I Treat People, Not Their Symptoms

You say you don’t treat the symptoms, what does that mean?

Looking at the symptoms your body expresses is like looking at an iceberg. If you only focus your attention, and treatments, on what you can see, you are missing most of the picture. About a month ago a friend of mine asked me if I had any “miracle cures” for a rash she had recently broken out in. She told me she had had the rash off and on for 35 years mostly during times of stress, which she was currently in.

I explained to her that I don’t treat symptoms, her rash, directly. I treat people who have symptoms. Why you have eczema is not for the same reason as why anyone else dose. I target the why, not the symptom, when I form my treatment plan.

I also explained to her a common misconception in medicine is that there are miracle cures or quick fixes. Although it seems like you just got the rash you have really had it for 35+ years and it may take a longer time to heal than you may expect.

The analogy I like to use is an oldie but a goody. Lets say your car has a symptom. You are driving and you notice a rash, in the shape of a gas pump, has broken out on the dash, and it's glowing! You go to the car doctor and describe this glowing, light problem to her and tell her you want it to go away. The doctor has two choices; she can treat only the symptom and prescribe electrical tape to cover the light, or she can address the cause of the light developing in the first place, and fill the gas tank. The tape may seem like a miracle cure taking only moments to make the light “go away” but there are obvious long term problems with that option. By taking the time to properly treat the cause the car is inherently better off after the treatment; in the other case, even with the light “gone” the car, and driver, are headed for disaster.

How would you treat the cause of the eczema?

Any treatment to "make it go away" would be suppressive and not curative. My best recommendation is to address the cause, the stress.

I would support the body's stress response, make it more efficient and thus decrease the need for it to respond with a symptom, like a skin rash. Here is an example treatment plan:

1. Help the body cope with stress: B complex, Co Enzyme Q10 and relaxation (obvious, I know, but it actually works!)
2. Specifically for the skin: Zinc, Vit E, Vit A, and fish oil
3. Avoid inflammatory foods like sugar, alcohol, red meat, and simple carbohydrates (anything made with flour) to decrease the body’s systemic level of inflammation and allow the immune system to focus more energy on the rash.
4. Drink plenty of water (1/2 your weight in oz per day minimum, more if you exercise)

5. Breathe deeply, often! Take 20 breaths 5x a day, at least. Find a quite place to sit (even if it is the bathroom) and take 20 DEEP SLOW breaths. Each breath should take about 15 seconds (6s in, hold for 6s and out for 3s). 20 breaths will take you 5 minutes. Trust me you have time for this! Deep breathing calms the whole nervous systems and reminds it how to be relaxed. Your lungs are an excretory organ and have 150 times the surface area of your skin. By breathing deeply, you excrete more waste through your lungs, taking the pressure off your skin.

All of these treatments will help relieve the symptoms of the rash and help the person be healthier overall. The same treatment plan could then be used preventively in times of stress, before the outbreak occurs, and possibly avoid the rash all together.

All recommendations suggested here are purely for your own information and education. The information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Sarah Marshall is a candidate to graduate as a Naturopathic Doctor in June 2009. She is currently practicing as a medical intern at the Natural Health Center Portland, OR. If you would like to schedule and appointment for a personalized health consultation with her call (503) 552-1551.