Eczema

• Introduction
• Research
• TCM Clinical Trials
• Patient Form

Introduction

Skin conditions are difficult to ignore. Atopic dermatitis (also known as eczema) is a common, chronic, life-altering disease that affects the skin. Atopic dermatitis is often referred to as “eczema” which is a general term for several types of inflammation of the skin of which atopic dermatitis is the most common. The word “dermatitis” means inflammation of the skin and “atopic” refers to a group of diseases where there is a tendency to develop other allergic diseases.

This skin problem is the most common paediatric skin disease affecting from12-25% of children worldwide. Of these children, 49-75% will develop eczema before they are 6 months and 80-90% before they are 5 years of age. About 6 out of 10 of these children will continue to have eczema after puberty and 10-15% of adults continue to suffer from their childhood eczema. Since 1970, the prevalence of eczema has nearly tripled. The latest research from England of 14,000 children born in the 90’s revealed that 1/3 of these children developed eczema by the age of 3 ˝ years old. This, coupled with the chronic and recurring nature of the disease, has made it difficult for physicians to treat and frustrating for children and their parents. Often, eczema begins when a baby’s first has solid food or new foods are introduced. Eczema is most common in children who have family members with asthma, allergies and/or eczema.

Symptoms

Regardless of how minor or severe a person’s eczema is, everyone has the same basic symptoms – dry skin, sore rashes, and terrible itching. The management and prevention of ‘flare-ups’ can be both frustrating and uncomfortable, especially for children. In severe cases, atopic dermatitis can lead to serious health problems and negatively affect a person’s quality of life by interfering with the enjoyment of normal, everyday activities.

Symptoms vary from person to person. Extreme itching (pruritus) is the most important symptom of atopic dermatitis. Scratching and rubbing in response to itchiness irritates the skin and leads to the other common symptoms of eczema such as redness of the skin, swelling, cracking, "weeping" clear fluid, and ultimately, dryness (xerosis), crusting and scaling. Itching is a particular problem during sleep when conscious control of scratching is lost.

According to a recent study, more than 50% of eczema sufferers are not satisfied with their current treatment. In modern medicine, there is no cure for this disease and management using Protopic or steroids is the only treatment available, however, along with these treatments come many harmful side effects. On the other hand, TCM offers a cure and aims to eliminate the pathology of the skin disease instead of merely controlling or suppressing the symptoms. If unable to cure the condition, Traditional Chinese Medicine at the very least can reduce the discomfort and severity of most childhood eczema cases.

TCM offers a long-term solution and/or cure for eczema because it treats the root-cause of the disease. TCM provides a patient with options, including a combination of herbal formulas, diet modifications, external herbal washes, creams, ointments or compresses. UK studies (including a child-only study) on the treatment of eczema all concluded that Chinese herbal medicine is an effective treatment for atopic dermatitis (eczema) with no side effects.

Success Stories

Arend

I was referred to Robert Helmer by my cousin, who had taken her daughter to see him. Arend was 6 months old at the time of the first visit. My son Arend had moderate to severe eczema since he was 4 months old. We tried traditional creams (corticosteroids) prescribed by our G.P., which didn’t work. We then went to a dermatologist, then a pediatric dermatologist, then another dermatologist, all to no avail. Any cream that was prescribed for him worked for a while and then was ineffective after several weeks of use. We tried creams (mentioned above) for about 6-8 months at first. Although the creams were good at working quickly for short periods of time, it seemed that the underlying cause was finding its way through the cream treatment after a while.

Chinese Herbal medicine worked where the creams did not. The Chinese Herbal treatment appears to work systemically. Within 2 weeks of the Chinese herbal medicine use, there was an 80% improvement. Eventually, there was a rebound, and there was flare-ups, but after trying all that modern medicine could offer for eczema, Robert’s treatment appears to be the best choice. Currently we are on a combination of the two (eastern and western). This seems to be the most effective.

Rayne and Daeja

Our eldest daughter Rayne had a severe case of eczema that at one point literally covered her body entirely from head to foot. Our second daughter Daeja had a milder case of eczema, mainly on her fingers, hands and lower leg. My great fear was that her eczema would spread like her sister's.

