Can Ayurveda Treat Eczema and How?

Why Ayurveda helps treat Eczema

Ayurveda helps treat eczema because it addresses the root causes of the disease: poor dietary and lifestyle habits. These habits disrupt the balance of the body’s doshas, which triggers the accumulation of toxins in the blood and the skin.

Ayurveda works to restore balance to the weakened or vitiated doshas to prevent eczema. Ayurvedic practices also work to eliminate toxins that have accumulated in the body, preventing eczema flare-ups.

This is because a person, according to Ayurvedic medicine, is just like the universe, made of five elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth.

These elements combine in the body to create three energies or doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha.

- Vata dosha consists of the elements of space and air. It is the energy of movement.

- Pitta dosha consists of the elements of fire and water. It is the energy of digestion and metabolism.

- Kapha dosha consists of the elements of water and earth. It is the energy that forms different structures in the body, including the bones, muscles, and tendons. Kapha also provides the glue that holds all the cells together and helps the body move smoothly.

How Ayurveda works for Eczema

Ayurveda works on balancing the three doshas that are responsible for eczema (vicharchika). Accordingly, Ayurvedic medicine focuses on the following aspects:

1. Poor dietary habits: if people eat foods that are heavy or difficult to digest, the body cannot digest food properly. Undigested food accumulates in the body as ama or toxins that accumulate in the skin, blood, and organs like the liver, triggering eczema.

2. Poor lifestyle habits: if people engage in poor lifestyle habits, they can increase their risk of developing eczema. Some of these lifestyle habits include exercising and exposure to the sun after eating, taking frequent naps throughout the day, and suppressing the natural urges to eliminate toxins such as vomiting.

3. Changes in the environment: changes in the weather or climate can affect the balance of the doshas and may trigger eczema. For example, rapid temperature changes tend to affect the skin and trigger eczema symptoms.

In addition, if irritants enter the body because of environmental changes and the digestive system isn’t functioning properly, the body is less equipped to deal with them. It may produce an exaggerated immune response to them.

4. Stress: stress can cause the three doshas to become imbalanced, triggering eczema symptoms.

Ayurveda treatment for Eczema:

Ayurvedic treatment for epilepsy is specifically tailored to each individual’s case and looks at the dominant dosha in their constitution as well as their symptoms.

However, Ayurvedic treatment for epilepsy generally involves the following aspects:

A- Purvakarma treatments:

Purvakarma is Sanskrit for “foremost action.” It comprises herbal and oil treatments that loosen the accumulated toxins in the gut and brain. Ayurvedic medicine believes that these toxins cause epilepsy, 

Accordingly, purvakarma practices direct the toxins to specific waste and elimination centers in the body. Purvakarma helps prepare the body for Panchakarma (detoxification therapies).

They consist of three treatments:

1- Pachana (digestion therapy): a practice where herbal treatments are administered to the patient. These herbal formulations help the body digest and eliminate toxins that have accumulated in the blood and the skin, triggering eczema.

2- Snehana (oleation therapy): is a practice where oil, ghee (purified butter), or oils mixed with herbs are applied to the body internally or externally to loosen toxins that trigger eczema flare-ups in the body. Snehana leads the toxins to the body’s elimination centers where they are expelled via panchakarma therapies, preventing eczema.

3- Swedana (sudation therapy): is a practice that involves a thermal treatment to help release toxins through the skin. It typically occurs after oleation therapy as the oils help the body absorb the steam. If a person has eczema, swedana targets the whole body because eczema can appear on the face, neck, hands, arms, elbows, legs, and feet.

During swedana, the patient sits in a wooden box or room filled with herbal steam to eliminate the accumulated toxins in the skin by sweating. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend having a warm shower after swedana therapy. It helps purify the skin.

