Skin Allergies | Homeopathic Medicine | Treatment - Complete Overview

Dr.Abhishek Kasana M.D Homeopathy Maharashtra

B.H.M.S, C.F.N Delhi, Di HOM United Kingdom,

P.G.D.P.H Chennai, C.S.D -Professional course in Skin and Dermatology Treatment using Homeopathic Medicine.

(Aura Homeopathy Clinic India)

The skin is one of the organs most frequently affected by allergic processes. There are several causes for allergy to the skin, but they all usually have two characteristics: skin rash (spots or red plaques on the skin) and intense itching.

Skin allergies are non-contagious dermatitis, so there is no problem in sharing objects or clothing, socializing or touching the patient's skin.

In this article we will summarize the main causes of skin allergy, including the following conditions:

•          Urticaria.

•          Angioedema.

•          Contact dermatitis.

•          Atopic dermatitis.

•          Mosquito bite.

•          Seborrheic dermatitis.

CAUSES OF ALLERGY IN THE SKIN

Urticaria

Urticaria is a reddish, plaque-like skin lesion that causes intense itching. Urticaria is usually caused by allergic processes, and can be triggered by medicines, food, bee stings or contact with substances, such as paints, latex, pollen, animal saliva, etc.

Urticaria of allergic origin usually arises minutes after contact with the allergen (name given to the allergy-triggering substance). The fact that you have had previous contacts with a substance without ever having presented previous signs of allergy does not mean that you can not develop hives after using it. For example, the patient may develop urticaria after using an antibiotic, such as amoxicillin, even if it has been previously used in previous clinical situations. Often, the patient uses a medication or consumes a food for years and, from one day to the other, is allergic to it. Skin allergy - urticaria Urticarias - plaques reddish and embossed Urticaria is a typical manifestation of allergy in the skin, but it may have a non-allergic origin, being caused by infections, mainly of viral or bacterial origin. Urticaria of infectious origin may appear at any time during the course of infection.

Non-allergic urticaria can also arise from physical stimuli such as heat, cold, exercise, or pressure on the skin. There are also cases of chronic urticaria, which last more than 6 months and may not present a clear cause.

Angioedema

Angioedema has the same origin as urticaria but is a more serious form of allergy, as it affects the deeper layers of the skin and also the mucous membranes, which can cause swelling of the lips, tongue, eyes and respiratory tract.

Angioedema is a dangerous condition that can lead to respiratory distress due to edema of glottis or severe asthma, and may also progress to anaphylactic shock.

Angioedema is more likely to occur in people with a history of urticaria, which is re-exposed to the substance to which they are allergic. Anyone with a picture of urticaria associated with edema of the eyes or lips should seek medical attention promptly, as angioedema may progress to anaphylaxis rapidly.

Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is a form of skin irritation caused by direct contact of a substance with it. There are two forms of contact dermatitis. Due to contact of skin to substance which are natural irritants. The second form is the contact of the skin with substances in which the patient is allergic. They are generally substances that do not provoke reaction in the skin of the majority of people, as it is the case of gloves of latex or of detergents.

Among the most common causes of contact dermatitis are: -

Costume jewelry (mainly those containing metals such as nickel, chromium and cobalt).

Gold.

• Thimerosal (former Mertiolate formula).
• Poison ivy. 
• Local application of antibiotics 
• Latex.
• Hydrocortisone topical.
• Perfumes and cosmetics.
• Eraser.
• Leather.
• Nail polishes.
• Soaps.
• Alcohol.

The symptoms of contact dermatitis are a rash, which can either scratch (allergic form) or burn (irritative form). Small blisters and skin cracks may also arise. The rash of contact dermatitis tends to be restricted to areas that have come in contact with the harmful substance.

In most cases, the dermatitis disappears after a few days if the patient no longer has contact with the substance that triggered the rash. Calamine lotion can be used as it helps to "calm" the skin. In cases of more intense reaction, ointments with corticosteroids may be necessary.

 Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis, also called atopic eczema, is a rash-like skin lesion commonly seen in children, usually in folded areas such as the popliteal fossa (back of the knees), neck and ulnar fossa behind the elbows). In infants, the face is an area commonly affected.

The causes of atopic dermatitis are unknown, but there is likely to be a combination of dry and irritated skin with defective immune systems. Psychological stress can aggravate injuries. Although accepted for many years now, the relationship between atopic dermatitis and other allergic processes such as urticaria, asthma and rhinitis has been questioned.

In about 85% of cases, atopic dermatitis appears within the first 5 years of life. The rash of atopic dermatitis is pruritic eczema, often with the appearance of scaly, thickened and darkened plaques.

Atopic eczema is a chronic condition, with periods of improvement alternating with phases of worsening of the rash. About 40% of children stop spontaneously when they reach adulthood. In the rest of cases, this dermatitis has no cure, remaining for the rest of life. The good news is that there is treatment and it is quite effective in controlling eczema.

