Eczema is a common skin disease, and while it can’t kill you, the itching, redness, and swelling it causes can be unbearable. The condition can even lead to comorbidities such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders, severely compromising quality of life.
Yuen Oi-lin, a registered traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner in Hong Kong, shared one successful case of TCM treatment of eczema on the program “100 Diseases and 100 Cures.” A 22-year-old college student had been suffering from eczema since childhood. He did not believe TCM could cure his eczema. When Ms. Yuen suggested he give TCM a trial, he said he would discredit her name if it did not work. He then underwent TCM treatment, and after receiving acupuncture and taking Chinese medicine for three months, his skin became smooth, and he lost 30 pounds simultaneously.
Eczema is a general term for a variety of skin diseases. One of the common conditions is atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis affects approximately 13 percent of children and 7 percent of adults in the United States. Western medicine often uses steroid ointment to treat eczema. However, long-term use of steroid drugs has many side effects, including acne, weight gain, and insomnia.
TCM eczema treatment avoids the side effects brought on by steroids. It also may be effective for people who find conventional steroid treatments ineffective.
The college student passed by Ms. Yuen’s clinic and asked if she knew how to treat skin diseases. She said yes, also telling him, “TCM always treats diseases as a whole without splitting into different disciplines.”
The young man had severe eczema all over his face and body. He explained he had suffered from eczema since he was a baby. Over the years, whenever he had mild symptoms, he always went to a specialist, and each visit cost several thousand HK dollars (a few hundred U.S. dollars). Initially, the treatment was quite effective but began to fade over time, eventually rendering the steroid drugs ineffective.
The young man was skeptical that TCM could cure his eczema. Ms. Yuen told him, “You can try TCM treatment once, and you don’t have to believe it if it doesn’t work.” He said, “Then let’s bet: If you can’t cure me, and if it doesn’t work, I will take down your signboard (discredit your name).”
The following day, he arrived at the clinic earlier than the doctor. The first round of acupuncture proved effective, and he slept very well. After that, he came for acupuncture every day. And because he was a college student and had to go to class, he was the first in line every morning.
At first, the man received only acupuncture but soon began taking Chinese medicine, which also worked immediately. He said, “I didn’t sweat before, but after receiving acupuncture and Chinese medicine, I started to sweat.”
Why is sweating a good sign? Ms. Yuen explained that sweating can help the body detoxify. If eczema patients fail to sweat, toxins will accumulate inside the body and worsen eczema. “It’s as if the whole person is isolated and cannot exchange air with nature. The pores of the human body are meant to communicate with nature and serve the function of breathing, too.”
The man received TCM treatment for more than three months. During this period, he received acupuncture daily, with 10 days constituting one cycle and a short hiatus between cycles. Three months later, his skin was smooth, and he seemed to have no more worries.
Moreover, he lost 30 pounds in one month, likely in relation to the withdrawal of steroids. Studies have also found that acupuncture and moxibustion can regulate endocrine and energy metabolism, thereby treating obesity.
Ms. Yuen said there are only a few restrictions when treating eczema with TCM. You can shower normally, except when you’ve gotten needling done in certain areas. As for diet, you should only avoid eating raw or cold food.
The young man once asked, “Dr. Yuen, why didn’t you ask me to stop eating lobsters?” as other physicians had told him to avoid seafood. Ms. Yuen replied, “Except for cold and iced drinks, you can eat whatever you like.”
In addition, Ms. Yuen said that only when doctors and patients work together can they achieve twice the result with half the effort. Success or not, the patient must first have confidence in the doctor; the effect will be better once that trust is established.
If even modern medicine is unsure about the cause of eczema, how can TCM treat it? In TCM theory, abnormalities in the six factors of “wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire (heat)” can lead to disease. Ms. Yuen said that TCM believes skin diseases are mainly caused by excessive dampness and heat, and the lungs and skin are closely related in energy terms. Therefore, in this case, TCM treatment focuses on clearing heat and dampness and employs Chinese medicinal herbs such as Corydalis bungeana, Lemna minor, and Cimicifugae rhizome, which can disperse moisture accumulated in the body through the pores. Others, such as dried Rehmannia rhizome, Scrophulariae radix, Ecliptae herba, and the like, invigorate yin and dispel heat.
TCM divides the energy inside the human body into yin and yang. When yin is deficient, too much heat is generated. Therefore, Chinese medicine that nourishes yin can also help clear heat, thereby improving eczema.
Ms. Yuen emphasized that there is a saying: “If you don’t take care of your health today, you take care of the doctors tomorrow.” People with eczema should maintain good life habits, avoid staying up late, and don’t put too much pressure on themselves to allow the body to heal eczema.
If staying up late is unavoidable, diet therapy can help. The simplest method is to boil water with Semen coicis (coix seed), also known as Job’s tears. Drinking this will clear away heat and dampness.
Ingredients: 50 g (1.8 ounces) raw Semen coicis (for one person)
Preparation: Add about 1 to 1.5 liters (2.1 to 3.2 pints) of water to raw Semen coicis, bring to a boil, then let it simmer on low heat for about one hour before serving. You can add a little lemon and honey according to your personal preference.
In addition, Ms. Yuen also suggested that if you want to sleep well, you can put your legs up on the wall and lie on the bed in an “L” shape for 15 minutes before bedtime. After standing all day, doing this will help regulate blood circulation. She has recommended this to many people, and it has proven very effective for improving sleep.
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