By Yoon Ja-young
Jin-hyuk, a nine year old boy in Seoul, has been suffering from atopic dermatitis for four years now. As it becomes itchier at night, he would toss and turn until dawn, scratching all over. He can’t even play football as the symptoms worsen when he sweats. He turned sensitive and cries at trivial things. He can’t concentrate in classes. His atopic dermatitis has created enormous stress not only for Jin-hyuk but for the whole family.
“Atopic dermatitis often worsens when the weather suddenly becomes cold and dry. It is important to control the disease at this time of the year as itchiness and dryness are likely to get extreme in winter,” said professor Choi In-wha of Kyunghee University Hospital at Gangdong in Seoul.
The number of atopic dermatitis patients has been growing in the country. According to 2011 statistics, 12.9 percent of children and teenagers were suffering from the disease. Heredity, environment, immunity or irregularities in skin barriers are known to be reasons for atopic dermatitis but not much has been proved as of yet, according to Choi. She pointed out that treatment thus far has been mostly limited to ointment or medication that suppresses the inflammation in the skin that causes itchiness. It often recurs when one stops using the medication.
Researchers of Korean traditional medicine thus have focused on treating atopic dermatitis. The research team led by professor Choi recently proved that hwang-yeon-hae-dok-san and ou-ryung-san, both Korean traditional herbal formulas, are effective in treating atopic dermatitis. The report was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Twenty-four patients were administered the formula three times a day for four weeks, and symptoms decreased by around 50 percent on average.
On top of the medicine, they use ointment, vacuum, acupuncture and moistener at the hospital.
“The stressful and sensitive condition of children suffering from atopic dermatitis is regarded as not only the result but also the cause. To treat not only the symptom in the skin but also the emotional imbalances, we use music therapy and medication as well as medicine to ease the tightened energy,” the professor said.
The following are tips from professor Choi on how to control the disease in winter.
First of all people should keep the room clean, using not only vacuum cleaners but also wet mops. Ventilation is important and it is good to use humidifiers and air purifiers as long as one doesn’t forget to clean these devices.
Clothes should be made of cotton and loose. People should wash their clothes often, and rinsing is especially important.
It is good to take a bath, but bathing too often can make skin drier. It should be limited to less than 20 minutes, once or twice a day. The water shouldn’t be too hot and scrubbing will worsen the symptoms. Moisturizing is crucial. People should apply the moisturizer within three minutes after a bath.
Those suffering from atopic dermatitis should find out what food makes them allergic. In traditional Korean medicine, not only instant food but also that which is too greasy, too hot or spicy are regarded as incurring heat within the body that will worsen the symptom.