Mosquito bites

Mosquito bites are common causes of skin allergy. Once we are bitten, just before sucking our blood, the mosquitoes inject their saliva, which has anticoagulant action, preventing the sucked blood from coagulating. It is the saliva of the mosquito that usually causes the allergic reactions in people. In most cases, the reaction to the bite is small and localized, the most common symptom being a slight reddish rise in the skin with intense itching.

The symptoms of the bite usually appear within 20 minutes and may take up to 2 days to disappear.

Some people exhibit a greater than normal sensitivity to mosquito bites by developing a frame called prurigo oestrus. They are people who, after a single bite, develop several red and pruritic lesions, as if they had been attacked by several mosquitoes at the same time in different parts of the body. In prurigo, the lesions may last up to 1 month.

Seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis, also called seborrheic eczema, is a very common and itchy skin disease. This form of dermatitis is a chronic inflammation that arises in areas of the skin that contain large numbers of sebaceous glands.

Although it seems very much like other dermatitis of allergic origin, with plaque rash and a lot of itching, seborrheic dermatitis is not exactly a skin allergy, although apparently it is caused by a reaction of the immune system to the presence of a type of fungus in the skin.

EFFICACY OF HOMOEOPATHY IN SKIN ALLERGIES –

Skin allergic ailments includes a number of disease condition such as Hives, urticaria, Angioedema, Contact dermatitis, Atopic dermatitis, Mosquito bite, Seborrheic dermatitis, etc…

Few  persons are hypersenstive to certain food items, smell, drugs or chemical, etc. Due to oversensitive, they produce allergic reaction leading to various skin disease. WorthyDr. Hahnemann himself has expressed regarding skin allergic disease in his writings, aphorism number-117, Organon of Medicine, Sixth edition.

In aphorism 117 he emphasizes about idiosyncrasy. He says that it is a unusual earthly charter which otherwise healthy posses a disposition to be brought into more or less morbid state by certain things which seem to produce no impression and no change in many other individuals. 

But this inability to make an impression on everyone is only apparent. For as two things are required for the production of these as well as all other morbid alterations in the health of man – to unit, the inherent power of the influencing substance and the capability of the vital force that animates the organism to be influenced by it. the obvious derangements of health in the so called idiosyncrasis cannot be laid to the account of these peculiar constitutions alone, but they must also be ascribed to things that produce them in which must lie the power of making the same impressions on all human bodies, yet in such a manner that but a small number of healthy constitutions have a tendency to allow themselves to be brought into such on obvious morbid condition but the that these do actually make this impression every healthy body is shown by this, that when employed as remedies they render effectual homoeopathic service to all sick persons for morbid symptoms similar to these. They seem to be only capable of producing in so called indiosyncratic individuals. Dr. Kent also says about this in lectures. He says indiosyncrasy is oversenitiveness to one thing or few things. It does not apply to the general susceptibility in feeble constitutions, where patients are susceptible to all things, over defenceless and over impressed by simple irritation. There are two types of idiosyncracy. They are acquired idiosyncracy and congenital idiosyncracy. This acquired indiosyncratic patients can be treated very easily with well selected homeopathic medicine. But at the same time hereditary idiosyncratic patients are very difficult to treat. To eradicate, it require an antipsoric homeopathic remedy. 

Miasmatic interpretation

Allergic reactions are the indication of psoric and pseudo-psoric miasms. The skin manifestation including skin eruption, itching are proven manifestation of primary psora, also hypersensitivity reaction at physical and mental level. Hypersensitive reaction to certain ingestants, inhalants etc are coming under psoric miasm. Hence skin allergies comes under psora, but when our body gets tired and feeble and hyper reacts it points towards tubercular miasm. Hence skin allergies can come to both posra and tubercular miasm 

• Skin Allergy alternating with Rheumatism – Urtica Ureans
• Skin Allergy alternating with asthma – Caladium
• Skin Allergy along with severe headache with redness of face – bell.
• Skin Allergy after eating meat – Antium crud, Ruta
• Skin Allergy fever during – Apis Mel, Ign., Rhus.toxi
• Swelling of whole body due Skin Allergy- Fragaria.
• Chronic Skin Allergy with nettle rash on whole body along with itching – Astacus fluviatilis
• Skin Allergy after vaccination – Sarsaparilla
• Skin Allergy from pressure of clothes – Medorrhinum
• Chronic hives, Skin Allergy in children – copaiva officinalis
• Skin Allergy -Urticaria after violent exercise – conium, Natrum mur., Psor., Urtica- Urens
• Hives Skin Allergy after excitement – Bovista
• Skin Allergy Hives better in cold air – Calcarea
• Skin Allergy Hives after bathing – Phosphorus, Urtica Urens
• Skin Allergy-Hives in everyspring – Rhus.tox
• Skin Allergy at sea shore – Ars.alb, Mag.mur
• Skin Allergy- Hives walking in cold air – sepia
• Hives- Skin Allergy disappears in summer and reappears in winter – psorinum 

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