• Over half of eczema patients are intensely worried about having another eczema flare-up.
• 25% of those with eczema explain that at some point they were teased, mocked, ostracize, or bullied due to their condition—either children at school or adults at their workplace.
• 51% of people with eczema experience constant or regular depression over their condition.
• Nearly 15% of those with eczema relate that they were discriminated against and overlooked for promotions or advancements due to their eczema.
• Regarding their relationship with their doctors and medical professionals, two-thirds of people with eczema relate that they have never talked about the social or emotional component of their struggle with eczema.
• 86% of people who experience a sudden spike in their eczema will intentionally avoid an everyday activity due to the increase.
• During an eczema flare-up, 43% of people are nervous about appearing in public.
• Those who have eczema will take an average of 2 ½ days off from work or from school because of an eczema flare-up.

If you have eczema, there are people that know, that care, and that understand. My personal journey through eczema has produced a greater understanding of the serious impact it can have upon people. I encourage you to seek support, pursue treatment, and live life to the fullest.

Credit goes to the International Study of Life with Atopic Eczema for some of the facts and figures in this article.

Treat them like normal.

Eczema is not a deadly disease. It is not contagious. It’s simply a condition of the skin that can be painful, frustrating, and embarrassing. You should treat them as a normal person, because they are a normal person. People with eczema can lead a normal life. Thus, treat them as you would anyone else. Don’t be overly timid around them. Don’t avoid them. Don’t speak with them as if they have a deadly disease. Obviously, be sensitive and kind. Above all, don’t avoid them or shun them. That only exacerbates a potentially sensitive self-image.

Befriend them.

Some people who have eczema may be extremely embarrassed about their condition. In fact, simply showing up at work or school in the morning could be a very challenging feat. Show them that you care. Become their friend. You will find that they may be able to help you just as much as you can help them.

Empathize.

If you have eczema yourself, you are in a great position to empathize with them. It helps to have someone to confide in about a difficult condition. You may want to share with them tips and tricks that worked for you, or simply listen to the challenges that they face—challenges that you can relate to.

People with eczema are not handicapped. Understanding them and appreciating them as normal human beings, and helping them realize that they can function normally, will go a long way in improving their quality of life, despite the fact that they have eczema.

Eczema can be more than it appears to be.

Those who experience eczema are far more likely to develop other problems such as hay fever and asthma. The long-term effects of those diseases can have a more profound effect on one’s health than eczema can.

Eczema is more than just a skin problem.

Eczema can lead to problems that are more than skin deep. Many people who face eczema become severely depressed over their condition. As mentioned, people become so self conscious over the condition, that in their mind they cannot live a normal life. They are paralyzed by fear—the fear of rejection, the fear of failure, the fear of a life deprived of social joys. They are driven into themselves, simply because of their eczema.

Eczema is often misunderstood by doctors.

When eczema patients do turn to their doctors for help, they are often very disappointed. Studies have demonstrated that doctors often fail to see past the symptoms of the disease, looking to the emotional impact that the patient is having. As most people know, one’s mind has a profound impact upon one’s health. Doctor’s, because their profession is focused upon medicine, simply prescribe the proper medication, without carefully instructing the patient on the importance of the regimen, the impact of lifestyle changes, and sensitivity to the social fear that eczema patients can have.

It’s easy to tell someone with eczema, “Come on, you’re ok. We won’t reject you.” But for the person suffering from eczema, it’s really hard to do. There is no pat answer, no magic formula, and so far there is no treatment. But there is hope. Careful monitoring of the condition and diligent adherence to the treatments will go a long way in improving one’s eczema.