B. Panchakarma treatments:

Panchakarma, which is Sanskrit for “five treatments,” is a five-step detox program in Ayurveda. These treatments help detoxify the body and restore balance to the vata, pitta, and kapha doshas. The five treatments are:

1. Vamana (medicated emesis) 

2. Virechana (medicated purgation)

3. Vasti (medicated enema) 

4. Nasya (nasal medication)

5. Raktamokshan (bloodletting)

An Ayurvedic practitioner would manage eczema using the following Panchakarma treatments:

1- Vamana (medicated emesis): a practice where patients undergo forced vomiting to remove the body’s excess kapha dosha, which may be blocking various channels that lead to the skin and cause inflammation. Vamana also eliminates toxins and prevents them from accumulating in the skin, preventing eczema.

2- Virechana (medicated purgation): a practice where patients are given herbal treatments to induce diarrhea. This helps balance the pitta dosha. Virechana clears out toxins in the gut and prevents them from accumulating in the skin and causing a flare-up.

3- Vasti/basti (medicated enema): vasti is a practice where patients are given oils or liquids to help cleanse their colon. Basti is a practice where patients are given an herbal enema. Vasti helps get rid of toxins in the gut that might cause an eczema flare-up. It also rejuvenates the skin.

4- Raktamokshan (bloodletting): a practice that involves withdrawing blood from the body via puncture wounds or incisions to restore balance to the pitta dosha. Raktamokshan is an effective treatment for eczema and other skin disorders because it removes accumulated toxins in the blood that might cause eczema.

C. Additional Eczema Treatments:

Ayurveda practitioners may recommend additional treatments to manage eczema and relieve stress. These treatments include:

1- Shirodhara therapy (external oleation): Patients have a liquid (oil, milk, or water) poured onto their forehead. It also involves a head, body, or scalp massage. This practice soothes the mind and body and decreases stress, one factor that triggers an eczema flare-up.

2- Abhyanga (massage therapy): is a practice where oils, ghee, or oils infused with herbs are massaged vigorously into the body to loosen the buildup of toxins in the skin. Abhyanga also helps nourish the tissues, restores balance to imbalanced doshas, and relieves stress to prevent eczema. It is also part of dinacharya (daily routine).

3- Udvartana (powder massage therapy): is a practice where herbal powders like Triphala or oils infused with herbs are massaged into the body using some pressure. It differs from abhyanga because the herbs are massaged into the body in the opposite direction of hair growth. The massage lasts for 30-45 minutes.

Udvartana helps restore balance to the imbalanced doshas that cause eczema and rejuvenates the skin. It can be part of dinacharya (daily routine).

D. Rasayana (Rejuvenation treatments):

In Ayurveda, rasayana, which is Sanskrit for “path of essence,” consists of practices that help rejuvenate and nourish the mind and body.

Rasayana practices include consuming herbal treatments or decoctions and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. They also incorporate exercise, yoga, and a regular self-care routine (dinacharya) to treat or prevent eczema and maintain balance in all aspects of life.

The rasayana practices that treat eczema are explained in more detail below:

1- Dietary modifications:

The Ayurvedic diet aims to balance all three life energies or doshas in the mind and body.

To treat eczema, an Ayurvedic practitioner recommends patients eat cooling foods to restore balance to the pitta dosha (energy of digestion and metabolism). A practitioner would also advise against patients eating hot, dry, bitter, and pungent foods to avoid aggravating the pitta and vata doshas (energy of movement).

It consists of healthy anti-inflammatory foods that soothe the skin. It avoids processed foods and foods that contain a lot of sugar to prevent inflammation.

An Ayurvedic diet also prescribes eating specific foods as part of Purvakarma (preparatory treatments) before Panchakarma (detoxification therapies) to help loosen the toxins that have accumulated in the blood and the skin. This helps treat or prevent eczema flare-ups.

Patients should maintain the Ayurvedic diet even after they complete Purvakarma and Panchakarma therapies.

2- Herbal treatments:

Ayurveda prescribes herbs or herbal treatments to treat eczema. Some of these herbs or herbal treatments include:

- Cardamom: an herb that has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that helps heal and rejuvenate the skin.

- Neem: an antibacterial herb that helps eliminate toxins from the liver. It can be applied to the skin as an oil to help regenerate the skin.

- Turmeric: an herb that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and can soothe the skin.

- Triphala: an herbal treatment consisting of three different herbs, amalaki, bibhitaki, and haritaki. These herbs help cleanse the gut and eliminate toxins from the body, which helps prevent inflammation that may lead to eczema.

