Dermatitis – homeopathic solution

Dermatitis – homeopathic solution

Derma = skin, itis = inflammation

We have all seen itchy, red or dark rashes that go on to trouble people for a major part of their lives. It causes intense discomfort and depending on its intensity and location, limitation to one’s freedom in life. Even with so many advances in science, much is left desired in addressing this common problem.

Even though all skin affections are commonly called dermatitis or eczema, they really are of many different types

-          Atopic dermatitis – here the tendency for development of immunoglobulin E prevails because of which a high reactive state is produced. Allergens elicit severe inflammatory changes leading to chronic dermatitis

-          Contact dermatitis – here the contact with an irritant causes a change in the composition of the layers of skin which makes it reactive and inflamed. The T Cells are involved mostly in this mechanism

-          Stasis dermatitis – this is the inflammation of skin that results from congestion of blood in the legs. This is seen in people with varicose veins where the venous return is greatly hampered.

-          Infective dermatitis – a result of infection of the skin with bacteria, virus fungus etc.

There are other less known forms – perioral dermatitis, nummular dermatitis, seborrhoeic dermatitis and dermatitis herpetiformis.

Of these, the atopic and contact types are the most common and pose challenge to popular treatment modalities. As such avoidance with the allergen or irritant is suggested rather than a real permanent solution.

With homoeopathy, there is a possibility to provide such a permanent solution.

The pathological processes involved in development of dermatitis are either through the activation and proliferation of T cells [cells of the immune system] or through the employment of chemical mediators of inflammation [interferons, interleukins, cytokines etc].

When a treatment method targets these faculties and aims at reducing or destroying them, it leaves the primary cause behind; that is the basic tendency for abnormal reaction in the immune system. As long as this aberration is not corrected, the immune system continues to produce unwanted reactions.

Homeopathy balances the immune system out. It is evidenced by the return of normal immunoglobulins and reduction of inflammation after the treatment and absence of further abnormal reactions.

This means that the skin which otherwise had the tendency to react abnormally to irritants and allergens in the atmosphere, returns to a state where it reacts only as much as is required for normal defense.

With homeopathy, this becomes possible because of the way it views disease. Disease is not seen as the apparent disturbance in organ systems. Rather the study is much deeper and profound. The imbalance in the whole organism is studied without dividing it into its component parts. This means the person is studied with his mental and emotional attributes and then a picture of his disease is drawn at all these levels. And then alone the medicine is chosen so as to fit this picture. When this is done, the aberrations that are not apparent in the organ systems are also addressed and the cure is deep and long lasting. The body uses the support of the homeopathic remedy and switches the T Cells and immunoglobulins to normal on its own. Thus real cure of dermatitis takes place.