Homeopathy and Eczema in Children

Eczema is a skin disorder which is characterized by itching and irritation. A form of eczema, atopic dermatitis is mostly observed in children. There are many causes of eczema, such as food, pollen, dust mite, mold, pet dander etc. Eczema causes the skin to become red, dry, patchy and covers it with scales and boils. The severity of the symptoms vary from person to person. Though, the occurrence of eczema is on and around the face, it can affect other parts of the body as well. Eczema affects babies, children and adults alike. However, when it comes to treating babies and children, pediatrics have to be extra careful. Most skin creams and lotions burn the sensitive skin of children and do more damage than good. Eczema research has shown that homeopathy has become the preferred way of treating eczema.

Homeopathy for Treating Eczema in Children
Homeopathy and eczema in children is quite a debatable topic. Though a few may swear by its success, most people still doubt its effectiveness. However, homeopathic medicines are unlikely to worsen the condition, since they are made from extracts of natural ingredients and are diluted to the degree sustainable for children. Homeopathy works according to the symptoms and not conditions. This approach works well as diseases manifest different symptoms among different people. The symptoms exhibited by every individual help identify their group type and thus, corresponding homeopathic medicine can be prescribed.

Before starting homeopathic treatment, the medical history of the child has to be checked. In case, the child is born with eczema or the condition developed soon after birth, inherited tendency or predisposition has to be looked for. The various types of homeopathic medicines that have met with success in treating child eczema are antimonium crudum, arsenicum album, arum triphyllum, calcarea carbonica, calendula, graphites, hepar sulphuris calcareum, mezereum, rhus toxicodendron, petroleum and sulphur.

The symptoms of eczema may aggravate due to change in diet, antibiotics or vaccination. Though steroids can sometimes help to get rid of eczema from the skin, they often induce side effects, such as respiratory or digestion problems. In such cases, sulfur is used as a homeopathic remedy. Sulfur helps to clean the eczema and restore the balance.

If a child is born with eczema or has a family history of eczema, inherited susceptibility becomes important. For such children, tuberculinum bovinum is a homeopathic remedy which strengthens the immune system and reduces susceptibility. The decreased susceptibility helps the body to heal naturally. Alumina is a homeopathic remedy recommended for children who have a craving for food that has the potential for aggravating eczema. Most food that children crave for are often the cause of constipation. Alumina relieves the child of constipation and thus gets rid of all skin problems.

Steroid treatment has to be ceased completely before starting homeopathic treatment. During initial phases of homeopathic treatment, the symptoms may seem to worsen, but that is an indication that the treatment is working. The first step of the medicine is to flush the body of substances that cause the skin problems. Cleansing the body from within restores the skin and eczema subsides eventually.

As mentioned before, the homeopathic remedy for eczema depends upon the symptoms, hence the child is prescribed a medicine that is likely to work for his symptoms. If it fails to work, another one can be tried. However, if the medicine works in the first instance, it should be continued until the occurrence of eczema subsides completely. Though homeopathic treatment often takes longer time than the conventional therapy, it produces better results.