The Burden Of Coping With Adult Eczema


by Antoinette Boulay - Date: 2007-04-04 - Word Count: 408 Share This!

A lot of people look at eczema as a minor irritation or inconvenience and don't fully understand the degree which it can affect the ordinary functioning of a man, child or woman's life. Besides the physical appearance and discomfort of it, the dry, red, itchy and inflamed skin also extracts a terrible psychological tax on its sufferers' lives.

The National Eczema Society as well as a series of global patient support groups, in 2004 backed a study that was the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind ever conducted anywhere in the world. The study, called ISOLATE (International Study Of Life with Atopic Eczema) focused on the psychological/emotional cost of living with the most widespread form of eczema, atopic eczema.

Individuals participating in the study totaled two thousand; they came from eight countries, including France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, the United States and the UK. Some suffered from moderate eczema, others suffered with the severest type of eczema.

This study showed that fully one quarter of the people interviewed had at one point or other been bullied or teased by others due to their eczema. Many interviewed for the study reported the skin condition was a "curse" that had marked their lives and caused damage at every age.

People told of enduring cruel workplace comments, said sometimes to their face, other times whispered behind their backs, constant stares and a lack of knowledge about the disorder. Co-workers of these individuals mistakenly believed that by touching a surface, such as a chair or desk, that the eczema patient had touched, they could "catch" the disease.

An eczema patient's personal life can be difficult. Many patients reported that dating decisions and even the choice to not marry came about as a because of their skin condition. Of the people interviewed, 20% said they strongly believed that finding a mate was made worse because of their skin problem and forty-three percent admitted to feeling insecure and awkward in intimate situations with a partner, especially during times of flare-ups.

Many eczema patients suffer from low self-esteem, constant bouts of depression, and frustration and embarrassment at their because of their skin condition. While it may be a physical manifestation of a problem, atopic eczema qiockly becomes a psychological black hole. According to the ISOLATE survey, 75% of the eczema patients agree that, "Being able to control their eczema effectively would be the single most important improvement to their quality of life."

Related Tags: skincare, skin care, eczema, dermatitis, atopic eczema

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