Paste youEczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked. It is more common in children although adults can get it as well. It is usually a chronic condition and tends to flare up periodically and then subside. It may be accompanied by asthma or hay fever. It can improve significantly, or even clear up completely in a few children as they grow older.
Symptoms
Symptoms may vary from person to person. People with mild eczema may only have small areas of dry skin that are occasionally itchy. In more severe cases, atopic eczema can cause widespread red, inflamed skin all over the body and constant itching. Some of the symptoms include
Itching
Red patches especially in the hands, feet, ankles, wrists, neck, upper chest, elbows, knees, face and scalp.
Dry scaly skin
In some cases fluid oozing out of the patches
Scratching makes the skin raw and sensitive
Sometimes these patches may get infected and show up as the yellow crust
Causes
No exact cause for the condition has been found. Though atopic dermatitis resembles an allergy, the skin irritation is not an allergic reaction. A mix of factors may cause eczema such as :
Dry skin
Family history
A gene mutation that reduces skin’s ability to be an effective barrier
Weak immune system
Build up of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, on the skin that creates a film that blocks sweat glands
Triggers such as soaps, detergents, shampoo etc
Food allergies
Hormonal changes
Environmental factors such as allergens
Skin infections
Treatment in Allopathy
No cure has been found for atopic dermatitis. But treatments and good skin care can relieve itching and prevent new outbreaks. Use of mild soaps, moisturizer, creams, and lotions are recommended. Moisturizers should be applied immediately after bathing in order to lock-in the moisture on the skin. In severe cases, oral medications, steroid creams, and light therapy are used.
Ayurveda and Eczema
Eczema corresponds to a condition called Vicharchika in Ayurveda. It can be caused by the imbalance of either Vata, Pitta or Kapha but predominantly pitta imbalance is responsible for eczema. The root cause of eczema is impaired digestive fire (either too high or low) that in turn leads to accumulation of toxins in the body. The toxins when mixed with blood circulates the entire body and deposit in the connective tissues under the skin causing irritation, scaling and inflammation.
In the newborn and infants, the diet of the mother is a factor in the occurrence and treatment of eczema. It is important to not only give right food to the baby but also to the mother right from the time of conception in order to boost the immunity of the child and prevent the occurrence of eczema in newborns. Breastfeeding is important in building the immunity of a child. While planning a diet for the mother and child taste, heating or cooling qualities of food items, the post digestive effect of food on the body and on person’s individual constitution. In this way, the imbalances causing excess toxins can be corrected.
Treatment in Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, eczema can be completely cured or significantly reduced by using the right combination of topical preparations to help heal and repair the skin, diet (for both mother and infant) and lifestyle choices. Allopathic treatment merely works at the symptom level and does not address the root causes of the disease.
Ayurvedic treatment focuses on correcting the underlying imbalance, strengthening the digestive system, cleansing and detoxifying the body of toxins. The treatment is personalized based on the symptoms, underlying imbalance, and constitution of the person.
Panchkarma therapies such as Vaman (emesis or therapeutic vomiting), Virechana (purgation induced by herbs for elimination by drugs) and Basti (medicated enema) are followed to remove the toxins. External application of herbs and pastes are done along with herbs for internal consumption.
Snehana(external application of oils) and Swedana(sweating to remove toxins) are also followed. Rasayana or rejuvenating therapies are undertaken after detoxification.
Herbs
Useful herbs for internal use include Barberry root (Berberis vulgaris), Sariva (Hemidesmus indica), Gokshura (Tribula terrestris), Guggul(Commiphora wightii),, Manjishta (Rubia cordifoliae), Chitra (PlumbagoZeyla), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifoliai) , Cardamom and Gotu kola (Centella asiatica). Diuretic herbs such as Dandelion leaf and Punarnava are useful. Triphala (a formula of Emblica off., Terminalia chebula and Terminalia belerica) is excellent for clearing toxins, by taking half a teaspoon of the powder in a little warm water at night. For chronic cases, tonic herbs such as Bala (Sida cordifolia), Licorice root, Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) and Gokshura (Tribula terrestris) are recommended after panchakarma treatment. Use of turmeric, ghee, neem oil, Alsi (Linum usitatissimu) and tulsi for external application is also recommended.
Apart from this a balanced diet, Yoga and Pranayama are recommended. Since eczema may exacerbate with stress meditation is also included in the regimen.
Naturopathy and Eczema
Naturopathy treatment for eczema focuses on finding the root cause or trigger for the disease and treating it with naturopathic treatments along with diet, and lifestyle changes.
Treatment in Naturopathy
Diet
One of the important factors in treating eczema is diet.
Processes flour, dairy, sugar, eggs, peanuts, and soy food are generally more inflammatory in nature compared to other food items and tend to induce the immunological response. It is better that these food items are avoided in the diet. Raw vegetable juices, especially carrot juice in combination with spinach juice have proved highly beneficial in the treatment of eczema.
Detox
The best way to deal with eczema is to cleanse the bloodstream and the body. The treatment starts with a fast on orange juice and water. Juice fasting helps in eliminating the toxins.
Next step is strengthening the digestive system . Digestive dysfunction is almost always at the core. When the digestion of food is compromised for a significant period of time, food particles are incompletely broken down, and the immune system responds to these now-foreign particles. A poorly functioning digestive system prevents key nutrients from being fully absorbed, most notably for eczema: zinc, essential fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, among others. Any of these, when deficient, will impair the body’s ability to maintain and heal the skin. Supplementing these nutrients is therefore essential for eczema. Rarely is an impaired digestive system not involved.
After strengthening the digestive system, organs for responsible for the elimination of waste such as liver and kidneys are detoxified and rejuvenated.
Hydrotherapy, mud packs, herbal applications, oil massages are some other natural treatments that are given to eczema patients.
Acupuncture and Eczema
Acupuncture involves insertion of sterilized fine steel needles at specific points in the body in order to stimulate the function of internal organs. Three body meridians are essential to the treatment of eczema -the lung, spleen and liver meridians. These organs have a direct influence on the skin.