Chinese medicine helps eczema patients

A study on the effect of traditional Chinese herbal medicine on atopic dermatitis, or eczema, proved that treatment improved quality of life and reduced use of steroids. The Chinese University study in 2004 and 2005 involved the application of a mix of five herbal extracts to 42 patients under 15 years old with moderate to severe eczema. Compared with those who got a placebo, the quality of life for patients treated with the herbal mix had improved 30 per cent and the use of steroid cream had been reduced by a third after 12 weeks of treatment.