nabo News: Getting under your skin or the big itch – almost every tenth child in Germany suffers from neurodermatitis or psoriasis

Naturheilzentrum Bottrop additionally focuses on holistic treatments here, using natural methods

The skin is our largest sensory organ. With a surface area of ​​one and a half to two square meters, it accounts for approximately one sixth of our body weight. It lets us feel warmth, cold and pain, provides protection against injuries, and regulates our body temperature. As the outer casing of our bodies, it is exposed to various environmental influences, and has to fend off and absorb a great deal.

Despite its size, the skin is a very delicate organ. On average, it is only a few millimeters thick. It is therefore important to maintain and support its natural protection mechanisms. Disruptions to the balance of moisture and fat can leave the skin cracked and rough. Showering frequently, dry air in a heated room, and cold temperatures can cause this. Psychosomatically, the skin is also seen as a “reflection of the soul”. Deservedly so? Well, yes, because it can give indications as to our mental state. Stress and even internal diseases can make themselves visible via the skin, such as through the appearance of acne.

Skin health and skin diseases deserve special attention

Skin care needs our special attention again right now for late summer – both in relation to healthy skin as well as to skin diseases. “Because in spite of all the care we give our skin, there are a whole lot of skin diseases which remain chronic up to now,” says Farid Zitoun from Naturheilzentrum Bottrop. In Germany, around one in ten children of pre-school age suffers from neurodermatitis or psoriasis. “They are skin diseases that occur intermittently and usually range from chronic to chronic degenerative,” explains the naturopath. With red, sometimes weeping or scaly eczema. This leads, among other things, to severe itching, but joints and organs are also frequently affected. For many People who have skin diseases like neurodermatitis or psoriasis, this often results in serious limitations to their quality of life as well as to everyday routines.

To date, there is still a great need for research: in terms of the basic mechanisms of diseases as well as with regard to preventive and therapeutic possibilities. “Anti-inflammatory ointments have mostly been prescribed up to now. Dry skin is treated because no one knows enough about the real triggers yet.” The Swiss Kühne Foundation has set itself the task of decoding the progression of skin diseases in order to develop effective strategies for their prevention and treatment. The University Hospital in Bonn, the Center for Allergies & the Environment (ZAUM) at the Technical University and Helmholtz Center in Munich, the Swiss Institute for Allergy and Asthma Research in Davos, the skin clinic at the University Hospital in Zürich, and the children’s clinic in St. Gallen are among the places that are taking part in the research.

A poison on the one hand, a therapy on the other – natural therapy with highly diluted snake venom?

The topic of skin complaints and the treatment of neurodermatitis or psoriasis constitutes a therapy focus at the Bottrop center for naturopathy. “Itching is unbearable for most People and it often drives those who are affected almost insane,” as the naturopath knows from daily experience. Farid Zitoun and his complementary medical team focus on holistic treatment using natural methods. The analysis of possible environmental influences plays as big a role here as diet and the treatment of skin inflammations. “Because neurodermatitis can be caused by a variety of different factors, as can psoriasis. For this reason, the creation of a detailed case history is advocated at nabo (short for ‘Naturheilzentrum Bottrop’). This should represent the first step toward actual therapy to individually restrict possible triggers for the patients, and thus be able to then bring about an improvement of the symptoms.”

In some cases, immunotherapy can be just the right thing, while on other occasions, there are stress factors that need to be minimized. Along with good experiences in the care of skin complaints, we focus on the use of acupuncture – often in combination with the prescription and use of ointments and injections, which are referred to in their entirety as snake medication or snake venom therapy (pure toxin therapy or enzyme therapy). This is after thorough examination of previous findings and extensive individual case-history investigation, among other things. The enzymes contained therein should strengthen the body’s own defenses and simultaneously ensure that skin inflammation can decrease. Animal toxins or the enzymes obtained from them are regarded as established within medical and research fields and are put to use, e.g. In pain management and for various cardiovascular diseases. There is no one right way or one proper therapy that applies to all. It is always good to focus on something that provides noticeable relief and makes you feel comfortable in your own skin once again. This not only does the body good, but the soul as well.