Skin is the outer covering of the body. It has multiple layers and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and internal organs. Skin plays a key role in protecting the body and it also plays an important role in our day to day life, especially exposed areas, as it gives the appearance of the person. Common symptoms of skin like itching, redness, burning etc, we all have experienced these once in a while. But for few persons it turns out to be an unpleasant condition called ECZEMA.
Eczema is inflammation of the skin. It is characterized by itchy, erythematous, vesicular, weeping, and crusting patches. The term eczema is also commonly used to describe atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema
It covers almost 10 to 20% of world’s population. This condition is a result of the skin’s inflammatory response to physical or environmental irritants. Normally, skin acts as a barrier to protect individuals against disease and infection. This protection is compromised when oversensitivity to external irritants, known as triggers, cause a negative immune response, resulting in an eczema reaction. Eczema is caused by triggers to environmental and physical irritants. Patches of skin get flaky, itchy, and red. Sometimes, these patches ooze liquid. When the skin heals, it thickens and can radiate a leathery appearance at spots where the reaction occurs.
Triggers for eczema
- Environmental allergens: House dust, sand, smoke, animal dander, pollen, molds, etc.
- Dietary allergens: Milk & milk products, soy, fish, eggs, peanuts, etc.
- Contact with irritant substances such as soaps, detergents, cleaning products, cosmetics, perfumes, etc. Even contact with certain forms of clothing, rubber, watches, jewelry, some metals such as nickel, etc, can trigger it off.
- Changes in temperature and humidity
- Dry climate and excessively cold temperature
- Psychological stress – This has been advocated as a cause in a large number of cases.
- Impaired blood circulation
- Genetic factor: patients with eczema are seen have family history of allergies, asthma, hay fever or other forms of allergic diseases.
This skin condition can be seen in infants, children, and adults, on any part of the body. Infants manifest this condition on their foreheads, cheeks, forearms, legs, scalp, and neck. In children and adults, the itchy red patches can appear on the face, neck, inside of the elbows, knees, and the ankles. Eczema can appear in infancy and end between the ages of 5 to 15, but it can also be a life-long condition, recurring on and off at intervals for the rest of a person’s life. Though it’s not a life-threatening condition but it can have a great psychological impact on person, the discomfort and anxiety with disease all these should be taken care by treating doctor. The diseases have its own phases where the symptoms get worse and get better giving relife to person.
Skin diseases are being treated externally by applying steroid ointments, antibiotics which gives temporary relief but later on the problem flares up again and again and with more intensity. Skin diseases are external manifestation of internal diseases. Hence, it has to be cured from within.
Homeopathy has great affinity for skin disease and there are various type of approaches through which an indicative homeopathic medicine can be prescribed. Constitutional prescribing is most successful in such cases where a detailed history of physical symptoms and emotional state of the patient is taken by the physician and a remedy is prescribed on basis of the picture formed from this history. Constitutional prescribing is the best way to get rid of chronic eczema and tendency to eczema or tendency to skin allergies. People who take homeopathic treatment get markedly reduced tendency to eczema.
A detailed case-taking is required by the treating physician to know –
- the underlying cause
- associated or alternating diseases
- craving, aversions
- thermals
- emotional and mental state
- Affected area – symptoms, its intensity etc
In small children’s where it’s not possible to go in details for constitutional medicine, Therapeutic prescription can be made by getting details from parents.
Few homeopathic remedies which can be of help for mild reactions or initial stage of eczema/dermatitis /skin allergies. Please remember it’s advisable to take remedies under guidance of a registered homeopathic practitioner.
Homeopathic Remedies
Antimonium Crudum
Eczema with gastric derangements Pimples, vesicles, and pustules. Sensitive to cold bathing. Thick, hard, honey-colored scabs Urticaria; measle-like eruption. Itching when warm in bed. Dry skin. Scaly, pustular eruption with burning and itching, worse at night.
Arsenicum
Top remedy for skin ailments-psoriasis, flaky scalp, dry eczema. Symptoms that burn yet improved by heat application. Feels better in the Summer. Children who have skin that is dry and rough. Symptoms are often worse on the right side, with cold applications, and after eating offending foods or drinking alcohol. Itching, burning, swelling, skin eruptions. Dry, scaly skin
Bovista
Acne, skin allergies from use of cosmetics. Aggravated bathing.
Calcarea suphurica
Tendeny to boils, abscesses ,furuncles, ulcers with copius purulent discharge. Burning itching of skin.
Graphites
Eruption on the skin, oozing out a thick, honey-like fluid. Eczematous eruption appears about the eyes, on the cheeks, on and behind the ears, on the top of the head and down the occiput.
“Excessive cautiousness; timid, hesitates; unable to decide about anything. Fidgety while sitting at work. Sad, despondent; music makes her weep; thinks of nothing but death. Eczema of lids; eruption moist and fissured; lids red and margins covered with scales or crusts.
Petroleum
Usually dry eruptions. Skins dry cracked and leathery. Deep cracks, bloody painful .aggravated winters.
Note: above remedies are few of the many remedies which can be useful for eczema, skin allergies. A homeopathic physician considers many other aspects when prescribing a homeopathic remdy, so please seek help and take the appropriate remedy.
Author : Dr Geeta Rani Arora
Dr Geeta Rani Arora, BHMS,MD (Homeo)is a classical homeopathic practitioner with a clinical experience of more than 10 years. She is Editor of journal “The Homeopathic Heritage” one of the oldest monthly homeopathic journal. Has done a certificate course from NIH,USA on Complementary Medicine. She loves her time of clinical practice for which she is very passionate about. She has treated many cases of Asthma ,Allergic disorders ,Psoriasis ,Eczema ,GERD ,Depression and Anxiety disorders ,Learning disability etc. She has presented papers on National and International Level like 66th LIGA congress in December 2011, Research conference in Malaysia ,International conference in Pune ,KML in Delhi 2012. She can be contacted at healer.g@gmail.com for any health query or 91-9818090953 for appointments.
| Case 1) Before treatment | After treatment |
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| Allergic reaction | After treatment next day |
| Case 2) eczema/ allergic dermatitis/ atopic dermatitis | |
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| Eczema before treatment | Eczema after treatment |
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| Case 3) Eczema /atopic dermatitis | |
| before treatment | After treatment |
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| At start of treatment Novemner 2012 | In march 2013 |
| During treatment | |
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| In January 2013 | |