy red bumps and water-filled blisters, can occur anywhere on your body, but most frequently appears on the buttocks, knees, elbows, lower back and the back of the neck. With DH, the primary lesion is on the skin, whereas with celiac disease the lesions are in the small intestine. DH is a hereditary autoimmune gluten intolerance disease linked with celiac disease. Managing Your Dermatitis Herpetiformis With the Gluten-Free Diet. Managing Your Dermatitis Herpetiformis With the Gluten-Free Diet.
The itching and burning of the eruptions are severe and the urge to scratch them is intense. (See: Dermatitis Herpetiformis Diagnosed with Skin Biopsy for more information. Your dermatologist will take a small biopsy of the unaffected skin very close to an eruption or eruption site. To diagnose a person with dermatitis herpetiformis, most dermatologists will perform a skin biopsy that looks for specific antibodies to gluten. I can report from personal experience that it took about two to three years of an incredibly strict gluten-free diet before my skin was clear. The celiac disease-associated condition is caused by an autoimmune reaction to gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley and rye, and occurs in up to 25% of people with celiac disease. Dermatitis herpetiformis is one of the itchiest skin rashes known. The ingestion of gluten (from wheat, rye, and barley) triggers an immune system response that deposits a substance, lgA (Immunoglobulin A), under the top layer of skin. The lgA deposits under the skin result in eruptions of red raised patches of skin, similar to the beginning of a pimple, that can develop into small watery blisters. If you have DH, you always have gluten intolerance. Although it is uncommon to diagnose young children with DH, we are seeing more cases of early childhood DH.
