Dermatitis and Eczema

Dermatitis and Eczema

Is it too much to ask? Jeez, it’s not as if you wanted skin like a fashion model’s. All you’re seeking is relief—from the scaly sores, the redness, the flaking and especially all of that itching.

Dermatitis is a broad term that refers to any inflammation of the skin. Poison ivy and similar rashes are known as contact dermatitis, caused by touching something that irritates a patch of skin. Reactions to internal medication can cause red, scaly skin and sometimes even hair loss.

But the broadest category is known as atopic dermatitis, or eczema. It’s a chronic condition that can be triggered by allergic reactions to foods, pollen, dry air or any number of other factors. The problem can flare up any time, without notice, and the causes can be hard to pinpoint. The natural remedies in this chapter—used in conjunction with medical care and with your doctor’s approval—may help relieve some of the symptoms of dermatitis and eczema, according to some health professionals.

See Your Medical Doctor When...

Your dermatitis or eczema is persistent.
Your dermatitis or eczema is widespread.
Your skin is oozing, smelly and crusted, indicating infection.

Acupressure

Stimulating the Sea of Vitality trigger points can fortify the body’s entire system and improve skin conditions, says Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D., director of the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California, and author of Acupressure’s Potent Points. He says to press and briskly rub the B 23 and B 47 points, situated on the lower back on the left and right sides of the spine, in line with the navel. The B 47 points can be found four finger-widths away from the spine at waist level. To locate the B 23 points, move two additional finger-widths closer to your spine. (For help in locating these points, refer to the illustration on page 565.) Dr. Gach says to work all of these points simultaneously by making loose fists and rubbing the points with the backs of your hands for one minute. Repeat this treatment several times a day, he adds.

“Pressing these points can help when used in combination with other therapies, especially a healthy diet, deep breathing and stretching exercises,” says Dr. Gach. If you have a weak back, he adds, press these points lightly, and be sure not to press directly on the disks or vertebrae.

Aromatherapy

To soothe inflamed, itchy skin, try the essential oil Roman chamomile, suggests Fair Oaks, California, aromatherapist Victoria Edwards. She says to add five drops to a warm (not hot) bath, soak for ten minutes and apply a soothing body oil. For a body oil, Edwards suggests a blend of five drops of Roman chamomile, five drops of neroli, ten drops of lavender and five drops of ber gamot essential oils in two ounces of a carrier oil such as olive or almond. (Carrier oils are available in most health food stores.)

For information on preparing and administering essential oils, including cautions about their use, see page 19. For information on purchasing essential oils, refer to the resource list on page 633.

Food Therapy

“As with other skin conditions, the cause may be a nutritional deficiency, where you’re not getting enough of the necessary vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids,” says Elson Haas, M.D., director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition. To heal dermatitis and eczema, he recommends following his three-week detoxification diet (see “Detoxing Your Ills” on page 48).

Homeopathy

Homeopathy can offer relief from dermatitis and eczema symptoms, says Chris Meletis, N.D., a naturopathic physician and medicinary director at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. He recommends taking one of the following remedies twice a day for 30 days.

If your skin is irritated, especially in the folds of the elbows and knees, try Psorinum 12C, according to Dr. Meletis. He says Calcarea carbonica 30C can be helpful when you have itchy crusts of eczema that seem to heal slowly and are better in dry weather and worse with cold and if the sores are on your scalp and face. If eruptions are behind your ears and on your scalp, Graphites 12C will often help, he says, especially if you also have a honey-colored discharge and moderate itching. If you don’t see improvement in 30 days, Dr. Meletis recommends seeing your medical doctor or homeopath.

All of these remedies are available in many health food stores. To purchase homeopathic remedies by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637.

Hydrotherapy

A baking soda bath soothes the itch of dermatitis and eczema, according to medical pathologist Agatha Thrash, M.D., co-founder and co-director of Uchee Pines Institute, a natural healing center in Seale, Alabama. Add one cup of baking soda to a tub filled with lukewarm water (94° to 98°F—use a regular thermometer to check) and soak for 30 minutes to an hour, using a cup to pour the water over any part of the body that isn’t submerged. Pat dry. Dr. Thrash says to use this treatment once or twice a day for as long as itching is a problem.

Juice Therapy

“Dermatitis and eczema are both symptoms that mean the body isn’t eliminating toxins efficiently,” says Elaine Gillaspie, N.D., a naturopathic physician in Portland, Oregon. “These toxins end up coming out through the skin.” To get elimination back on track, Dr. Gillaspie recommends stimulating the liver daily with an eight-ounce blend of one part beet juice, one part water and two parts carrot juice.

For information on juicing techniques, see page 93.

Vitamin and Mineral Therapy

Use the food sensitivity diet (see “Food Sensitivity: How to Discover the ‘Healthy’ Foods That Can Cause Disease” on page 52) to eliminate any foods that might have a role in causing eczema, suggests David Edelberg, M.D., an internist and medical director of the American Holistic Center/Chicago. He also says people with eczema may want to use the following nutritional regimen to help control outbreaks: 50,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A a day for three weeks, then reducing the dose to 10,000 IU a day; one tablespoon of flaxseed oil a day; 400 IU of vitamin E a day; and one milligram of copper a day. Flaxseed oil is available in most health food stores.

Yoga

Eczema can flare up when you’re under stress, says Stephen A. Nezezon, M.D., yoga teacher and staff physician at the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. To lower stress, Dr. Nezezon recommends trying a daily routine of breathing exercises, meditation and yoga poses.

Do the complete breath exercise (see page 152) whenever you’re feeling stress, whether it’s at the office, in the car or at home, recommends Alice Christensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association. Daily meditation (see page 153) helps clear your mind and teaches you to relax at will, she says. For the yoga poses, choose three or four from the Daily Routine, which begins on page 606. Christensen suggests varying the poses every day to keep your interest high and to strengthen different parts of your body. Dr. Nezezon says you should include at least one relaxation pose, such as the corpse (page 612), knee squeeze (page 612) or baby (page 618), in your daily yoga routine.