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It has been a common misunderstanding
in the treatment of eczema that herbs dispersing wind to
stop itching, such as Jing Jie, Fang Feng, Chan Tui, etc,
should be used, since most eczema takes itching as one of
the major manifestations and classical formulas such as Xiao
Feng San includes these herbs.
However, eczema is a condition very
sensitive to any stimulation. If wrong herbs are chosen in
the treatment, the condition will get worse. In my practice,
I have noticed that using herbs dispersing wind is a major
contributor to the development of extensive eczema, and
avoiding using these herbs is one of the keys to successful
treatment of eczema. For sure most acute eczema or acute
attack of eczema is caused by damp-heat, but the itching in
these cases is from damp-heat, and there is no pathogenic
wind. What is more, since most of the skin lesions are in
the medial sides of the body in the “hidden” areas, the damp
heat should be more in the interior part of the lower part
of the body. That is why draining the dampness and heat
instead of dispersing wind should be the main approach for
the acute stage of this condition. Herbs that can promote
urination and clear heat or herbs that can clear damp heat
with a bitter taste and cold nature, such as Che Qian Zi, Fu
Ling, Huang Bai, Ku Shen are the main herbs.
Herbs clearing damp-heat, moving blood
(it is also one way to expel wind), nourishing yin and
tonify qi are usually safe, but to achieve the best results,
a very careful and correct pattern diagnosis must be made.
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