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Eczema Naturopathic Treatment
Treating Eczema Naturally With Holistic Health Methods
Eczema is a chronic skin condition characterized by irritated patches of skin which may be dry, red, and/or scaly, and weeping eczema will have additional symptoms of oozing and crusting of skin sores. Either way, it's really no fun, and for many the condition begins in childhood and reoccurs throughout their lives. Treatment of eczema truly presents a challenge, as the exact causes are unknown. The natural health field believes the symptoms are an allergic reaction and immune response to either a specific chemical in one's environment or the cumulative buildup of toxicity in the body coupled with weakened immune and elimination systems. Using both systemic and topical treatments together presents the most effective means of finding relief.
Many people have had great success with using therapeutic essential oil blends topically; essential oils and accompanying carrier oils can be exceptionally healing to a great variety of skin ailments, eczema included. Oils can provide short-term relief for many, though healing chronic conditions will likely require addressing the toxins in one's environment, modifying lifestyle choices, and employing the cleansing practices of natural medicine. Here we'll have a look at topical essential oil formulas from the medical aromatherapy literature, and review effective suggestions for internal and holistic natural treatments.
Essential oils have profound healing effects when the right oils are selected and properly applied. The blends for eczema are simple, and can provide nearly immediate relief of symptoms. For dry eczema, use this recipe to make one ounce of your formula: 20 drops of Lavender essential oil, 20 drops of Palmarosa essential oil, one-quarter ounce of Tamanu oil and three-quarters of an ounce of Rosehip seed oil. For children under five, use only one drop of each essential oil per year of age, if over five use two drops. Lavender is a wonderful oil for the relief of itching, and is even prescribed 'neat' (undiluted) for simple relief of itchy skin. It has a gentle, soothing effect, with anti-inflammatory and regenerative actions. Palmarosa is a pleasant smelling yet potent anti-microbial and anti-viral essential oil often used in skin care. Tamanu oil is a tropical nut oil highly regarded for its ability to calm and regenerate the skin, and Rosehip seed has been extensively studied for its healing and regenerative properties. This is a powerful yet gentle therapeutic blend that can be applied three to four times daily to relieve itchiness and stimulate skin regeneration.
For weeping eczema, the therapeutic blend is modified to use Thyme essential oil, thujanol chemotype (note that there are several types of Thyme available), and Eucalyptus citradora, otherwise known as Lemon Eucalyptus. This is a more potent anti-infectious blend of essential oils, still in the soothing base oils of Tamanu and Rosehip. Again use 20 drops of each essential oil in each one-quarter ounce of Tamanu and three-quarter ounce of Rosehip seed. Again, the concentration should be reduced for young ones.
For long-term relief, finding the true cause of the eczema is important. For many, it can be toxins in their environment they are continually exposed to. One mother reported success in healing the eczema of her seven month old by switching from chlorinated and fluoridated city tap water to distilled water. Another person whom visited a naturopath began filtering the chlorine from her water, and followed the 'Eat Right For Your Blood Type' diet (which among other things improves the immune response and lessens inflammation), again with much success. In general, natural health professionals advise the importance of reducing stress levels, improving the body's acid/alkaline balance, supporting the immune system, decreasing the inflammatory response, and cleansing the liver, kidneys and colon.
It sounds like a lot, but many practices will promote more than one aspect of health. Cleaning up the diet, reducing processed foods and increasing intake of fresh organic vegetables will go a long way. Vegetable juice, when squeezed at home or at the juice bar (rather than bottled or canned varieties) moves the pH to a more alkaline level, and helps cleanse the system. Just drinking the juice of a single lemon in a glass of warm water first thing each morning will alkalize the blood and support the liver in toxin removal. Cleansing may be crucial to eczema sufferers, as the health of the skin is considered an indicator of the body's toxicity level. Clear skin means a clear liver; allergic skin reaction can mean the internal organs of elimination are overloaded, and response of eczema is really the toxicity 'spilling over' to the skin. If you feel your body is in need of a real cleanse, seek the support and advice of a knowledgeable natural health practitioner to learn the most healthful and effective means to do this for yourself.