- Licorice: a bitter herb that has anti-inflammatory properties and can soothe the skin.

- Aloe vera: a nourishing and moisturizing herb that helps rejuvenate the skin.

3- Dinacharya (Routine):

Dinacharya or establishing a routine is one aspect of rasayana that helps treat disorders like eczema and restores balance to both the body and the mind. Having a routine helps prevent eczema flare-ups and reduces stress.

Dinacharya includes:

1- Adjusting dietary habits: Patients should eat foods at regular times. They should also eat healthy foods that restore balance to the pitta dosha (energy of digestion) to prevent the build-up of toxins in the blood and the skin that might cause eczema.

2- Regulating sleeping habits: Patients need to adjust their sleeping habits and begin sleeping at regular times every night. Routine helps stabilize vata energy.

3- Exercising regularly: Patients should engage in physical activity every day to stabilize all the doshas and prevent eczema. Sweating during exercise helps detoxify the skin. Exercise also helps lower stress, one trigger that can cause eczema.

4- Practicing yoga: Patients should practice at least 10 minutes of yoga every day to relieve stress and reduce inflammation in the body to manage eczema and rejuvenate their skin.

5- Practicing breathing techniques: Patients should practice breathing techniques or pranayama every day. Pranayama helps decrease stress levels, which lowers inflammation in the body and manages eczema.

6- Massaging yourself: Patients should massage themselves every day with herbs or oils to help the excess doshas move throughout the body and rejuvenate their skin.

Ayurvedic medicine for Eczema: recommendations

- Eat at regular times: Skipping meals causes a pitta imbalance and disrupts digestion. This leads to the accumulation of toxins in the blood or in the skin, which may trigger eczema.

- Sleep well: Maintain a regular sleep schedule and get at least 7 hours of sleep to maintain skin health.

- Practice yoga: Practice at least 10 minutes of yoga, including pranayama or breathing techniques, every day to reduce stress and help prevent eczema.

- Practice activities that increase mindfulness: Practice meditation for at least 20 minutes every day. Meditation helps relieve stress and prevents eczema.

Lifestyle tips:

- Wear loose fabrics: wear loose cotton fabrics that are least likely to irritate the skin and trigger eczema flare-ups.

- Moisturize your skin: try to keep your skin moisturized to prevent skin dryness and strengthen the skin barrier.

- Drink lots of water: drink at least 6-8 glasses of water every day to keep the skin moisturized and healthy.

- Take a warm bath: take a warm bath to reduce skin inflammation.

Foods to eat:

According to Ayurveda, all foods possess certain gunas (qualities). The gunas in the foods are transferred into energies that influence the balance of the doshas in the body.

People with eczema should eat foods that possess bitter gunas (qualities) to stimulate the pitta dosha (energy of digestion) and prevent the buildup of toxins that might trigger eczema flare-ups.

These foods include:

- Cereals like whole wheat, oats, barley, millet

- Bitter vegetables: broccoli, kale, arugula, celery, bell peppers

- Legumes: green gram (mung bean)

- Ghee (purified butter)

- Almonds

- Pumpkin Seeds

- Chicken

Herbs to use:

According to Ayurveda, people with eczema should either apply the following herbs to their skin or drink them as teas to relieve eczema symptoms. They have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties that help rejuvenate the skin.

- Cardamom: an herb that has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that helps heal and rejuvenate the skin.

- Neem: an antibacterial herb that helps eliminate toxins from the liver. It can be applied to the skin as an oil to help regenerate the skin.

- Turmeric: an herb that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and can soothe the skin.

- Triphala: an herbal treatment consisting of three different herbs, amalaki, bibhitaki, and haritaki. These herbs help cleanse the gut and eliminate toxins from the body, which helps prevent inflammation that may lead to eczema.

- Licorice: a bitter herb that has anti-inflammatory properties and can soothe the skin.

- Aloe vera: a nourishing and moisturizing herb that helps rejuvenate the skin. 

