Eczema Relief

Flaunting a glowing skin for a life time is everyone’s dream.  The skin is the largest organ through which we touch and feel external objects.  It is also the most visible organ. The smoothness, texture and glow of the skin makes us look and feel beautiful even when the facial features may be average.

These days a vast majority of people are struggling with skin problems. Eczema for example has become a common condition.  Many people that have allergies also have eczema.  Conventional medicine has not determined the cause of this condition. Functional medicine does not consider eczema as a disease but a external symptom of deep rooted inner problem. Even though the exact cause is not known, the stress of daily living, pollution, chemicals in the foods, skin care products, bad diet, preservatives, high sugar diet etc compounds the problem.

It is also found that emotional trauma can also bring on eczema.  Emotional trauma is caused by extreme fear of the situation at hand.  This causes the body to tense up resulting in cortisol and other harmful toxic chemicals being released into the system, triggering an inflammatory response.  For most people it is the immune system that gets compromised when toxins are high.  Going through an emotional healing process can keep the inflammation in check, which in turn stops the eczema attacks.

It is well established by now that digestive disorder and eczema are connected. 80% of our immune system is in the gut.  Trillions of bacteria operate in a delicate balance to digest the food.  In simple terms, when the bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria, it leads to a inflammatory response, where the gut can longer digest nutrients properly, triggering eczema and other types of problems. Eating fresh fruits/vegetables and foods that are free from preservatives, additives, hormones, sugar and dairy, which also have high alkaline content improves gut health and can reduce the incidence of eczema.

Eczema is also aggravated by environmental factors like – pollution, dust mites, animal dander, soap, detergents, harsh household cleaning products etc. Choosing natural, chemical free alternative products provides the needed relief and time for the eczema to heal. If replacing the chemicals all at once seems overwhelming, start with replacing the products that have direct contact with your skin like soaps, shampoos, make up and then move on other household products. Synthetic fabrics have harmful chemicals in them that enter the body  through the pores of your skin.  Wearing natural fabrics like cotton and linen removes the risk of further attacks on the immune system, not to mention it is great for the skin.  That applies to mattresses and bedding as well.  So, inspect everything you use for your upkeep and replace them with organic substitutes over time.

Stress is another major factor of inflammatory response due to excess toxins that accumulate in the system.  Being mindful of your reaction to situations and practicing yoga and meditation to relax the body and calm the mind enhances overall well-being.  Alleviating stress can dramatically bring down the episodes of eczema.

Acupressure treatments are found to be effective in reducing inflammation.  This technique uses fingers, palms, elbow and other devices at specific meridian points on the body. It is method of sending signals to the body – by pressing specific points – to turn on its self healing mechanisms.  Through these self massage techniques, it is possible to improve imbalances in the system and minimize the inflammation. The simplest way is to press the meridian points firmly in rotary movement or an up and down movement and taking deep breathes.  If this is something you want to try then watch this video to learn the meridian points for eczema relief.