Consider making incremental changes to your lifestyle, continually moving toward optimal natural health. A naturopath will encourage you to only make one or two changes ever few weeks, so that you're not overwhelmed with them, and are more likely to make them habits for the long term. A few additional easy changes to consider, that can have a profound impact on symptomatic relief: Adding a significant daily dosage of essential fats from distilled fish oil or hemp oil. These important fats cannot be made by the body, and play a crucial role in modulating immune response -- get them in bulk bottles, rather than capsules which don't really offer large enough quantities. Next, try at least two months worth of a high-quality probiotic supplement, one that offers six or more strains of healthy bacteria for your digestive system. These types of supplements have been shown specifically to help eczema sufferers. If you're not working out regularly now, take the implementation of some sort of movement routine into serious consideration -- it will help immensely in your overall well-being and more than likely improve symptoms as well. And a couple of easy ones: try finding nettle leaf tea in bulk and drink a couple of cups a day -- nettles are highly regarded in Naturopathy for their anti-allergy effects among other benefits; finally, try significantly increasing the amount of clean pure water you're drinking daily. Much of the population is chronically dehydrated, and those with eczema may benefit dramatically from nature's most important nutrient.
About the Author
Misty Rae Cech is a degreed Naturopath, Iridologist and Herbologist with a professional practice in Boulder, Colorado. She is also the owner of the Ananda Apothecary, a source of natural health information.
Living With the Discomfort of Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that is characterised by scaling and inflammation of the skin. It most often occurs on the elbows, knees, other parts of the legs, scalp, lower back, face, palms, and soles of the feet, but they can occur on skin anywhere on the body. The disease may also affect the fingernails, the toenails, and the soft tissues of the genitals and inside the mouth.
Psoriasis occurs when skin cells quickly rise from their origin below the surface of the skin and pile up on the surface before they have a chance to mature. In about one-third of the cases, there is a family history of psoriasis.
Approximately 30 percent of people with psoriasis experience joint inflammation that produces symptoms of arthritis. This condition is called psoriatic arthritis.
My own battle with this condtion began when I was in my early twenties. The first signs were simply a reddening of the elbows and knees. Of course, I took little notice of this. However, it didn't take long before the scaly patches appeared and began to spread to my knuckles, ankles and some small areas on my lower legs. I tried several moisturising lotions but nothing seemed to work. I then sought the advice of my physician who diagnosed my condition as Psoriasis.
So began a lifetime of applying corticosteroid creams and coaltar lotions to the affected areas of my body. This is usually the first type of treatment prescribed for the condition.
At times, I experienced significant physical discomfort. Itching and pain interfered with basic functions, such as sleep. This in turn left me feeling constantly tired and unable to cope with day-to-day chores, thus putting a strain on my family relationships. I began to feel self-conscious about my appearance and had a poor self-image that stemmed from fear of public rejection. Psychological distresses in turn lead to significant depression and social isolation.
I noticed that there were times when my skin worsened, then improveed. I found that several things caused flareups including infections, stress, and changes in climate that dry the skin. Also, certain medicines seemed to trigger an outbreak or worsen the disease.
As the years progressed, so too did the disease. I eventually had psoriasis on my knuckles, elbows, finger joints, knees, lower legs, feet, and even the webbing of my toes. I also had it in my scalp and a large area of my lower back. I was miserable most of the time because of the constant itching and discomfort.
I had tried every treatment that I heard of and had found only minimal relief. By this time, I had virtually given up hope that I would ever lead a normal life without this affliction.
However, a few years ago, a friend convinced me to see a naturopath. I didn't expect much from him but he surprised me. He advised me to try emu oil, something I hadn't yet tried. I took his advice and bought a bottle of emu oil capsules which I took religiously. Within weeks, the scaly patches had all but disappeared from my knuckles and lower legs. By a couple of months, I had no outward signs of the disease and, for the first time in many years, I felt comfortable with my appearance. Because I was no longer itching all of the time, my sleep patterns improved and so did my ability to cope with life in general.
I took the full dose for about six months and then started taking just one capsule per day as a maintenance dose. I still take that every day and will do so for the rest of my life.
So, for all of those who suffer from psoriasis or eczema, take my advice. Give the emu oil a try. It certainly improved my quality of life and I believe that the advice given to me by that naturopath is the best advice I was ever given.
Psoriasis is an incurable disease and, once you have it, you will always have it. The point is that you don't have to let it rule your life. You can live relatively free of this condition just by taking that one step.
About the Author
Anne Wolski has worked in the health and welfare industry for more than 30 years. She is a co-director of http://www.magnetic-health-online.com an information portal with many interesting medical articles.
