Everything Herbal - Main Page - PS-Survival.com

Ask the Herbalist_questions
itchy red or white welts. These welts are sometimes called wheals. It is thought Urticaria is usually caused by an
allergic reaction, but is also associated with excess exposure to the sun, allergies to foods ingested, stress and
extreme exercise.
Nutritional supplements used are Vitamin C and B12
Herbs normally used for hives are the following:
Dan shen, Red Root Sage, Latin Named: Salvia miltiorrhiza
Huang Qin, Chinese Scullcap root, Latin Named: Scuttellaria biacalensis
Reishi mushrooms Latin Named: Ganoderma lucidum
ATOPIC ECZEMA
QUESTION: I have an 18 month old grandson who has been having problems with Atopic
Eczema since he was born. His pediatrician tried to let him avoid milk in
his diet when he was younger. She has treated him with Hydrocortsone ointment
and Elocan, but there was no relief. He has also been seen by a
Dermatologist who says that it cannot be cured, he might eventually grow it
out. The only thing he recommended was skin lotion and soap for sensitive
skin to keep the skin moist, but it seems to be getting worse. This little
baby is in great agony as he keeps scratching and sometimes there is bleeding
as the skin gets damaged. I would be very grateful if you can help him.
Thanks for your reply and your recommendation.
ANSWER: Without all the details I can only provide some generic relief.
Skin problems are usually related to the digestive system or liver, treat
this and they usually clear up.
For external use I would make an Elderberry tea, Latin Name: Sambucus nigra
(European Species), S. canadensis (USA species) of the flowers to wash on the
skin, Elderberry helps with dry itchy skin because it is an emollient.
Oats, Latin Name: Avena sativa, A. fatua (wild oats) is good for itchy skin
conditions, cook small amount on stove top till thickened then add to bath
waters. Usually stops the itching and is also good for the skin.
Milk Thistle, Latin Name: Silybum marianum is good for the Liver and helps
with dry itchy skin. Taken as a tincture would be best.
Burdock seed Latin Name: Arctium lappa is great for dry itchy skin use in
combination with Milk Thistle, again as a tincture.
For red and inflammed conditions Yellow Dock combines well with sarsaparilla
or gotu kola, both of which are great skin herbs.
Use a dietary supplement with Omega 3 fatty acids such as deep sea fish oil
or Evening Primrose Oil.
Zinc supplementation is said to be effective for eczema in some children. The
usual dosage is 10 mg of zinc picolinate daily in children under 10, balanced
with 1 mg of copper.
But the problem with most of these approaches is they are only symptom
relief, you need to find the source of the problem. Food allergies have been
associated with this condition.
I would clean up the childs diet, no processed or refined foods, eat only
whole foods, some food allergies can cause skin reactions, eliminate dairy,
wheat or gluten containing foods. I would try a elimination diet then slowly
introduce foods to see what the source of the problem could be looking for
problems as each food is reintroduced.
One food allergy disease which is hard to diagnose in children is Celiac
disease: Children with Celiac disease tend to have certain blood test
abnormalities. In particular, a low red cell count (anemia) is common as a
result of iron and vitamin deficiency. Not only do children with untreated
celiac disease tend to be quite short, x- rays of their bones show a lack of
calcium and an overall slowing of bone growth. Enamelization of teeth may be
impaired. A gluten- sensitive skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis) can be
observed in adults with celiac disease. This rash appears as painful, itchy,
raised red blotches on the elbows, knees and buttocks. However, this skin
rash is uncommon in children, but you may want to investigate this
possibility.
http://www.herbnet.com/ask%20the%20herbalist/as...erbalist_questions%20on%20skin%20conditions.htm (6 of 13) [5/17/2004 9:08:09 AM]