Eczema, and how to tackle it.

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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 cureEczema sufferers should scratch out dairy and pop turmericBy ELIZABETH BROMSTEINIf 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. Andeveryone loves being covered in raised red scaly bumps. One extremelycommon skin condition is eczema, or dermatitis, a group of skinconditions 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 timethey reach their mid-teens, but there's no guarantee of that. Aninteresting study of the incidence of atopic (inherited) dermatitis byethnic group, by Dr. Robert D. Baker, found the highest incidence amongFilipinos 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, topicalcorticosteriods, also known as cortizone, may relieve symptoms but theycan also thin the skin, worsen infections and possibly trigger moreitching, burning and redness.)"The treatment in Ayurveda is to clean the [affected] patch daily withwarm water boiled with the bark of the neem tree , then apply a neempaste and let it dry. Avoiding constipation is very important forprevention; therefore, it is recommended that Triphala be taken. Saltmust be reduced. Sour things like pickles and curd are strictlyprohibited. Bitter things like turmeric are good, added to food and/ortaken internally with the guidance of an Ayurvedic physician. Turmericmixed with ghee can be applied and left until dry twice a day. Syntheticfibres should be avoided. Use coconut oil with a drop of

lavender andravensara essential oils on patches that are more on the wet side. Fordryer 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 tohandle external factors of wind, damp and heat in the skin andsuperficial 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 herbalmedicine 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-clearingformula would be Liang Xue Chu Shi Tang , with such herbs as Sheng DiHuang, Mu Dan Pi, Chi Shao and Chi Xiao Dou. The damp formula examplewould 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 deficienciesand gastrointestinal imbalances. The skin is the biggest organ ofdetoxification, so many things out of balance internally will show upthrough the skin. What this means is that putting a cream on your skinmay help the condition but most often does not cure it, because you haveto work from within the body to treat the underlying disorder. I treateczema using many things, depending on the patient's history as well ason how the skin presents. I find using dietary changes, essential fattyacid supplementation , herbs and/or acupuncture very helpful. Eczema canbe stubborn, so it often takes a few different approaches to finally getrid of it altogether."Morgan Winton , naturopath, Toronto"Figuring out when a rash started is helpful. Sometimes in babies itcomes on after a

vaccination, which could indicate that the body isn'tcoping well. If the liver isn't working properly, the skin is the nextexcretory organ. It could be an intolerance to the egg that's present invaccinations. Milk is the most common underlying cause in both childrenand adults, but often adults have been drinking milk all their lives, sodoctors don't necessarily think of it. Wheat is another possible butless common cause, as is corn. Unfortunately, that list applies to justabout any health concern. You can try eliminating suspected foods,taking sensitivity tests and increasing your omega 3s and 6s, which areanti-inflammatory.Lianne Phillipson-Webb , registered nutritionist, Toronto"Atopic dermatitis (AD), often called eczema or atopic eczema, is a verycommon skin disease. It affects approximately 10 per cent of all infantsand children. The exact cause is not known, but AD results from acombination of family

heredity and a variety of conditions in everydaylife. Other rashes can start at any time, but most disappear within afew days to weeks. AD tends to persist. If both parents are atopic, thechild has a greater than one in two chance of being atopic. AD isincluded in [the same category as asthma and hay fever] because it oftenaffects people who either suffer from asthma and/or hay fever or havefamily members who do. Physicians often refer to these three conditionsas the "atopic triad." Research at the University of Dundee in Scotlandhas found a gene that's linked to eczema and asthma."Joanne Langeraar , administrative director, National Eczema Association,San Rafael, CaliforniaNOW | JULY 20 - 26, 2006 | VOL. 25 NO. 47 "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest

of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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