Skin disorders from the perspective of TCM or when it is (not just) eczema that causes problems…

Today there are more kinds of eczema than ever before; psoriasis, acne, hives and the like. This is due to the generally hectic lifestyle – constant stress, unhealthy diet, electric waves from mobile phones and computers, excessive vaccination and use of various drugs for everything possible and impossible…

How does eczema get under the skin?

The consequences of this unhealthy diet are inner “overheating” when in a certain way it “boils” inside us and by a valve (skin) is released in the same way as an overheated pressure cooker occasionally releases steam (acute skin rashes), or perhaps lightly, but permanently releases pressurised heat with steam (chronic skin disorders). It is worth mentioning that in old Greek the word for eczema means “to boil” and in Chinese medicine the word means “damp outlet”. Both succinctly express the nature of skin problems. It is mainly diet and stress, which are the key factors in skin disorders.

Diet should be quality, moderate, varied and regular. This apparently simple list conceals a truly difficult issue – to find a quality diet as well as a quality restaurant… After consuming fried, fatty, grilled and hot spicy food from public cafeterias and fast food restaurants this often results in dampness and heat SHI-RE in our body, i.e. a kind of compost which is a common basis of many of today’s diseases and not just skin disorders. RE heat causes inflammation and reddening of the skin, SHI dampness results in raised skin bumps and festering skin. So-called heat toxin RE DU, gets into our body in a similar way, appearing on the skin as yellow honey-like sticky festering blisters. Likewise, sugar in any form (particularly concentrated “hidden” sugar found mainly in many drinks and in baked goods) just adds oil to our already overheated inner body.

Stress is another great enemy – and how it makes us suffer. Every emotional imbalance always results in RE heat over time, which is concealed in the deepest layers of nutrition and blood, and later give rise to skin diseases. This hidden heat can also generate and result in so-called FENG inner wind, which causes the proverbial itch if we were to literally flay our skin alive and throw a fit. So you almost come up in goose bumps. Who has not experienced this is lucky. But if we do not feel right and decide to do something for our (thick) skin then we should try the following recommendation.

Electric waves can be reduced by placing turned on mobile phones at least 2 metres from our body and switching off the computer in the bedroom. Both increase RE heat in our overheated body. Likewise excessive and frequent use of various drugs causes RE heat and lingering RE DU heat toxin in the blood.

And how to get to the bottom of eczema?

Diet and stress are the main cause (if only it were not the cause…). As for stress and mental health, we recommend reading about mindfulness in the article Mental disorders from the perspective of TCM or 12 golden rules of mental health, which you can find on our website. You can also read more about eating rules there under 12 golden rules of healthy eating. Nevertheless we will now highlight the important eating rules concerning skin disorders.

With regards to ointments and creams, it is generally recommended to always apply wet to wet – i.e. for festering skin disorders apply, for example a cool common agrimony compress (available from herbal stores and pharmacies), which is applied several times a day for about 15 minutes and usually relieves the condition and dries out the skin by the next day. For red and nummular (rough) eczema you can use Wine Garden cream (613). For dry, slightly red and itchy eczema Sommelier cream (612) has proved good and can also be used for moisturising. For dry itchy skin or varicose veins you can use Rose Flower cream (614). All these creams are 100% natural – Demeter bio brands (more at www.biodynamickakosmetika.cz), without any chemicals and preservatives which often paradoxically cause further inflammation. For dry red and itchy skin you can also use aloe or common marigold ointment (such as Calendula by Weleda – available at the drug store DM drogerie) or for moisturising there is the pleasant and cooling common sea buckthorn Indulona cream (available from pharmacies).

For both forms of eczema (dry itchy or burning festering) it is good to use Beverage of Silver Wind (844) not just orally but also externally in the form of a compress or spreading into the affected sites several times a day – it is also highly effective against itchy skin!

In case of doubt with the choice of herbal products, we recommend TCM Test Tongue Analysis, which is evaluated by Dr. med. Petr Hoffmann and you will receive a recommendation (herbal products and foods) to your e-mail within 3 days.