Itching might sound like something very normal. But patients who suffer from Eczema can tell you about the severity of this problem. I have seen many of them bleeding due to “itching” alone. And there is “n” number of medicines which can help in reducing the itching alone, but never solves the root cause of the problem. Steroids and other medicines to suppress the immune system, work for a period alone. But as soon as the impact of medicines ends, eczema becomes more complicated. I am introducing you to a new approach to Eczema ayurvedic treatment, which is not just about using some medicines to apply over the skin. It is all about the correction of autoimmunity and helping you to get rid of the problem of Eczema with Ayurvedic treatment.
The skin comes from inside out. Thus you need to heal eczema through ayurvedic treatment from the inside.
Eczema is a term for a group of skin diseases where the skin becomes irritated or inflamed. In simple words, eczema is skin inflammation characterized by itchy, red, and sometimes rough and cracked skin. Blisters may also develop in some cases. This condition is prevalent in infants and small children but may affect anyone at any age.
Facts on Eczema
- Eczema is a chronic skin disease. It is long-lasting with periodic flares.
- This condition affects about 3% of adults and children and 10 to 20% of infants across the globe.
- Infants who develop eczema outgrow it as they grow up, but some continue to suffer from it throughout life.
- Atopic dermatitis is the most typical type of eczema. It is prevalent in a patient suffering from hay fever and asthma.
- Eczema is not a contagious or infectious disease.
- Scratching skin instead of relieving discomfort makes eczema worse and irritates the skin further.
- Symptoms of Eczema may vary from person to person and with age.
- Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment can surely help you to lead a very normal life.
- No side-effect and no remission is the policy of- Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment at Sukhayu Ayurved, Jaipur.
There are different types and stages of eczema. Every type of eczema has its triggers and set of symptoms.
Types of Eczema
- Atopic Dermatitis – Atopic dermatitis is the most common type of eczema. It mostly starts in early childhood. As the child grows, it gets milder and eventually goes away with adulthood.
- Contact Dermatitis – Contact dermatitis may be of two types:
- Irritant Contact Dermatitis – It starts by coming in contact with substances or chemicals that irritate the skin.
- Allergic Contact Dermatitis – It is an immune system reaction to allergens such as metal or latex.
- Dyshidrotic Eczema – Dyshidrotic eczema is more common in females than in men. Small blisters on feet and skin characterize it.
- Hand Eczema – Hand eczema affects the only hand. It is common in people such as hairdressers or cleaners whose work includes regular use of certain chemical that irritates the skin of the hand.
- Neurodermatitis – Neurodermatitis is very similar to atopic dermatitis. It results in one or two scaly and thick patches on the skin.
- Stasis Dermatitis – Stasis dermatitis results when the fluid from our weak veins leaks out into the skin and causes itching, pain, and swelling.
- Nummular Eczema – In this type of eczema, round spots form on the skin. It is very different in appearance from other types of eczema with intense itch.
- Seborrheic Dermatitis – The distinguishing feature of seborrheic dermatitis is the appearance of a rash on the face, ears, and scalp. Occasionally rash may appear on the chest in adults. In infants, the oozy rash behind the ears may be quite extensive and involve the entire body.
- Dry Skin or Xerotic Eczema – In dry skin eczema, skin becomes excessively dry, cracks and oozes. It mostly affects the lower legs and tends to occur more in dry winters.
Symptoms of Eczema
Generally, the type of treatment becomes different for all these conditions in Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment. Because the main concern of the Ayurvedic approach for treatment is to find out the imbalanced dosha in eczema. We need to look at the symptoms.
Here are the symptoms of eczema. These are of two types- common and particular.
Common symptoms of all types of eczema include:
- Redness
- Dryness
- Scaly skin
- Mild to Intense itching
Here are the different symptoms of eczema of different types. The common symptoms remain the same but additionally, some other symptoms appear.
Symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis
- The rash in atopic dermatitis forms in the creases of the knees or elbows.
- In children, the rash appears on the cheeks and scalp
- The affected area gets darker or lighter and thicker.
- Small bumps may appear on scratching fluid leeks out. Scratching may infect the skin.
Ayurvedic treatment for skin allergy
Symptoms of Contact Dermatitis
- Red and itchy skin
- Skin stings or burns
- Hives or itchy bumps appear on the skin
- There may be fluid-filled blisters that may ooze and crusts form.
