You could be doing all the right things- eating clean, whole foods, tossing out all itchy clothing, and making sure you drink plenty of water. But you're still flaring. Today's guest speaks on possible external triggers that he's been researching that may be causing flares, and it can be everything from where you live to what specific chemicals are in your environment. My guest today is Dr. Ian Myles, who was born and raised in Colorado. He did his undergrad at Colorado State University, received his M.D. from the University of Colorado, then trained in internal medicine at The Ohio State University prior to beginning fellowship training in allergy and clinical immunology at NIH. He became a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and has supported several US and international missions. Dr. Myles received his MPH from George Washington University before becoming the head of the Epithelial Therapeutics Unit to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a topical, live bacterial treatment for eczema. Have you changed anything in your environment or home and saw improvements in your rashes? Share with me in the comments below! In this episode: How the gut microbes prime the immune system to function properly and can affect cellular response in the skin Why you shouldn't be ONLY concerned with killing staph on your skin Why it's not in your head- allergic diseases HAVE increased since about the 1970s Aside from diet, what are some possible external triggers for eczema? (Hello clothing, sheets, and air quality!) Which chemicals seem to show up in the zip codes that have more eczema than you would anticipate? How do these chemicals physiologically harm the bacteria AND create signals for the body to create rashes (WOW!) Why eczema is not a drug deficiency and you need to look at the broader picture in your home and all of society Quotes "There's only seven chemicals you can use to give a mouse eczema so that you can then treat it, two of them are diisocyanates." [18:25] "In terms of the fabrics, I think laying that chemical up against your skin, or particularly polyester bedsheets I would worry about for children, if they're laying on that, that chemical is touching the skin, it's going to disrupt the bacteria's ability to do its job and it's going to directly activate the defects in the skin, or the receptors in the skin." [23:54] Links Find Dr. Ian Myles online here and on Twitter Try an AMAZING AirDoctor™ air filter here to clean up the air inside your home Get non-chemical laden sheets here for your whole family with Simply Organic Bamboo Healthy Skin Show ep. 253: Eczema Expo 2022 Recap Healthy Skin Show ep. 266: Eczema-Gut Connection (PART 1) RESEARCH: Exposure to isocyanates predicts atopic dermatitis prevalence and disrupts therapeutic pathways in commensal bacteria - Science Advances 6 Jan 2023; Vol 9, Issue 1