Rashes, rashes everywhere;

Lots of itching

To my despair.

Eczema. Psoriasis. Hives. "I’m not sure what this itchy spot is." No matter the rash’s name, if it itches, it’s annoying. Even if it doesn’t itch, it’s annoying because it’s on the skin and can be seen. We like our skin to be smooth and free of spots, pimples, patches, wrinkles, etc.

So, if it itches, or exists, we medicate it. Benadryl® and Hydrocortisone® creams are the most common over-the-counter (OTC) creams to stop itch. Many seek the opinion of a medical doctor who may prescribe something stronger (usually more expensive too). The itching stops. Maybe the rash goes away. You’re cured right? (If the answer was yes, the article would be over, so obviously, the answer is no).

Let’s examine this.

The skin overlays our entire body, except for open cavities which are lined with mucous membranes. The skin and mucous membranes protect the body from our external environment. Organs within the body need protection from dry air and various toxins that the skin comes in contact with daily. Skin also keeps moisture in.

A little-known function of the skin is also to be an outlet for toxins and garbage within the body. Sweating is a way the body eliminates toxins, as is the secretion of oils on the skin. If you don’t bathe for a few days, your hair may feel oily and the skin as well, not to mention body odor. These are all natural processes of elimination.

So, the skin keeps toxins out and also is an outlet for toxins produced within the body. There are times that the skin becomes injured, such as a cut or a burn. What would happen if the skin didn’t swell after an injury? The damage to the skin could become greater, in the long-run. An infection can spread quickly from cell to cell in the skin, and penetrate into deeper tissues of the skin. An irritation to the skin causes swelling. A rash, in essence, is an irritation to the skin, either from outside or internal forces. If a bug bites you on the arm, your arm will itch and develop a bump. The itch is a reaction of the skin cells to the toxin that penetrated the skin by the bug’s bite. The bump is the swelling to keep the toxins isolated so they do not move to other cells or penetrate deeper into the skin. Once the body destroys the toxins, the area will usually heal without any evidence you had been bitten.

But if you scratch the area, you damage more cells and spread the toxin to other areas. Plus, you are introducing into the injured area more toxins and/or bacteria that were under your fingernails. So…more swelling and more toxins.

Okay, you know why your arm itches after a bug bite, but what about when a rash develops and you have no clue why it’s there, or when it will disappear?

The body always seeks the quickest exit for toxins. Usually, it is the skin or one of the body cavities, such as the mouth, nose, or rectum. If you eat a bad chicken sandwich, you may need to vomit, as that is the quickest way to get bad food out of your stomach BEFORE any of the toxins get assimilated.

But toxins that we eat and drink do get assimilated. When the body realizes it has a toxin in the bloodstream, the liver tries to inactivate or change it to make it something not toxic. If the body is unable to alter the toxin, it needs to get it out of the body in the quickest way possible—through the skin. And, a rash is usually the result. Often, once the body has eliminated the toxin, the rash will go away as if it never was present. Unfortunately, many people’s rashes remain. There are two reasons this continues:

Reason One: the person continues to take in toxins. Toxins can be anything: from known toxins like medications, to unknown toxins such as the chemicals in our foods and drinks, even in the air we breathe and water in which we bathe. Toxins come in all shapes and sizes in today’s world. It is impossible to keep all toxins out of our bodies. So the trick comes down to reducing the number of toxins that enter our bodies and eliminating the ones that do.

Reason Two: the person with the rash doesn’t let the rash do what it is intended to do. In other words, the rash gets medicated. The body wants to push garbage out of the body through the skin, but someone puts a stopper on the skin, so the toxins cannot exit. Imagine a plugged sewage system. If you flush the toilet, some of the toilet contents may move out. In time, the sewage will back up into the house. The body tries to push the toxins out despite the skin containing a stopper. The rash remains. In time, if a person medicates the rash enough, the rash will disappear. BUT, the toxins didn’t leave the body. Where did they go? Somewhere else.

Consider this story: Ellen was 11 years old when she developed eczema on her arm. The medical doctor gave her a salve to apply to the rash, and Benadryl® tablets to stop the itch. The rash went away after a week, then returned the following month. This continued for six months, each time the rash was worse than the previous times, and appeared in a different place, or in more than one place. Soon, she had hives appearing on her face. Her eyes would swell so much Ellen couldn’t see through them. The doctor was confused. Now, he gave her prednisone (a strong corticosteroid medication). This new medication took care of the hives quicker, but it had nasty side-effects. Still, every month Ellen had to endure hives reappearing. Then one day, one month, she didn’t have hives anymore, and didn’t even have eczema. But Ellen didn’t celebrate because now she had developed trouble breathing. She was hospitalized with asthma. The next month, she was again hospitalized with asthma, and now she went through puberty, and was in so much pain from cramps, and had so much bleeding. From that day forward, Ellen never had a hive or a rash again, but had asthma, and her female system caused her much suffering.

Did Ellen’s rash ever heal? On the surface, it did. However the toxins that needed to leave the skin couldn’t, so they moved to the lungs.

Itching can be a bear to live with, and I empathize with anyone who has unyielding itch. However, there are natural methods to help itching, and rashes. Natural methods of healing assist the body in healing. If your body wants to eliminate toxins through the skin, let it happen, and assist it. If you suppress the itch with medications, you may also be suppressing the body’s release of toxins. The toxins have to go somewhere. If they cannot leave through the skin, they may damage tissues inside the body, or look for another exit. Some people develop chronic diarrhea, some develop pain in joints and muscles, some develop menstrual difficulties, and some develop asthma.

Don’t take away your body’s avenue for eliminating toxins. You can support the body in its efforts and decrease the symptoms that make you crazy. And, you can do this as nature intended—naturally.

Best wishes,

Dr. Ronda

Disclaimer: The information presented by Dr. Ronda is for educational purposes only. It is important that you not make health decisions or stop any medication without first consulting your personal physician or health care provider.