- With time the skin becomes scaly, leathery, and thick.
Symptoms of Dyshidrotic Eczema
- Small fluid-filled blisters forms on palms, finger, and soles of feet.
- Blisters hurt or may itch.
- Skin becomes scaly and cracks.
Symptoms of Hand Eczema
- Red itchy and dry hands
- Blisters on hand
- The skin on the hand may form cracks.
Symptoms of Neurodermatitis
- The appearance of thick and scaly patches on legs, arms, bottom of feet, scalp, genitals, back of hand and back of the neck.
- The patches are itchy, especially when you are asleep or relaxed.
- On scratching the patches bleed and are infected.
Symptoms of Stasis Dermatitis
- Legs feel heavy and ache.
- Legs swell up, especially while walking.
- It mostly accompanies varicose veins.
- The skin over the varicose veins becomes itchy and dry.
- Development of open sores on top of the feet and lower legs.
Symptoms of Nummular Eczema
- Coin shaped round spots on the skin
- Spots become itchy and scaly.
As there are different symptoms of all these conditions, therefore- the aggravated dosha will also be different. Thus Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment aims at the root cause rather than just to pacify the problem.
What Causes Eczema
The cause of eczema is not clear. Triggers of eczema are as follows:
- Certain foods such as eggs, soy products, wheat, nuts dairy products, and seeds.
- Animal dander
- Stress
- A sudden drop in humidity
- Too hot or too cold temperature
- Upper respiratory tract infection
- Synthetic fabrics
- Material such as wool
- Allergens such as pollen, molds, dust mite, pets, and dandruff.
- Sweating
- Chemicals are found in detergents, cleaners, disinfectants, and shampoos.
- Certain fungi, viruses, and bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus.
- Raised body temperature
Risk factors of eczema
Several factors that increase the risk of eczema are:
1. Heredity – People with family members suffering from eczema are at high risk of developing this condition.
2. Age – Eczema is common in small children.
3. Changes in the level of hormones – Due to changes in hormone levels females may experience eczema symptoms at certain points in the menstrual cycle and during their pregnancy.
4. Hay Fever and Asthma – Research shows that half of the young children suffering from atopic dermatitis develop hay fever or asthma by age of 30. Sometimes eczema proceeds to hay fever and asthma.
How eczema occurs
For any treatment, the most important thing is to find out the exact cause of the disease. Because pathophysiology of every disease has all answers that how can you cure the condition. Treatment is all about reversing the pathology to physiology.
But most of the time, we keep on working on the expression of the- disease. Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment aims to reverse the pathophysiology.
Eczema occurs due to two potential changes in the body:
- Skin Barrier Dysfunction – Healthy skin retains moisture and protects our body from environmental challenges. Genetic mutation and environmental triggers disrupt the effective skin barrier. Our skin loses moisture, becomes dry, and gives entry to irritants, allergens, and microbes resulting in infection and inflammation.
- Immune System Dysfunction– Eczema is an overactive response by our body’s immune system to a certain irritant. In general, our body’s immune system knows the protein that are normal parts of the human body and attacks the invader proteins such as viruses and bacteria to protect our body from infection. However, in eczema, the body’s ability to differentiate between invader proteins and the body’s protein gets affected. The symptoms of eczema are the aggressive response of the overactive immune system to common irritants.
Ayurveda Approach to Eczema
Conventional treatment may provide symptomatic relief but does not guarantee a cure for eczema. Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment depends on the cause and individual constitution. Distinguishing the cause of the different types of eczema is an important step to deciding on effective Ayurveda therapies and medicine and a permanent cure for eczema.
Ayurveda is self-explanatory in many cases. Here before any discussion about Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment, we need to look at the explanations from Ayurveda about the disease.
Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment: Ayurvedic Approach
The numerous skin ailments are described in Ayurveda under the topic of Kushta. Vicharchika is specifically described in Ayurvedic texts under the topic of Kshudra Kushta (small skin illnesses), and it is related to the disease eczema in modern medicine.
Eczema is a very common skin condition and Ayurveda has many medicines to treat eczema. Although the cause of eczema is not clear according to Ayurveda, the basic causes are an imbalance of Vata dosha (air element), excess Kapha dosha (water element), and Pitta dosha (fire element). The symptoms could be dryness of the skin, itching, inflammation, rashes, etc. All these can be treated with appropriate home remedies like best-medicated oils for eczema.
