Atopic dermatitis in Korean medicine

Atopic dermatitis is one of the most well-known Environmental Diseases that is frequent in contemporary men who are familiar to Western life-style. Among the Environmental Disease that caused various problems, atopic dermatitis especially increased by almost twice in the 10 years period from1995 to 2005.

In fact, atopic dermatitis' incidence rate in 2008 relative to that in 2002 seems to decrease. In light of the fact medical expenses of atopic dermatitis patient increases it can said that concern toward curing atopic dermatitis disease is expected to increase more. In conclusion atopic dermatitis' incidence of the contemporary men is mostly increased and interest in atopic dermatitis therapy is also increased.

Environmental Disease like atopic dermatitis, Asthma Sharply Increased the patients of Environmental Disease increased by 57.7% but the medical expenses of the disease increased by 65.4%
Among the Environmental Disease, especially atopic dermatitis disease patients a bit decreased, the medical expenses of that increased by 17.8% and deductible increased by 11.9%.
by Park Hyun-Cheol [phyunchul@hanmail.net]

If we refer to the graph below, we can know that the main patients who have atopic dermatitis are of young age, mostly kids and teenagers. However, in these days atopic dermatitis which is considered as children's preserve shows unusual tendency that atopic dermatitis diesease radically increases in adults.

[Health] Painful 'Adult atopic dermatitis' Rapid Increase
[SBS TV 2006-11-22 12:21]

According to HIRA, the number of atopic dermatitis patients increased 25% in their 20s and 18% in their 40s for 3 years.
by Ahn Mi-Jeong

The point of atopic dermatitis treatment in Korean medicine is the activation of lung function. Lung and skin are two respiratory organs in our body. If lung respiration, which accounts for 95% of total respiration, doesn't function perfectly, skin respiration, which accounts for the rest 5% and is controlled by lung respiration, cannot function perfectly too. The abnormal respiration of the skin blocks the pores of the skin, so waste products cannot go out of the body and are stacked under the skin, which occurs atopic dermatitis. Therefore, to treat atopic dermatitis, we have to help our skin breathe well through activation of lung function.

Atopic dermatitis in Korean medicine's viewpoint

Atopic dermatitis is called fetal heat(胎熱) in Korean medicine. Fetal heat was cured when child starts walking, so it was thought that it will heal when child steps the ground with his own feet. In Korean medicine, lung supervises skin and hair. In modern days atopic dermatitis seems that it occurs on child who has low level of immunity in lung, bronchial tubes, nose and skin. There are various causes in Atopic dermatitis. Bad condition of modern environment is one of the reasons. It lowers the immune system so the invasion of the atopic dermatitis will be done easier. Another reason of atopic dermatitis is based on Four-constitution medicine(四象醫學). Four-constitution medicine splits the people into four groups, as greater yang person(太陽人), lesser yang person(少陽人), greater yin person(太陰人), and lesser yin person(少陰人). Greater yin person has more possibility of having atopic dermatitis than greater yang persons. Other reasons are inner chronic weakness, leak of nutrition to skin, and wrong treatment of primary stage skin diseases.

Treatment

At the first step of treatment, we use herbal medicine that eliminates toxins from the body. Herbs such as Lonicera japonica, Coptis japonica, and Scutellaria baicalensis are used. At the second step of treatment, with the medicine used at the first step, we use herbal medicine according to personal physical constitution. For example, Ophiopogon japonicus and the root of a kudzu are prescribed for Tae-eum In(太陰人), and Siler divaricata and Rehmannia glutinosa for hueichingensis are prescribed for So-eum In(少陰人). These herbal medicines not only eliminate hot toxins in the body, but also reinforce immunity and protect respiratory organs. Sometimes, acupuncture treatment is also used. The last step of treatment is preventing recurrence and maintaining healthy skin through proper living habits. When waste products are released at once, it feels really itchy, but patients should not scratch himself. Take a light bath with lukewarm water often, and don't forget putting on lotion.

↑ A patient(17) who had suffered from atopic dermatitis for a long time
He took herbal medicine for three months. You can see that the redness of the skin and the scabs around his neck almost disappeared.
: http://www.wwdoctor.com