AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC ECZEMA (VICHARCHIKA) : A CASE STUDY

Abstract

The structure of human skin is complex, consisting of a number of layers and tissue components with many im-portant functions. Skin is the first line of defense and hence it is the first to be exposed to disease. Eczema is a chronic, enigmatic condition that usually affects the hands and feet. Eczema is a clinical condition in which patches of the skin become inflamed, itchy, cracked and rough. In contemporary medicine the skin disease refers as neither “Neither Cures nor Dies”. Topical corticosteroid creams and ointments can be the ultimate drug choice. In Ayurveda various skin manifestation are approached under different concepts like Kushtha (Skin dis-orders) , Visarpa (Herpes zoster), Kshudra kushtha (Minor skin disorders) , Keeta visha (insect bite), Gara visha (poison) and Dushi visha (latent toxicity). Ayurveda, an ancient system of medicine originating from India, of-fers various treatments and approaches for diverse health conditions. "Visha hara" refers to therapies aimed at eliminating toxins from the body, while "Rasayan chikitsa" focuses on rejuvenation and overall well-being. We report a case of chronic eczema (Vicharchika) treated with this thinking to highlight the treatment protocol and need to be accessed further through big clinical studies.