Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis, also known as atopic eczema, is a skin disease that commonly occurs during early infancy and childhood. It is frequently associated with a personal or family history of atopic eczema, asthma, and/or allergic rhinitis (nasal allergies).  

This skin disease is common, and its incidence appears to be increasing. The major features of atopic eczema include itchy rashes on the face, arms, and legs. Other associated features may include dry skin, darkening of the lower eyelid skin, and increased lines on the skin of the palms (hyperlinear palms).

Approximately 50% of atopic eczema sufferers develop this skin disease by the first year of life. Nearly 80% of children with atopic eczema eventually develop allergic rhinitis or asthma later in childhood.

Unfortunately, people with severe atopic eczema can develop serious eye problems, including cataracts, keratoconus (a deformity of the cornea), and vernal conjunctivitis (springtime irritation of the eyelid). People with atopic eczema are also at risk for recurrent skin infections, including herpes simplex, bacterial, and fungal infections. Atopic eczema can even be severe enough to interfere with an individual’s ability to perform his or her job, resulting in the loss of significant productivity annually. (Reference: Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine, Fifth Edition.)

There have been a number of studies published that describe the benefits of homeopathic medical care in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Here is a sample of those studies:

In Japan, Itamura and Hosoya studied 17 atopic eczema patients whose skin disease was resistant to the usual conventional medical treatments.   These patients then received homeopathic treatment.   All patients reported over 50% improvement overall in their skin conditions; 15 of the 17 patients had their itching improve; 10 out of 13 patients with sleep disturbances improved; 9 out of 12 patients had improvement in satisfaction in daily life; 7 of 11 patients had improvement in fulfillment at work; 10 out of 14 patients had satisfaction with human relations.   Importantly, 5 out of the 17 patients (almost one-third) were able to stop using their steroid ointments.   (Editor’s note:   This fact is very important because prolonged usage of steroid ointments is associated with numerous side effects and can cause thinning of the skin, skin infections, impaired wound healing, compromised immunity, cataracts, conjunctivitis, mitochondrial dysfunction, stretch marks, and dysbiosis. Additionally, topical steroids can also result in temporary suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (adrenal insufficiency), thereby interfering with the body’s production of cortisol and its response to stress.   Thus, homeopathic treatment was found to be helpful in even some of the most severe and difficult to treat eczema patients. (Itamura R, Hosoya R. Homeopathic Treatment of Japanese patients with intractable Atopic Dermatitis. Homeopathy, 2003, 92, 108-114.)

In Germany, Keil and colleagues at the Charitè University Medical Center in Berlin studied 118 children with atopic eczema: approximately half were treated by homeopathic physicians, and half were treated by conventional doctors.   The research team found that eczema symptoms improved in both groups.   Also, both groups had similar improvements in the disease-related quality of life. (Keil T, Witt CM, Roll S, Vancea W, Webera K, Wegscheiderb K,  Willich SN. Homoeopathic versus Conventional Treatment of Children with Eczema: A comparative Cohort Study.  Complement Ther Med. 2008 Feb;16(1):15-21)

Witt et. al. studied 225 children with atopic eczema. The patients were allowed to use their conventional dermatology treatment during the study while they began their homeopathic treatment.  The children were then followed for two years. The researchers found that the patients’ eczema severity scores improved significantly. Notably, the patients were able to reduce their use of conventional drugs for their skin disease. (Witt CM, et al. “Homeopathic Treatment of Children with Atopic Eczema: A Prospective Observational Study with Two Year Follow-up”.   Acta Dermatologica Venereology. 2008. Preview, 1-2)

Eizayaga also investigated the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment of atopic dermatitis in a general homeopathic practice setting.  In this study, patients spontaneously seeking homeopathic treatment meeting Hanifin and Rajka’s criteria were prospectively treated. Forty-two patients were eligible. Twenty-one had other atopic comorbidities and 28 (66.7%) were moderate or severe cases. Sixteen (38.1%) patients dropped out. Significant differences were found comparing first and last consultations. This study suggests that in a general medical practice setting, homeopathic treatment could be regarded as an effective choice for patients with atopic dermatitis. (Eizayaga JE, Eizayaga JI. Prospective observational study of 42 patients with atopic dermatitis treated with homeopathic medicines, Homeopathy, Volume 101, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 21-27).

In another German study, Stephanie Roll and colleagues conducted a prospective multi-center comparative observational non-randomized rater-blinded study; 135 children (48 homeopathy, 87 conventional) with mild to moderate atopic eczema were included by their respective physicians. Depending on the specialization of the physician, the primary treatment was either standard conventional treatment or individualized homeopathy as delivered in routine medical care.  They found that the effects of homeopathic treatment were “not inferior” to conventional treatment for children with mild to moderate atopic eczema. (Roll, S, Reinhold T,Pach D et al. Comparative Effectiveness of Homoeopathic vs. Conventional Therapy in Usual Care of Atopic Eczema in Children: Long-Term Medical and Economic Outcomes PLos One, Jan 2013;8(1))

Mandal et al. tested the efficacy of individualized homeopathic medicines in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 6 months’ duration (n = 60), adult patients were randomized to receive either individualized homeopathic medicines (n = 30) or identical-looking placebos (n = 30). The researchers found that individualized homeopathic medicines performed significantly better than placebos in reducing the severity of atopic dermatitis in adults. Inter-group differences for the secondary outcomes favored homeopathy, but were overall statistically non-significant. (Mandal, S. et al., Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Individualized Homeopathic Medicines in Atopic Dermatitis in Adults: A Replication Trial with 6 Months’ Follow-up. Homeopathy. March 2023).

These studies underscore the importance of homeopathic medical care in the management of patients with atopic eczema.   They show the utility of homeopathic medicine in decreasing or even discontinuing the use of topical steroids in this dermatology patient population.