Chinese Medicine

Pruritus is the main symptoms of eczema
Pruritus is the main symptoms of eczema. It makes people scratch all the time, which plays an important role on triggering and prolonging the condition. Scratching may cause skin hypertrophy and lichenoid dermatitis. Scratching, furthermore, cause skin ulceration and bleeding, from which lesions and discharge is a good culture media to many microbes. For that reason the wounds are inclined to secondary infection. The direct toxic of microbe and antigen itself or its immune reaction as antigen can also deteriorate the lesions.
Else, pruritus and recurrence often make patients irritable and cause sleeping problem. So treating pruritus is the key to eczema treatment. From Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, treating pruritus can handle from the following aspects:  

Relieve pruritus through therapy of psychology and behavior
Doctors’care and patience can win the trust from the patience. Usually medicine describing from a famous doctors would obtain better effect even it is the same medicine. That might be so-call famous doctor effect, which tell us that how it is important to establish a good image in the public. Let patients know that the severe consequence may cause by scratching and advising them not to scratch even while itchy. For eczema in leg, covering treatment could help break the vicious circle of itch-scratching-itch; for babies, manicure them and wear them with gloves just in case they scratch. And tell them not to wash eczema with hot water, no drink, quit irritating fishy food such as sea food. 

Treat pruritus based on syndrome differentiation of alternative remedy
We cannot emphasize too much the importance of syndrome differentiation in Traditional Chinese Medicine. That is also true on treating pruritus of eczema, which is the unique characteristic of TCM. On treating eczema, eliminating dampness is always the first task, dispelling wind, clearing heat and promoting diuresis; Or dispelling dampness and strengthening spleen; Or strengthening spleen and removing dampness; Or promoting blood circulation and removing dampness; or nourishing yin and removing dampness etc. But as always, the symptoms can be eliminated only based on the proper diagnosis.

Something we need to focus on for treating eczema as follows:
     (1) Even during the chronic stage with the dry signs and symptoms, such as dryness, rough, skin hypertrophy, keratinization, without blistering, discharge and wounds, therapy of removing dampness need to be continued. As we all know that dampness is heavy, turbid and sticky, which can lead to prolonged conditions. So we have to insist on to repelling the dampness.
     (2) Based on syndrome differentiation,  bark herbal medicine are preferable, which is an analog that bark herbs can penetrate well on human being skin such as on the bark of trees.
     (3) Based on the concept of analog in Traditional Chinese Medicine, some herbs with hook or spike analogic to scratching can work better on pruritus, such as Fo Shou, Zhou Jiao Ci, Gou Teng etc.  

Remove dampness and get rid of pruritus
Given that dampness is the root and primary cause, Bai Xian Pi (Dictamnus Root Bark), Ku Shen (Sophora root) and Di Fu zi (Broom Cyprus Fruit) are the main herbs to treat eczema and pruritus thus caused. Bai Xian Pi and Ku Shen, which is good for eczema, pruritus and fighting infection, work to not only dispel wind and removing dampness, but also to clearing heat-toxicity; Di Fu Zi is bitter and cold, Clears damp heat, promotes urination.

Else, we also need to pay attention to strengthen spleen. Healthy spleen can help to remove dampness. Regular herbs for strengthening spleen are Yi Yi Ren (Coix Seed), Fu Ling Pi (Cortex Poriae Cocos), Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes Rhizome) and Bian Dou (hyacinth bean) etc.

Chronic eczema and inset drugs
Please refer to Chronic eczema and inset drugs.