But going to Robert turned everything around. Robert and TCM did for us what nothing else did, not the various steroid creams, not the lotions and other eczema products, not even their restrictive diet which included 10 foods at one point.

Within less than a year, Daeja's skin went from good with bad spots to fantastic all over. For the first time when I touched one of my kids, I knew what the phrase "soft like a baby's bottom" meant! Rayne's skin has also made a miraculous turn around. Her eczema is 95 percent gone! What that means is that her skin looks great, no black encrusted area. Now she looks like a normal 4 year old! She does get itchy every once in a while but that is happening less and less. She is now eating a lot of different foods Her sensitive digestive system is much, much stronger. Her skin is strong and beautiful. Thank you Robert. You made a real difference in our lives!

Austin

Austin developed severe full-body eczema when he was four years old. The itching disrupted his sleep severely. His bed was filled with flakes of skin each day. His school work was also disrupted due to constant scratching. He had difficulty fully bending his knees while climbing stairs due to the thickened scarred skin. He also cried pitifully during any type of bathing. Bathing and creams stung unbearably.

After seeing numerous dermatologists and pediatricians as well as a naturopath and a homeopath there was no significant improvement. We decided to try Traditional Chinese Medicine. After having limited success with the first TCM doctor, we were referred to Robert Helmer because he specializes in the treatment of children. Since seeing Robert, he has prescribed various herbal formulas and also has given us dietary advice. Austin’s skin has responded wonderfully! Although, he periodically shows some signs of skin irritation, the irritation is quite manageable. The herbs and other measures have made a big difference in Austin’s young life!

Stella

We started taking our daughter to Robert for her eczema when she was four months old. She had it all over her body including her head and face (which were the worst). We used steroid creams from the pediatrician but nothing seemed to work long-term. Within that first couple of days of starting to take the herbal medicine, the redness was quite a bit better (almost gone) but she still had itching. He adjusted the formula with more herbs for the itching and things got better. We saw him for a period of two months. After Robert’s treatment, Stella did not have any problems with her eczema. If she has a flare-up in the future we will definitely take her back to Robert.


Research

• The Benefit of Mattress Covers
• Preventing(/Treating) Eczema with Beneficial Bacteria

The Benefit of Mattress Covers

The use of mattress covers may alleviate the severity of your eczema. According to a study published in the Lancet, tiny mites live in common house dust and an allergy to the house dust mite can play a significant role in eczema. A team of dermatologists decided to see what would happen if the amount of house-dust-mite antigen in the homes of people with eczema was reduced. In the treatment group, a gortex cover was used on the mattress. In the placebo group, plain cotton mattress covers were used. Dust was sampled monthly from the mattress covers over a six-month period.

Interestingly, the dust collected from the gortex covered mattresses was 98% lighter in weight than the cotton covered mattress dust samples. Moreover, the severity of eczema was significantly alleviated in those using the gortex mattress covers. It is interesting that something so simple such as a mattress cover has shown to significantly reduce the severity of a person’s eczema over time. If you are going to try this in your own home, make sure that you completely tape over the zipper of the gortex mattress cover and commit to using the cover for a significant period of time.

Preventing(/Treating) Eczema with Beneficial Bacteria

Study 1

Each year in developed countries of the world the incidence of eczema increases. Not only can breastfeeding reduce the risk of eczema in a child, but if mom also avoids certain allergy inducing foods this may help as well. According to the January 2002 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, mothers who also increased their intake of probiotics or ‘beneficial’ bacteria such as those found in yogurts increased the levels of key immune system stabilizers (transforming growth factor ß) in their breastmilk. Their children were followed for two years and had noticeably less eczema than those who only got the placebo. In the placebo group, more than three times as many children developed eczema!

Study 2 – More on Beneficial Bacteria…

Beneficial bacteria may prevent allergies. The April 7, 2001 issue of the medical journal, The Lancet, included 132 children who were at high risk of developing allergies due to their family histories. In this study, the expectant mothers in the treatment group were given capsules of probiotic bacteria. The infants of the treatment group continued to receive probiotics for a period of six months either through mother’s breastmilk or administered directly. Those intaking probiotics through either method were only half as likely to develop eczema as their peers in the comparison group.

