Natural Treatments for Eczema in Children
Eczema can be frustrating and uncomfortable for everyone involved. Kids have to deal with itchy patches of red, irritated, rough and even scaly or oozing skin. Parents have to cope with trying to figure out how to soothe their child’s discomfort and prevent it from getting worse or reoccurring.
From a western medical perspective, there is no cure for eczema and treatment usually involves topical steroid creams that- often ineffectively- suppress the skin inflammation. Chinese Medicine, on the other hand, can identify the root cause of eczema and offers safe, natural, and effective treatment.
Eczema and Chinese Medicine
Medical research supports what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners have known for centuries: TCM can alleviate eczema breakouts and substantially reduce symptoms, and it’s a good alternative to conventional treatment in children.
According to an article on WebMD Health News, a study was done at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York on 14 children suffering with eczema who were treated with herbal tea, herbal creams and acupuncture. Patients with severe symptoms saw improvements in as little as three months of treatments, and after 8 months, symptoms were reduced to very mild.
Results of a study conducted in Japan on adult patients has also yielded strong positive results for TCM and improvement in eczema symptoms. 87% of patients were symptom free after 3 to 4 months of treatment, and 12% were substantially improved.
Traditional Chinese Medicine identifies two general patterns of eczema in kids- indicating either excess or deficiency in your child’s body. In both patterns, eczema results from damp heat smoldering in the skin, and this is usually caused in part by either weak or immature digestion and/or an dietary imbalances. Keep in mind that all children have relatively “weaker” digestion, and are therefore susceptible to conditions such as eczema.
TCM Treatments for Eczema
Eczema, like most skin conditions, is usually a reflection of an imbalance occurring INSIDE the body. This may be occurring evening if your child seems otherwise perfectly healthy. Chinese medicine provides a solution for the root cause of the eczema as helping the itchy skin to clear up for good.
Your TCM practitioner can design a protocol that may include herbs, dietary adjustments, supplements, and acupuncture/acupressure to address your child’s specific condition.
Dietary Recommendations and Supplements
Eliminating foods that act as irritants to the body may help control eczema. Dairy, wheat, and sugar are some foods that may be triggers, but there may be others. Even mild levels of intolerance to foods can trigger eczema flare-ups, so the effort food eliminations take can be very worthwhile. Speak to your health practitioner for support on targeting the offending foods.
These two supplements that are often helpful for treating eczema and are a good place to start:
1. Fish oil- Among the many benefits of omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil is the ability to reduce inflammation throughout the body. This mean less redness and itchiness for skin conditions including eczema. Read more about the benefits of Omega 3’s and how to choose them here.
2. Probiotics- help reduce eczema flare-ups in many children. Flare-ups on the skin usually reflect an imbalance inside… usually the digestive tract. Probiotics populate the gut with “good bacteria” that can suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria which compromise the immune system’s ability to function. Read more here…