Overview
Although eczema is a skin condition, you might be wondering how it can leave you with emotional scars. In actuality, it affects your physical and emotional well-being at the same time. Only those affected with eczema can understand the real distress and the never-ending emotional scars. It even worsens at times when the condition is heightened or reaches severity. It often shows red, scaly, itchy, or cracked skin. However, there is no definite cure for eczema, but there are many clinical research organizations near you working to find a potential treatment option for eczema.
In this blog, we will discuss the emotional struggles of living with eczema and what can be done to relieve eczema.
Life With Eczema
Living with eczema is not at all easy. And for someone struggling with this condition their entire life, it is most likely possible to have a disrupted sense of self-worth. It does leave a negative impact on your personality and shatters your confidence. Alongside that, it also influences your day-to-day activities. Itching, difficulty falling asleep, constant pain, and having to miss activities are some bitter realities of eczema that cannot be ignored.
The biggest struggle comes when you feel ashamed or embarrassed about your condition and as a result of this, you either completely isolate yourself or feel distant from your social and family circle. You feel as if hiding your struggles with others is the only option left.
You may oftentimes try to avoid the urge to scratch publicly only because you do not want to look indifferent, or at times, you want to move away when someone notices your condition closely. Besides all of that, constant scratching can split the skin which further leads to infection. All these situations may result in increased inflammation. Which in turn, increases stress and anxiety resulting in an elevated cycle of eczema flare-ups.
It is essential to realize that physical scars or severity do not define how much you are affected by the condition. In fact, no one can really define how mild or moderate your eczema is, except for yourself. It can only be felt by you, experienced by you, and understood by you. The emotional side of having eczema can make you feel anxious and embarrassed all the time. You might feel left out and just to fit in with others, you may start masking your real self. The key is to manage your eczema by relieving your stress to the maximum.
Ways to Relieve Eczema Itch
It is crucial for you and for those who care about you to understand that your struggle is valid and cannot be overlooked at any cost. Some of the best ways to keep your condition in check are by:
Getting Enough Sleep:
There is nothing that cannot be relieved with a good rest and sleep. But with eczema and constant itching sometimes sleeping can become a real challenge. Hence, you may need to talk about your condition openly with your doctor so that they suggest medicine for you to reduce the symptoms.
Looking for Support:
Eczema makes you feel completely lost at times. You might feel as if you can never feel comfortable or relate with others at all. But once you start looking for support online or meet your relevant community. You realize that there is someone who understands you on a deeper level and they might produce new advice which will make you feel better.
Learning To Relax:
There are many ways that can potentially help you relax, but to find the best option, you must start exploring which works for you. You can start with deep breathing or yoga. You may explore other options such as walking, swimming, or playing tennis. But if sweat in any way triggers your eczema, taking a lukewarm shower soon after your workout can help. You can also relax by writing what you feel.
Taking Care of Your Skin:
Sometimes you just must take extra care of your skin and pamper your eczema-prone skin. You can use lotions and creams that were mainly designed for sensitive skin. Try to moisturize at least twice a day, no matter if you have an outbreak or not. This also means you must opt for options that consist of mild soaps and hypoallergenic makeup that can reduce your reaction risk. Moreover, you may consult your dermatologist to choose the best options when it comes to products.
Using A Humidifier:
Using a humidifier can help you feel more comfortable since it can add moisture to the air. If you can, keep one where you spend most of your time, like your living room or bedroom. By doing this you can avoid dry indoor air.
Wearing skin-friendly clothes:
There are soft materials like linen, cotton, or Tencel that can feel gentle on sensitive eczema-prone skin. You must avoid everything rough, tight, or scratchy. Pinching and tugging can also become completely unbearable if you are already in an unpleasant situation.
Slathering on Coconut Oil:
The lauric acid present in coconut oil does wonders. It helps to keep fungi, bacteria, and viruses from penetrating your skin and causing an infection. Make sure to utilize virgin or cold-pressed coconut oils that are without chemicals and help your skin potentially safe from irritation or reaction.
There is no surefire way of reducing eczema completely. However, there are many ways to manage your symptoms effectively. Some of them have already been discussed earlier. The key is to find the best viable option for yourself. Even if you take care of your skin proactively, know that it is still completely normal to experience episodes of dryness on and off.
The Takeaway
Eczema is a crippling ailment that negatively affects a person’s mental health and leaves the person with lasting emotional scars. It is essential to take care of your eczema-prone skin and most importantly your stress levels, which may worsen your eczema. Furthermore, it is important to realize that it can also have an equally negative effect on one’s physical health. Make sure you are mentally and physically sound to manage the symptoms to the maximum.
With so much advancement in medical science, there is still a long way to go before finally developing a complete cure for this condition. However, research groups are working actively in the US to identify potential treatment options by conducting paid clinical trials for eczema and assessing the efficacy of potential medications.
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