Infections That Worsen Eczema
Infections dont directly cause eczema, but can increase the severity of existing eczema a great deal.Herpes Simplex is a common virus, which can cause blistering of the skin and leave sores.
On the rare occasion that Herpes Simplex infects an area of skin with active eczema, it will lead to Eczema Herpeticum which can be very dangerous and in some cases be fatal.
Staphylococcus Aureus This particular bacteria is present on the skin of all eczema sufferers. Current studies suggest it does not play a role in triggering eczema, however this theory is still under dispute and has not yet been ruled out as a trigger.
Streptococcus This bacteria is always pathological and will lead to aggravated eczema.
How To Prevent Eczema Flare
The best way to prevent eczema flare-ups is to become familiar with your personal triggers so you can avoid any products, foods, or conditions that may cause eczema symptoms to flare up.
Some general tips include using mild, unscented soaps and developing a consistent bathing and moisturizing schedule.
Use moisturizers that work for you, especially on eczema-prone skin and areas of the body. For best results for long-term eczema, be sure to always use medications as prescribed.
When the weather changes and the air becomes more dry and cold, it can also be helpful to wear gloves to keep skin moisturized and prevent flare-ups.
Another good way to combat eczema flare-ups is to address stress, which is a common trigger.
Some wellness practices and systems, including yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation, have been shown to help manage emotional stress, as well as the nervous system in general.
Acupressure and massage can also help relieve symptoms and keep the general nervous system in check and inflammation at bay.
Tips For Preventing An Eczema Flare
Eczema is a general term that refers to several health conditions that lead to irritated, inflamed, and itchy skin. While eczema is most common in children and babies, anyone can develop this condition, even if youve never had signs of it in the past.
The most common symptoms of eczema include:
- Intense itching
- Redness, inflammation, and areas of swelling
- Leathery, roughened, or scaly patches
- Discolored or dark patches of skin
Eczema symptoms can vary in severity from mild to severe, and its possible to experience multiple symptoms at once. Some individuals have a single flare-up, while others struggle with uncomfortable symptoms throughout their entire lives.
Theres no cure for this common condition, but Dr. Lisa Hitchins at Dermatology Center of Northwest Houston offers personalized eczema treatment. This October, in honor of Eczema Awareness Month, Dr. Hitchins shares five tips for avoiding eczema flare-ups.
Recommended Reading: How Do You Know When Your Stress Level Is High
How Does Stress Cause Eczema
Feelings of emotional tension, such as fear, anger, or nervousness, can activate the bodys stress response. A stress response is a chemical reaction that releases cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones help you to combat dangerous situations by increasing your heart rate and preparing your mind and body for either fight or flight.
Stress is a natural body response that, in small doses, is beneficial to your well-being. It can act as a motivator to get a project completed on time, or it can alert you to danger. However, when your stress response is activated for long periods of time, it can cause considerable damage to your body.
Inflammation is a negative symptom of chronic stress. Eczema is an inflammatory skin disorder, resulting in the overactivation of the immune system. Stress can aggravate eczema and worsen symptoms.
How To Relieve Stress Breakouts
May 11, 2020
Stress is such a chronic problem in the U.S. that theres an entire research foundation dedicated to researching it by conducting annual surveys and providing a Stress in America Report that offers more information about how and why were all experiencing such high levels of stress. In light of recent events surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, many of us have good reason to be experiencing unprecedented levels of stress this year. The U.S. Dermatology Partners team is committed to keeping our patients safe and healthy now and beyond the pandemic, recognizing that the added stress our patients may be under means caring for their skin is more important than ever. Between stress and retail limitations making it difficult to get all of your skincare products, many people are dealing with more breakouts, especially if you already have acne-prone skin. Your dermatologists can help you better understand the way that stress can trigger breakouts, help you prevent issues before they happen, and offer recommendations to treat breakouts that do occur. Were here for you with teledermatology appointments using video chat, so you dont even need to leave home to address your breakouts. Keep reading to learn more about dealing with stress breakouts.
Read Also: Can Stress Cause Anxiety Attacks
Trigger : Exposure To Water
Constantly wetting and drying your hands can break down skins protective barrier, especially when you have sensitive skin that is prone to dryness. Even after hands are dried, theres some water left that evaporates. When it does, it reduces skins natural oils, said Dr. Alissa OBrien, a dermatologist at Waters Edge Dermatology. If the water is piping hot, its even more irritating and drying.
How to dodge it: For dishwashing and other wet tasks, wear vinyl gloves with a cotton lining . Latex gloves can cause allergic reactions, so its best to avoid them. When you wash your hands, use a mild, low-lathering soap free of fragrances, preservatives, and dyes, and use lukewarm water, not hot. After washing and gently drying your hands, apply moisturizer, preferably an ointment. Aquaphor Healing Ointment is probably one of the best, said Dr. OBrien. Other ointment brands she recommends include Vaseline, Cetaphil, CeraVe, Eucerin, and Aveeno. If you find ointments too greasy to use during the day, use a cream moisturizer instead and an ointment at night, under a pair of cotton gloves.
The Importance Of Exercise For Stress Relief
Alternatively, you could also meet your exercise requirement by getting 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise each week. Vigorous-intensity exercise includes running, hiking, playing soccer, or playing tennis singles.
