Homeopathic Medicine For Treating Acute & Chronic Eczema

Eczema is a generic term that defines inflammatory conditions of the skin, namely vesiculation in the acute stages. The word is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions that includes dryness and recurring skin rashes. Skin ailments that qualify as eczema are characterized by one or more of the following symptoms: redness, skin edema (swelling), itching and dryness, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding. In contrast to psoriasis, eczema is often found on the flexor aspect of joints.

Despite the word’s common usage, eczema defines symptoms of various skin impediments rather than a singular disease, and is often the result of many internal and external factors acting in isolation or combination.

Treatment with antibiotics, antihistamines, and steroid creams only suppresses eczema, causing it to reappear once treatment stops. In some cases, suppressed eczema may lead to asthma or high blood pressure.

A HOLISTIC APPROACH

One of the most effective ways to treat eczema is with homeopathy. This is a holistic medical practice that treats the person as a whole, recognizing that every person is unique and thus must be treated differently by the practitioner. In other words, there is no specific remedy that is given to all eczema patients; each person is treated according to his or her personal needs.

Factors that cause an illness and the different reactions to these factors are very important in homeopathy. These factors include infections, emotional stress, lifestyle or diet conditions, hereditary defects or ailments, and physical and psychological patterns. Symptoms are most often manifested when one is exposed to a stimuli stronger than his/her vitality and immune system. Such forces are usually characterized as monumental occurrences such as accidents, emotional traumas, or the consumption of chemical drugs.

All symptoms are caused by underlying factors that must be discovered and treated in order for the symptoms to disappear permanently. Treating symptoms superficially, as done in conventional medicine, may act as a temporary palliative, but will not provide a lasting cure. Classical homeopathy, in its aim to cure underlying causes of a disease as opposed to its surfacing systems, proves to be an ultimately more efficient practice than allopathy.

Factors such as the mental/emotional state of a person, the location of the symptom, the behaviour of the person towards the symptom, susceptibility, and family history, among others are addressed and analyzed, allowing the homeopath to recognize underlying causes of disease experienced by the individual, and to administer a fitting remedy. Homeo-pathic treatment can not only  remove eczema, but also strengthen the vitality and immune system of the patient, allowing them to overcome underlying diseases.

In classical homeopathy, healing takes place from the top (head) to the bottom (toe), from the inside out, from the most vital organs (heart, kidney, liver, etc.) to the least (skin), and in the reverse order of how the disease establishes itself. In other words, if a person suppresses eczema via the use of cortisone creams and as a result develops asthma (the disease establishing itself from the outside in, and from the least important organ to a more vital one), the right remedy will induce a healing process that will clear the asthma before removing the eczema. In this way, the healing process occurs from the inside out, healing the more vital organs first.

AN ECZEMA CASE HISTORY

An 18-year-old girl came to my clinic complaining that she had suffered from eczema since the age of eight. She and her family did everything that they could, using corticosteroid cream, allopathic drugs, and lotions, but her eczema continued to spread across her body. She had come to accept the fact that her eczema was incurable, but was worried about the possibility of it spreading to her face, saying that if such a thing ever happened, she would kill herself. She said she felt that the eczema had eaten her “core,” making her feel empty inside and causing her self-esteem to deteriorate. She went on to say that she had tried everything from watching her diet to various herbal and chemical treatments, but nothing seemed to work for her.

It was difficult to pinpoint her remedy based on this information alone, so I asked her to come in for a another session. In the second session, I was able to delve deeper and realized that she felt detached from her family and different from everybody else. The eczema had made her feel empty. Based on this new information, and what I gathered from her mental and physical situation, I gave her Thuja 200C.

First follow-up: The itchiness of her skin was reduced considerably and her sleeping habits improved. She felt that her skin might be getting dryer, but her mood was more stable and she generally felt happier. She also found that she was more organized, completing her projects more efficiently. I gave her Thuja 1M.

Second follow-up: The eczema on her legs had decreased, though the scarring on the area still remained. Her legs were no longer itchy, but the skin on her arms was getting dryer still. I did not feel the need to re-administer her dosage.

