The Modern Eczema Epidemic
Updated: Jul 19
General Modern Day Medical Treatment for Eczema
Babies usually start with eczema around 3 to 4 months or even soon after birth. Your GP may prescribe a cream such as hydrocortisone, which helps initially. The eczema will usually then appear in the creases of the arms and the back of the knees. It may become weepy. More cream needed here and perhaps a stronger one. These will usually have a steroidal element so suppress the eczema, but it keeps coming back. The initial symptoms can often change as the body body is STILL trying to express the imbalance but suppressed with steroidal creams ..
Atopic eczema continues to become red, dry, itchy, and cracked and then oozes . By this time the condition is systemic. The original individual expression of imbalance has been suppressed to permanence and not resolved. It is distressing, upsetting, and impacts on the individual and the immediate family. Long-term (chronic) it can improve over time, especially in children, although steroid addiction can be long-term. Antihistamines such as Benadryl are used to help sleep but they do not help directly. Side effects are dry mouth, eyes, headaches, and stomach pain.
If the medical world at large would accept that by suppressing skin symptoms with hormonal steroids and began to look at the bigger picture we would begin to see less permanent skin problems of a chronic nature in these babies who grow up and well beyond their teenage years with troublesome skin issues. In my practice I see 40-year-olds who have been trying to deal with eczema all their lives. I see 30-year-olds who have topical steroid withdrawal where the steroids just stop working. The body just kicks back at all the suppression becoming highly reactive. Next step, Tacrolimus a pro topic, carries a black box warning. Another step Duxipent, is not actually a steroid. It is recommended to stay on it though.
Homeopathic medicine and support from your homeopath aim at resolving the issue completely. It clears from the inside. The skin being the largest organ of the body expresses internal imbalance; toxins; inherited genetics being the main triggers.
What causes Eczema?
The exact cause of atopic eczema is unknown and it is clear it's not down to one thing. It often runs in families and usually accompanies allergies; dairy being one. With atopic disorder, there is a genetic tendency for your immune system to make increased levels of IgE antibodies to certain allergens. There is a kind of autoimmune issue and this recovers with homeopathic prescribing as the skin clears.
Triggers can be such as soaps, stress, detergents, and the weather. Sometimes it is food, especially for young children.
Dangers of Topical Steroids
Long-term and continuous or inappropriate use of topical steroids can result in the development of rebound flares after stopping treatment. (Topical Steroid Withdrawal following Topical Steroid Addiction.) They may get stronger and stronger to contain the issue then just stop working.
Homeopathy for Eczema
So homeopathy is not a suppressive treatment like steroids. It works in a completely different way as well as the fact that each person is carefully individually managed The process is not generic or the band-aid of orthodox pharmaceutical prescriptions.
Tachyphylaxis is the word for rapidly diminishing response to successive doses of a drug rendering it less and less effective and then higher prescriptions in potency. The eczema is still there and can be weeping. cracked bleeding and itching.
I take a complete health case history with all the physical and emotional symptoms including diet and vitamins. Hair analysis may be useful.
I see my patients every 8 to 12 weeks with full support. To be honest I would not take a new patient off their steroids for the first three months while the remedies are doing their own hard work triggering health. I may say reduce in percentage with a natural cream so as to wean off without a rebound flare following suppression with hormonal steroids.
Gut health
Homeopathy has a lot at its disposal to help the individual through and out the other side. We have our wonderful gut nosodes made from nonlactose fermenting bacteria. The gut is our outside, inside. The gut impacts everything and everything impacts the gut. Creams soothe but cannot essentially treat the root causes. The remedies have been processed in controlled pharmacies to render them a gentle trigger to which the body can scan and respond. The largest organ of the body is the skin and it is here that internal imbalance is expressed to protect the more important inner organs which are also supported by homeopathic medicines. Tissue salts for itching, constitutional and miasmatic remedies as well as homeopathy for acutes will become interwoven into prescriptions.
It's not an overnight fix. Children can take a year or so but it's just wonderful to see them heal. Patience is needed due to the depth of skin suppression from steroids
If you are interested make a booking here. I am happy to help if you just want a discovery call and work internationally via Zoom or Skype.