There are millions of people who suffer from eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and related skin problems. Recent scientific studies have established relationships between these skin problems, on the one hand, and asthma, hay fever and sinusitis on the other.

The connection is not cause-and-effect but parallel, in the sense that people who suffer from one group of problems tend to also suffer from the other.

Since eczema seems to run in families, it is felt that there must a genetic predisposition to eczema. This means that if one or both parents have or have had eczema, their children will not necessarily have a problem with it, although they are more likely to than the average person without the genetic predisposition.

Apparently something sets it off, triggers it into action. One theory is that it is a faulty reaction of the auto-immune system that can be triggered by a variety of different things, including certain foods, pollen, animal hair, stress... there's a long list.

The pharmaceutical industry and the medical profession have generally succeeded in convincing people that "cures" involve taking certain pills or getting certain injections. In recent years we have been gradually becoming aware of the huge medical effects of lifestyle, diet, nutrition and exercise.

However, the fact is that many of the major problem diseases like diabetes, heart problems, bone loss and memory loss seem to respond better to prevention by lifestyle changes than they do to treatment after they appear.

Theories have been put forward, hypothesizing that the long-term cumulative effects of bad diet and poor body maintenance are causative in many, many illnesses. Eczema seems to be one of those conditions that are heavily affected by diet and lifestyle.

There are many promising efforts to control and prevent eczema through diet, nutrition, good mental control and habits, and similar lifestyle changes. Some truly remarkable results have been reported.

It appears to be much easier to prevent heart disease, diabetes, eczema or even Alzheimers' disease than it is to cure it or reverse its progress. Once the symptoms become apparent, the problem is serious, maybe treatable but rarely reversible.

However, since eczema affects the skin, a part of the body that constantly renews itself, it is probable that lasting cures could be effected.

Benjamin Franklin was 'right on' when he repeated the folk wisdom of, "An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure." Franklin wrote that in "Poor Richard's Almanac" almost two and a half centuries ago. We are still marveling today at how right he was!