Third follow-up: The scars on her legs had disappeared completely and her arms were following the same healing pattern as her legs; they itched at first, stopped, and then grew dryer, the scars ultimately disappearing. I was very happy with the results of her remedy.

Fourth follow-up: There were only two spots of eczema on her left arm. The spots only itched when she was on her period. I gave her one more dose of Thuja 1M.

Fifth follow-up: She didn’t know why she was there. She didn’t have any problems, and was no longer suffering from eczema.

CONCLUSION

The skin is the body’s protective organ, monitoring the flow of material in and out of the body. The skin and lungs share a strong relationship; any suppression of the skin relates  directly to the function of the lungs. Thus, by suppressing eczema (or any kind of skin disorder), the disease travels to the lungs. As the disease travels to deeper and more vital organs, it becomes increasingly dangerous, with its treatment growing more difficult. Homeopathy treats the disease as a whole, finding its deep-seated causes through a holistic approach. In this way, homeopathy achieves a holistic cure and restores and balances the individual’s vitality. In homeopathic terms, a symptom’s only function is to reveal the sensation of the individual experiencing it, which ultimately leads the practitioner to a remedy that will most effectively trigger the body’s healing response.

Below is a list of acute eczema remedies. Keep in mind that these remedies can only act as immediate palliatives and will not permanently cure eczema unless they are a constitutional match to the patient’s vital state.

Rananculus Bulbosus – May be used in cases of eczema attended with thickening of the skin and formation of hard, horny scabs. One of the most effective remedies for the bad effects of alcoholic beverages; spasmodic hiccough; delirium tremens.

Rhus Tox – Is useful in cases of eczema wherein hard, thick chalky crusts form, which crack and ooze copious pus. Adapted to persons of rheumatic diathesis; negative effects of getting wet, especially after over-heating.

Staphysagria – It may be used in treating eczematous eruption on any part of the body, but is especially apt to be found on the head and face. The eruption is usually dry and formed of very thick scabs and itches violently; when scratching stops the itching in one place, it moves to another. At other times, these scabs are moist and yellowish in colour.

Sulphur – Used for eczema rubrum; gouty eczema with much oozing. Skin is dry, rough, and scaly, with voluptuous itching that feels good to scratch. Itching in skin, even of whole body, is worse at night or in morning, in bed, and often with pain as a result of excoriation, heat, itching (soreness), or bleeding of the part which has been scratched. Adapted to persons of a scrofulous diathesis, subject to venous congestion; especially of portal system. Used for persons of nervous temperament, who are quick-motioned, quick-tempered,  and plethoric, with skin that’s excessively sensitive to atmospheric changes. For lean, stoop-shouldered people who walk and sit stooping like old men. Standing is the worst position for sulphur patients; they cannot stand, because every standing position is uncomfortable.

Natrum Muriaticum – Is called for in cases wherein eczema appears in thick scabs, oozing pus and matting the hair together; a crusta lactea, in fact. Scaly eruptions on flexor surfaces and the bends of joints. For the anaemic and cachectic, whether from lots of vital fluids – profuse menses, seminal losses, or mental affections. Great emaciation; losing flesh while living well; throat and neck of children emaciate rapidly during summer complaint. Great liability to take cold. Irritability: child cross when spoken to; crying from slightest cause; becomes passionate about trifles, especially when consoled. Awkward, hasty, drops things from nervous weakness. Marked disposition to weep.

Calcarea Carb – It is indicated in the eczema of children, when it appears on the scalp, with a tendency to spread downwards and over the face. It frequently appears in patches on the face or scalp, forming thick crusts, which are often white, chalk-like deposits. Found in those who are leucophlegmatic, with blonde hair, light complexion, blue eyes, fair skin; tendency to obesity in youth. Psoric constitutions; pale, weak, timid, easily tired when walking. Disposed to grow fat, corpulent, unwieldy. Children with red faces and flabby muscles, who sweat easily and take cold readily in consequence. Large heads and abdomens; fontanelles and sutures open; bones soft, develop very slowly. Curvature of bones, especially spine and long bones; extremities crooked, deformed; bones irregularly developed. Head sweats profusely while sleeping.

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