Ayurvedic medicine for Eczema: What to avoid

Avoid skipping meals: skipping meals makes it harder to establish a self-care routine. It also affects digestion and causes toxins to build up in the blood and the skin, causing eczema.

- Avoid drinking coffee and tea: these drinks are acidic, and consuming them might aggravate the pitta dosha (energy of digestion). They might cause toxins that trigger eczema to accumulate in the skin.

- Avoid or limit alcohol consumption: consuming alcohol can trigger eczema flare-ups because it aggravates the pitta dosha (energy of digestion). Alcohol can cause toxins to build up in the gut, and seep into the bloodstream, eventually reaching the skin, triggering eczema.

- Avoid soft drinks: these drinks contain refined sugar. Sugar increases inflammation in the body, making eczema symptoms worse.

- Stop smoking: tobacco smoke is one of the triggers that cause an eczema flare-up because it increases inflammation in the body.

- Limit salt intake: consuming excessive amounts of salt makes eczema worse because it triggers inflammation.

- Allergens: allergens can irritate the skin and trigger eczema flare-ups.

Foods to avoid:

According to Ayurveda, people with eczema should avoid foods that aggravate vata, (energy of movement) kapha, (energy of structure) and pitta doshas (energy of movement) to treat or prevent eczema. This prevents the formation of toxins in the body that affect the skin.

These foods include:

- Pungent foods like raw onions

- Acidic foods like red meat

- Sour foods

- Spicy and fried foods

- Processed foods

- Dairy products like curds

- Acidic fruits like pineapples, lemons, limes, and citrus fruits

- Fish

- Jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) and sugar

- Nuts

- Tomatoes

- Eggs

Lifestyle tips:

- Avoid soaps, detergents, or cosmetics that contain harsh chemicals: use gentle soaps and cosmetics that don’t contain chemicals. Prevent skin irritation to minimize the occurrence of eczema.

Ayurveda for Eczema: precautions

Ayurveda uses natural and herbal remedies to treat diseases. However, if you want to use Ayurvedic medicines, herbs, supplements to treat a particular condition, you should consider the following precautions:

- Consult your Ayurvedic practitioner before taking Ayurvedic products on your own. Let them know if you have diabetes or are taking medication that may affect your treatment plan. They should adjust it to avoid any harmful interactions with the medication you are taking.

- Some Ayurvedic products and practices are banned in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve or review Ayurvedic products. Some herbal compounds or preparations may contain lead, mercury, or arsenic in toxic amounts.

They can cause serious illnesses in children and may be life-threatening for pregnant or lactating women and their babies. Other compounds from untrustworthy manufacturers may contain steroids, which may cause further health issues.

- Panchakarma treatments aren’t suitable for all patients. Eligibility for panchakarma is determined by an Ayurvedic practitioner.

People who are classified as having “weak” or lean and thin bodies aren’t eligible for panchakarma treatments. People who are anemic and pregnant women also aren’t allowed to undergo panchakarma treatments.

WARNING:

- Make sure to disclose to your primary care physician that you are seeing an Ayurvedic practitioner and are taking Ayurvedic formulations. This ensures you stay safe and avoid medication interactions that might cause serious side effects.

- If you are taking medication for diabetes, don’t stop taking them if you begin Ayurvedic treatment unless your doctor approves it.

- Some Ayurvedic practitioners may not be qualified to treat you. Make sure that your Ayurvedic practitioner is well-trained, certified, and has the relevant experience to meet your needs.

- Be careful when buying Ayurvedic herbs or formulas. Don’t buy Ayurvedic products unless they have a GMP (Good Manufacturing Product) stamp on them if you are buying them from India. Be extra careful when purchasing herbs online because online stores may be selling counterfeit products.

Ayurveda for Eczema: side effects

Since Ayurvedic treatments are derived from natural herbs and plants, most treatments do not cause adverse events. However, if you take some Ayurvedic preparations or herbs, you may experience the following side effects.

- Some Ayurvedic products contain toxic amounts of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, or mercury, and they might cause heavy metal poisoning.

- Some Ayurvedic herbal formulations might cause headaches, nausea, gastrointestinal problems, diarrhea, rashes, or allergic reactions.