Natural Home Remedy Treatments for Dermatitis
Visiting your doctor is an important step to treating whatever type of dermatitis you are experiencing. But dermatitis sufferers looking for more answers beyond traditional medicine can consider the following alternative home remedies.Add some nutritional therapy. Dermatitis sufferers may benefit from adding essential fatty acids, which promote healthy skin. In one study, a group of Italian researchers treated two- and four-year-olds suffering from atopic dermatitis with daily doses of primrose oil (rich in essential fatty acids). After four weeks, the children's symptoms dramatically improved. After 20 weeks, they experienced the same results with no adverse side effects. And, supplementation with vitamin A, vitamin E, and zinc can also be useful in some cases of atopic dermatitis.
Dip a chamomile tea bag in comfortably warm water. Hold the tea bag on the lesion for a couple of minutes. Reheat and repeat if needed. In cases in which the dermatitis covers a large area, chamomile extract in a cream form may be easier than using the tea bags. |
Burdock, for example, is a liver tonic; when the liver is working well to filter toxins from the blood, the skin is generally healthier. Similarly, red clover is a very effective blood purifier. Other herbs like licorice root, calendula (marigold) flower heads, and especially ginkgo all have potent anti-inflammatory effects when used topically.
Practice meditation. Regular meditation is useful for stress reduction and deep breathing, which both are important to a well-rounded dermatitis treatment program.
Consider traditional Chinese medicine. The menu of treatments can include herbal medicine, acupuncture, or dietary recommendations. A traditional Chinese physician tailors the therapy to the needs of each dermatitis sufferer. For example, two people with the same condition won't necessarily take the same herbs or follow the same exercise routine.
A dermatitis treatment might call for a daily herbal tea, made by boiling and then simmering dried herbs for an hour and a half. Because traditional Chinese medicine's remedies are individualized, it is necessary to contact a qualified practitioner or obtain an accurate diagnosis and a specific prescription for your condition.
No matter what type of dermatitis is making your skin itch, there are many home remedies for you to soothe your skin. The key is trying not to scratch and finding the right medication or at-home remedy to ease your symptoms. Hopefully these home remedies have given you some helpful suggestions on overcoming this skin condition before the itching becomes unbearable.
For more information about dermatitis and how to combat it, try the following links:
- To see all of our home remedies and the conditions they treat, go to our main Home Remedies page.
- Many skin problems stem from allergies. To learn more about allergies, you should check out How Allergies Work.
- To learn how to minimize your allergic reactions, check out Home Remedies for Allergies.
- If your skin feels itchy and scratchy, it could be from dry skin. To releive this problem, read our Home Remedies for Dry Skin.
- Or if the problem is with your scalp, check out Home Remedies for Dry Hair.
Timothy Gower is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in many publications, including Reader's Digest, Prevention, Men's Health, Better Homes and Gardens, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. The author of four books, Gower is also a contributing editor for Health magazine.
Alice Lesch Kelly is a health writer based in Boston. Her work has been published in magazines such as Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, Eating Well, and Health. She is the co-author of three books on women's health.
Linnea Lundgren has more than 12 years experience researching, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of four books, including Living Well With Allergies.
Michele Price Mann is a freelance writer who has written for such publications as Weight Watchers and Southern Living magazines. Formerly assistant health and fitness editor at Cooking Light magazine, her professional passion is learning and writing about health.
ABOUT THE CONSULTANTS:
Ivan Oransky, M.D., is the deputy editor of The Scientist. He is author or co-author of four books, including The Common Symptom Answer Guide, and has written for publications including the Boston Globe, The Lancet, and USA Today. He holds appointments as a clinical assistant professor of medicine and as adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.
David J. Hufford, Ph.D., is university professor and chair of the Medical Humanities Department at Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine. He also is a professor in the departments of Neural and Behavioral Sciences and Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Hufford serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine and Explore.
This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.