Study 3

A small study in Finland, that was published in the July 2002 issue of Gut, looked at the stools of babies with severe eczema. In this study, as the levels of E. coli and bacteroides in the baby’s stools increased the levels of antibodies in the blood (evidence of allergy) increased. When the babies in the study were weaned, half got a hypoallergenic formula and the other half got a hypoallergenic formula with beneficial bacteria mixed in (like in yogurt or acidophilus milk). Those that received the beneficial bacteria had decreased levels of E coli and bacteroides in their stools, IgE in their blood, and therefore reduced eczema on their skin.

Study 4

A research study in The Lancet (May 31, 2003) further collaborated the above research. For four years, researchers in this study followed more than 100 children who were at high risk to develop eczema. Their mothers were given capsules that either contained active cultures of beneficial, probiotic bacteria or an empty placebo while they were pregnant. For the first six months after delivery, nursing mothers continued to take these capsules and the cultures or placebos were administered via baby’s bottle for the bottle fed infants. Followed through to preschool age, the study found that those in the probiotic group were significantly less likely to develop eczema (43 percent reduction compared to the placebo group). Probiotics have been shown to benefit the developing immune system in a variety of ways, from preventing and treating infections to preventing allergic reactions such as eczema.


TCM Clinical Trials

Study 1

In issue #4, 2002 of Jilin Zhong Yi Yao (Jilin Chinese Medicine & Medicinals), Wang Chao-xia published an article titled, "The Treatment of Eczema & Dermatitis Using Qing Li He Ji (Clearing & Disinhibiting Mixture)" Of the 68 cases included in this study, the oldest patient was 62 years old and the youngest patient was 1.5 years old. The clinical manifestations included either localized or generalized skin lesions characterised by erythema, swelling, blisters, erosion, exudation, crusting, desquamation, and severe itching. If the condition was severe, the skin appear darkened, course, hypertrophic, and/or lichenified. Qing Li He Ji (Clearing & Disinhibiting Mixture) was used for each patient. Additions were made to the formula based on clinical presentations of the patient. The skin lesions completely disappeared (or were cured) in 60 cases and the skin lesions improved by more than 30% (or were improved) in 4 cases. Four cases showed no improvement. Therefore, the total amelioration rate was 94%, and the total cure rate was 88%. Among the patients that were cured, 15 cases were cured after two weeks of treatment, 35 cases after two weeks to one month of treatment, and 10 cases after more than four weeks of treatment.

Study 2

The author used the formula Jian Pi Li Shi Fang (Fortify the Spleen and Disinhibit Dampness Formula) to treat 46 patients with pediatric eczema. The base formula was modified according to the patient’s symptoms. The findings of this study were published in the Shanxi Journal of Chinese Medicine. Using this formula, 34 cases cured, 5 cases had obvious improvement, 4 cases had improvement and 3 cases had no improvement. The total amelioration rate was 93.4%. The length of treatment was from one week to one month.

Study 3

The results of a study that used Chinese herbal medicine to treat 200 cases of childhood eczema was published in the 5th issue, 1994 of the Jilin Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In this study two different formulas were prescribed based on whether the eczema was acute or chronic. The formula for acute eczema used Chinese herbs with the function to transform dampness, clear heat, course wind and stop itching. The formula for chronic eczema used Chinese herbs with the function to nourish the blood, dispel wind, and kill worms. Both formulas were modified based on the area of the body affected and the severity of the itching. In addition, to the formula’s taken by mouth both groups used an external herbal wash for the skin two times per day. The two Chinese herbs included in the herbal wash were Qing Hao (Herba Artemesiae Annuae) and Ku Shen.

Of the patients included in the study. 110 cases were cured, 70 cases were improved and 20 cases showed no improvement. The total amelioration rate was 90%.


Patient Form

This printable handout is to inform current patients how they can assist in the healing process by offering helpful tips and suggestions.