It is advisable to try out these home remedies rather than go for steroids. Home remedies act as toners, moisturizers, and cleansers for the skin. These are easily available at lower costs without any side effects. There can be some initial changes in the skin during the application of these home remedies but it is temporary and will not cause permanent damage to your skin or health.
Which Ayurvedic doshas involve in Eczema?
The fundamental cause of eczema is an imbalance in the doshas.
Prone to Eczema? It’s probably your Dosha!
Ayurveda recognizes three main types of body constitutions that are prone to developing a variety of ailments like Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each dosha has its own dominant characteristics which to date have provided insight into our understanding of health and disease. Ayurvedic medicines for eczema or any other skin problem should be chosen based on the constitutional type. Understanding the characteristics of each dosha can help us choose better treatment options. We need to look at the Doshas involved in the process to understand the aggravation of the Dosha. This is something that helps with eczema ayurvedic treatment.
Prodromal symptoms of Eczema as per Ayurveda
Ayurveda talks about the prodromal symptoms of every disease. Here also, Ayurveda discusses these alarming symptoms. When you can start the Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment in this stage, the results will be just a complete reversal of the condition. Here are these prodromal symptoms.
- Aswedanam(decreased sweating) or Atiswedanam(excess sweating)- Change in the perspiration- apocrine activities of the body.
- Parushyam(roughness of the skin)- due to excessive cuticle- skin feels rough on the touch.
- Vaivarnyam (discoloration of the skin)- Change in the color of the skin due to dryness and change in the blood supply.
- Kandu (itching)- The itching becomes more intense
- Suptata(numbness)- Change in the sense of the touch.
- Paridaha (mild burning)- Burning sensation on the periphery of the affected region.
Symptoms of eczema in Ayurveda
Apart from these prodromal symptoms, there are definite symptoms of the disease. These symptoms together tell about the problem and involved Doshas. So for a better understanding of eczema ayurvedic treatment, we can decode the symptoms and associated doshas. Because every symptom tells about the involvement of the dosha.
- Kandu (itching)- Kapha Dosha
- Pidika (blisters)- Pitta Dosha
- Shyava (bluish-black discoloration) – Vata Dosha
- Srava (oozing)- Kapha Dosha
- Ruja (pain)- Vata Dosha
- Ruksha (dryness)- Vata Dosha
- Rakta (redness/bleeding)- Pitta Dosha
- Vrana (ulceration)- Pitta Dosha
So this becomes a tridosha condition with Kapha and Vata.
This explains the allergic nature of the disease as well as neurological involvement in the disease.
The Doshas involved in skin allergy!
Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment
Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It involves six basic principles:
- The mind and body are intimately connected
- Life energy flows through a network of channels called “nadis”
- The three doshas (elements) are the building blocks of healthy human beings
- All illness begins in the gastrointestinal tract with an imbalance in the dosha
- Healing starts with diet, lifestyle, and meditation for the prevention
- Treatment depends on which dosha is out of balance, imbalanced doshas are balanced to restore health.
Ayurvedic treatments are holistic, gentle, and safe for your skin. The herbal ingredients nourish your skin and help you heal from the inside out. These treatments can be tailored to address any skin type or condition.
The principles of Ayurveda focus on the balance of three energy forces: Kapha, Pitta, and Vatta in the body. The goal is to bring these energies into balance through a diet that avoids extremes in flavors, spices, and temperatures, through hygiene routines that avoid extremes in water temperature and potential allergens such as perfumes or lotions, through exercise routines that avoid extremes in intensity levels or prolonged workouts without breaks, and through massage techniques that use pressure to stimulate different areas of the body at varying depths.
Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment: The System of Treatment
Ayurvedic remedies are dealt with the root cause of Eczema. Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment focuses on the complete correction of the system.
The main aim is to increase immunity and metabolism. Sometimes, if effective measures are not taken it can lead to chronic eczema. Ayurveda heals Eczema by balancing Vata and Pitta Dosha through herbs. They reduce inflammation and improve skin texture. Herbs treats have a soothing effect on the skin as well as reduce itchiness. Thus helping in quick recovery. We follow the three steps:
- Correction of Liver Function
- Purifying Blood
- Balancing the Immune system
These are the three steps, that altogether help a patient for complete Ayurvedic cure of eczema.
Correction of Liver function
The liver is the seat of “Agni”.
