Eczema treatment that comes up to scratch
A herbal cream helped to soothe one mother and daughter’s painful itch
When 38-year-old Jacquie Terry’s daughter, Hope, was 1, a photographer offering portraits in a local supermarket refused to take her photograph. “Unless you put some make-up on her the baby will look so awful you won’t buy the photograph,” he said. Hope’s eczema, having initially been in small patches, had suddenly spread to her face and was inflamed, as it became infected when she scratched.
Terry had expected Hope to contract eczema as Hope’s father has eczema and it tends to run in families. Terry also has psoriasis on her scalp and leg, an inherited skin condition that began during her finals at university. Hope’s eczema was worst on the back of her knees, neck and joints. As well as scratching when she felt anxious, itching would keep her awake at night, and sometimes she would scratch so badly that she drew blood. The eczema would then become infected and a course of antibiotics would be needed, as well as treatment for the condition. This progressed from heavy-duty moisturisers to hydrocortisone and stronger steroid creams, as each one proved ineffective.
Steroid creams are prescribed during eczema flare-ups as they act by reducing inflammation quickly. The strength of steroid cream that a doctor prescribes depends on the age of the patient, the severity of the condition, and the size of the area to be treated.
Hope is now 6 and for the past five years, against her better judgment, Terry has been treating her with steroid creams. Both her GP and her friends had warned against long-term use of the creams.
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The last straw came when Hope said she didn’t want to wear shorts for PE because of the skin on her legs. When a friend suggested cardiospermum gel, Terry did some research.
Cardiospermum is one of the commonest herbs used for skin problems in Sri Lanka. Its botanical term is Cardiospermum halicacabum, but is locally known as balloon vine. This wiry climber’s main antiinflammatory powers are said to lie mostly in its leaves and seeds, which have been used for hundreds of years in Sri Lanka for skin dryness and eczema, as the seeds contain triterpenoids, which have an antiinflammatory effect and antibacterial qualities.
Terry and Hope embarked on a course of treatment two months ago, using the hypoallergenic cardiospermum gel that she found online.
“I was dubious at first,” says Terry, “as I had relied on the steroid for so long I didn’t think anything else would work on Hope. Also, the gel smells a bit like compost, but it feels cooling and seemed to absorb really quickly, and the smell doesn’t linger.
“Hope’s skin is really good at the moment. We used the gel twice a day and it soothed the itching almost immediately. She absolutely hates having creams put on, probably because her skin has been so sensitive before, so the fact that the cardiospermum is in a gel, and is not messy or irritating or greasy, has made the whole process much easier.”
Terry is also using the gel for the psoriasis patches on her legs and claims “it is definitely breaking down the rough patches and making them smoother”.
Source - Times
When 38-year-old Jacquie Terry’s daughter, Hope, was 1, a photographer offering portraits in a local supermarket refused to take her photograph. “Unless you put some make-up on her the baby will look so awful you won’t buy the photograph,” he said. Hope’s eczema, having initially been in small patches, had suddenly spread to her face and was inflamed, as it became infected when she scratched.
Terry had expected Hope to contract eczema as Hope’s father has eczema and it tends to run in families. Terry also has psoriasis on her scalp and leg, an inherited skin condition that began during her finals at university. Hope’s eczema was worst on the back of her knees, neck and joints. As well as scratching when she felt anxious, itching would keep her awake at night, and sometimes she would scratch so badly that she drew blood. The eczema would then become infected and a course of antibiotics would be needed, as well as treatment for the condition. This progressed from heavy-duty moisturisers to hydrocortisone and stronger steroid creams, as each one proved ineffective.
Steroid creams are prescribed during eczema flare-ups as they act by reducing inflammation quickly. The strength of steroid cream that a doctor prescribes depends on the age of the patient, the severity of the condition, and the size of the area to be treated.
Hope is now 6 and for the past five years, against her better judgment, Terry has been treating her with steroid creams. Both her GP and her friends had warned against long-term use of the creams.
[ Article continues ]
The last straw came when Hope said she didn’t want to wear shorts for PE because of the skin on her legs. When a friend suggested cardiospermum gel, Terry did some research.
Cardiospermum is one of the commonest herbs used for skin problems in Sri Lanka. Its botanical term is Cardiospermum halicacabum, but is locally known as balloon vine. This wiry climber’s main antiinflammatory powers are said to lie mostly in its leaves and seeds, which have been used for hundreds of years in Sri Lanka for skin dryness and eczema, as the seeds contain triterpenoids, which have an antiinflammatory effect and antibacterial qualities.
Terry and Hope embarked on a course of treatment two months ago, using the hypoallergenic cardiospermum gel that she found online.
“I was dubious at first,” says Terry, “as I had relied on the steroid for so long I didn’t think anything else would work on Hope. Also, the gel smells a bit like compost, but it feels cooling and seemed to absorb really quickly, and the smell doesn’t linger.
“Hope’s skin is really good at the moment. We used the gel twice a day and it soothed the itching almost immediately. She absolutely hates having creams put on, probably because her skin has been so sensitive before, so the fact that the cardiospermum is in a gel, and is not messy or irritating or greasy, has made the whole process much easier.”
Terry is also using the gel for the psoriasis patches on her legs and claims “it is definitely breaking down the rough patches and making them smoother”.
Source - Times
Labels: Cardiospermum, eczema, steroid cream
