Eczema and how to control it


Eczema is certainly very difficult to cure. It has to be treated from within if one is serious about a permanent solution to the problem. The fact that the eczema is a symptom of immune deficiency also makes it imperative that a well thought out approach should be resorted to.
 
The external application of pure home prepared coconut oil can help the itch. A turmeric application will stop it from spreading. Intake of neem (Azharictica Indica) over a period of time can help reduce the inflammation and exudation. There are many special ayurvedic preparations, based upon bitter herbs and bark of trees, which help to a very great extent.
 
Homeopathy has remedies like Natrum Muriaticum, Natrum Sulphuricum, Petroleum, Graphites etc are to be prescribed according to the merit of the case.
 
One has to take proper care of the liver while treating eczema as the body goes into a heavy cleansing through the liver to reduce the load on the skin. The patient should also be advised a vegetarian diet so as not to add to the toxic overload. Patients with eczema should lead a very simple, restrained and uncomplicated lifestyle. A regime of regular prayer and meditation is highly recommended.
 
As per Hindu thought eczema (acquired, not induced due to vaccines etc.) indicates sins left over from a previous birth and one should approach life with humility and repentance while asking for spiritual help and relief from the disease.
 
The very fact that vaccines can cause eczema reflects on how dangerous they are.
 
Regards,
Jagannath.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Itching for a cure
Eczema sufferers should scratch out dairy and pop turmeric
By ELIZABETH BROMSTEIN

If you've ever had itchy skin trouble, you know horrible it can be,
keeping you up all night and driving you bonkers during the day. And
everyone loves being covered in raised red scaly bumps. One extremely
common skin condition is eczema, or dermatitis, a group of skin
conditions that come with fun differentiations like "atopic,"
"allergic," "irritant," "infantile seborrhoeic" and "adult seborrhoeic"
and can affect people at any age but are most prevalent among children.
Poor little things.

Research shows that 60 to 70 per cent of kids get over it by the time
they reach their mid-teens, but there's no guarantee of that. An
interesting study of the incidence of atopic (inherited) dermatitis by
ethnic group, by Dr. Robert D. Baker, found the highest incidence among
Filipinos and the lowest among Hispanics.

The bad news is, there's no cure, although dietary changes, emollients,
and steroids, both oral and topical, might ease the itch. (FYI, topical
corticosteriods, also known as cortizone, may relieve symptoms but they
can also thin the skin, worsen infections and possibly trigger more
itching, burning and redness.)

"The treatment in Ayurveda is to clean the [affected] patch daily with
warm water boiled with the bark of the neem tree , then apply a neem
paste and let it dry. Avoiding constipation is very important for
prevention; therefore, it is recommended that Triphala be taken. Salt
must be reduced. Sour things like pickles and curd are strictly
prohibited. Bitter things like turmeric are good, added to food and/or
taken internally with the guidance of an Ayurvedic physician. Turmeric
mixed with ghee can be applied and left until dry twice a day. Synthetic
fibres should be avoided. Use coconut oil with a drop of lavender and
ravensara essential oils on patches that are more on the wet side. For
dryer patches, I massage in sandalwood oil with ghee."

Andrea Olivera , Ayurvedic practitioner, Toronto

"In Chinese medicine, eczema is thought to be caused by an inability to
handle external factors of wind, damp and heat in the skin and
superficial tissues. Damp causes tissue swelling, exudate and weeping.
The redness seen in an eczema rash is the heat trapped in the tissue,
and the itch is the wind trapped. An example of a wind-clearing herbal
medicine formula would be Xiao Feng San , with such herbs as Jing Jie,
Chan Tui, Fang Feng and Niu Bang Zi. An example of a heat-clearing
formula would be Liang Xue Chu Shi Tang , with such herbs as Sheng Di
Huang, Mu Dan Pi, Chi Shao and Chi Xiao Dou. The damp formula example
would be Chu Shi Wei Ling Tang , and Sha Ren to eliminate the swelling.
I have had great success with these treatments."

Robert McDonald , Chinese medicine practitioner, Toronto

"Eczema is often caused or exacerbated by stress, dietary deficiencies
and gastrointestinal imbalances. The skin is the biggest organ of
detoxification, so many things out of balance internally will show up
through the skin. What this means is that putting a cream on your skin
may help the condition but most often does not cure it, because you have
to work from within the body to treat the underlying disorder. I treat
eczema using many things, depending on the patient's history as well as
on how the skin presents. I find using dietary changes, essential fatty
acid supplementation , herbs and/or acupuncture very helpful. Eczema can
be stubborn, so it often takes a few different approaches to finally get
rid of it altogether."

Morgan Winton , naturopath, Toronto

"Figuring out when a rash started is helpful. Sometimes in babies it
comes on after a vaccination, which could indicate that the body isn't
coping well. If the liver isn't working properly, the skin is the next
excretory organ. It could be an intolerance to the egg that's present in
vaccinations. Milk is the most common underlying cause in both children
and adults, but often adults have been drinking milk all their lives, so
doctors don't necessarily think of it. Wheat is another possible but
less common cause, as is corn. Unfortunately, that list applies to just
about any health concern. You can try eliminating suspected foods,
taking sensitivity tests and increasing your omega 3s and 6s, which are
anti-inflammatory.

Lianne Phillipson-Webb , registered nutritionist, Toronto

"Atopic dermatitis (AD), often called eczema or atopic eczema, is a very
common skin disease. It affects approximately 10 per cent of all infants
and children. The exact cause is not known, but AD results from a
combination of family heredity and a variety of conditions in everyday
life. Other rashes can start at any time, but most disappear within a
few days to weeks. AD tends to persist. If both parents are atopic, the
child has a greater than one in two chance of being atopic. AD is
included in [the same category as asthma and hay fever] because it often
affects people who either suffer from asthma and/or hay fever or have
family members who do. Physicians often refer to these three conditions
as the "atopic triad." Research at the University of Dundee in Scotland
has found a gene that's linked to eczema and asthma."

Joanne Langeraar , administrative director, National Eczema Association,
San Rafael, California
NOW | JULY 20 - 26, 2006 | VOL. 25 NO. 47