Agni is responsible for the digestion of the food, this food turns into “Rasa” dhatu. This rasa is responsible for healthy skin. When something interferes in the process of Agni and it slows down due to certain reasons. Toxins start accumulating in the body. Thus, skin ailments start appearing. These can be just simple skin rashes or something complicated like- eczema and psoriasis.
So the main concept is to correct the liver function.
Once your liver is performing well- it means that your skin will be better with time. Secondly, it will help in lesser toxins in the body.
Therefore the first thing we do is- correction of liver function for eczema ayurvedic treatment.
Because we need to do a lot regarding the – food restriction in the process.
Purifying blood for Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment
When blood is impure, it leads to many skin diseases. Because this blood under the skin is responsible for its health. Therefore we need to correct this condition.
This correction needs a lot to do.
This step is linked with the earlier step. Because the liver plays an important role in the purity of the blood. These two processes work together, simultaneously. During this process, the body starts reviving with time.
For Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment is an important step to complete.
Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment: Balancing the Immune System
Your immune system is the next.
Because of the above two causes, the immune system cannot recognize the friend and enemy, therefore we need to correct this too.
Once we have corrected the liver function and blood purification, correction of the immune system becomes easy. In other words, the earlier two steps are mandatory.
The process of Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment: All you need to know
To complete the above three steps we need to follow a process.
The first thing is, to diagnose properly. Diagnosis helps in deciding the complete process. For the treatment, we follow the steps:
- Consult with Vaidya Pardeep
- Selection of Medicines/Panchakarma
- Follow up treatments
The very first step is to opt for consultation. You can come to Jaipur for a consultation or can opt for Online Consultation. This is a video consultation, where Dr. Pardeep will check all your rashes, just like a normal consultation, and will guide you accordingly.
After the consultation, Dr. Pardeep will guide you about the medicines or Panchakarma for eczema treatment.
If you are suggested medicines, we will deliver all the medicines to your doorstep.
For Panchakarma, you need to admit for 15 days or 21 days.
When it comes to follow-up, for medicines you don’t need to come here. In the case of Panchakarma, you need to come to Jaipur at regular intervals, as guided by Dr. Pardeep.
Ayurvedic Medicines for Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment
Ayurveda has lots of medicines for skin ailments. And most of the time when it comes to eczema ayurvedic treatment most ayurvedic practitioners keep on using the same set of ayurvedic medicines for eczema.
They start with Ayurvedic medicines for eczema-like- Gandhaka Rasayana, Kaishore Guggulu, Maha Manjisthadi Kashaya, Aarogyawardhini, Guduchi, Manjistha and there might be some more in the list.
But when it is about Ayurveda, it is more about the personalized approach to selecting the medicines.
By using the same set of medicines- they keep on looking at the results. Without even thinking about doshas?
This is the reason when it comes to ayurvedic medicines for eczema, we select the medicines after proper consultation only.
How does Panchakarma help in Eczema?
Ayurveda recommends Panchakarma for Eczema. This is a holistic procedure that helps in treating eczema as well as balancing the doshas and making the skin healthy. The main aim of panchakarma is to detoxify the body by inducing sweat, purging, enema, etc. It also helps in improving blood circulation and gaining strength.
Panchakarma helps in achieving all three aims for the treatment of eczema. The detoxification of the liver, cleansing of the blood, and improving the immune system.
Panchakarma needs complete care, therefore you need to opt for Intensive Panchakarma Care at Sukhayu Ayurved. We select all the medicines as per the requirement of the patient so that everything works well.
What is the outcome of Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment?
Ayurvedic treatment can cure eczema completely.
But there are certain- terms and conditions for this.
For a complete cure, you need to follow the medicines. But beyond medicines, there are certain other things too-
- You need to follow a strict ayurvedic diet for eczema for the complete cure of eczema through ayurvedic treatment.
- There are a lot of things which you need to change in your lifestyle too for Eczema Ayurvedic Treatment.
- Follow-up and maintenance are a must for the complete cure of eczema, without that things can complicate with time.
Once you do all, you can lead a normal life without any medications.
How much time does Ayurveda take to cure Eczema?
Certainly, while itching you might be asking yourselves too- when will I get rid of this “itch”.
A definitive answer cannot be there. There can be a timeline for the treatment.
In most patients, eight to twelve-month treatments work wonders. But with chronicity and other conditions, it can prolong.
The final truth is- you will get rid of the problems.