You May Like: Can Stress Bring On Vertigo
School Stress And Eczema: How To Reduce Stress
The link between school, stress and eczema is nothing new to those who have the condition. And thats no small number! On average, six children in a class of 30 experience eczema.
Maybe exam stress triggers your childs symptoms. Or perhaps flare-ups make them stressed, both through worries about standing out and the distraction of pain and itching. Maybe its all of this, and more besides!
As the new academic year begins, carers of children with eczema might have concerns about the school-stress-eczema connection. If youre wondering how to support your little one or young person in managing stress-related eczema, were here to help.
Knowledge is power, so weve put together a guide to reducing school stress and the flare-ups it can cause. Lets start at the beginning!
What Does Eczema Look Like On White Black And Brown Skin
Eczema affects people of all skin tones and ethnicities and it can look different depending on your skin type. On lighter skin tones, affected areas usually appear inflamed and red in colour with dark pink patches, says Dr McClymont.
On darker skin tones, affected areas of skin may appear darker than the rest this is known as hyperpigmentation. Eczema patches tend to look purple, dark brown or ashen grey. As the skin heals, it may temporarily become lighter, known as hypopigmentation.
Black skin may be particularly susceptible to eczema, but the severity of flare-ups is often underestimated as the redness from inflammation may be difficult to see.
Don’t Miss: How Do I Know If My Cat Is Stressed
What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Eczema
The signs of eczema :
- are mainly dry, itchy skin. Because it is so itchy, it is often called the itch that rashes.
- include redness, scales, and bumps that can leak fluid and then crust over
- tend to come and go. When they get worse, it is called a flare-up.
- may be more noticeable at night
Symptoms can vary:
- Infants younger than 1 year old usually have the eczema rash on their cheeks, forehead, or scalp. It may spread to the knees, elbows, and trunk .
- Older kids and teens usually get the rash in the bends of the elbows, behind the knees, on the neck, or on the inner wrists and ankles. Their skin is often scalier and drier than when the eczema first began. It also can be thicker, darker, or scarred from all the scratching .
Sleeping Well When You Have Eczema
The itchy, uncomfortable skin associated with eczema can make sleeping difficult.
Lack of sleep can cause stress and worsen eczema symptoms, especially if sleeplessness occurs the night before an important activity or tiredness interferes with important activities during the day.
To get a better night’s sleep:
- Take a warm, relaxing bath or shower shortly before bed.
- Apply an eczema-friendly moisturizer after bathing to help sooth itches.
- Limit the use of electronics an hour or two before bedtime.
- Limit caffeine intake after lunch.
- Keep your bedroom dark.
Read Also: What Are The 5 Stress Management Techniques
Food Allergies That Cause Eczema
Some common food allergies known to cause atopic eczema flare-ups are
- Wheat allergy or intolerance
- Nut allergy or intolerance
- Fish allergy or intolerance
We offer allergy and intolerance testing to help you precisely identify what it is youre allergic or intolerant to, as some minor allergies or intolerances may be causing eczema without you realising it.
Lets Take A Look At The Science
It can help to understand whatâs going on in your body when you feel stressed, and how that affects your AD. Though this underlying link is not fully understood, itâs believed that people who feel stressed, especially in early childhood, may be more susceptible to developing AD.1Higher stress levels have been shown to change your immunity to allergic responses by altering the composition of the immune cells under the skin and the way they respond to particular allergens.1,3Increased stress is due to higher cortisol levels.1 These high cortisol levels can increase inflammation throughout the body, which can make your AD symptoms worse.1,4
Recommended Reading: What Can You Take For Anxiety And Stress
Eczema Affects Everyone Differently
One persons triggers may not be the same as anothers. You might experience eczema symptoms at certain times of the year or on different areas of your body.
Eczema affects everyone differently. One persons triggers may not be the same as anothers. You might experience eczema symptoms at certain times of the year or on different areas of your body.
Common triggers include:
Why Skin Colour Matters When It Comes To Eczema
Most dermatology training in the UK is based on white skin yet the prevalence of eczema and psoriasis is significant across all skin tones. It was reading an excellent article on this that prompted us at Cotton Comfort to ask ourselves how we can ensure we better represent and support the broad spectrum of skin tones that exists within our itchy skin community.
As well as starting to take a good look at our own practices, including our product range and photography, we wanted to open up the discussion in our blog and are really excited to share our latest piece by journalist Sue Omar: Why Skin Colour Matters when it Comes to Eczema.Sue has a breadth of experience writing for various publications including The Times, The Evening Standard, ELLE UK, & Grazia UK and we think youll love reading her below insights on this important and timely topic.
From psoriasis to eczema, there are many skin conditions that are overwhelmingly overlooked in Black and other ethnic minority groups. Although eczema impacts over 15 million people in the UK alone according to Allergy UK there is still very limited medical information or imagery available on how it shows up and manifests in melanin-rich skin-tones. But why is this?
How To Identify Eczema In Dark Skin
Signs and symptoms of eczema in dark skin:
Treatments & Solutions For Eczema In Dark Skin
Temperature Check
Also Check: Does Stress Cause Gout Attacks
You Have An Infection Or Serious Health Condition
Underlying health issues such as infections can trigger eczema flares, and swelling of the legs associated with congestive heart failure can result in itchy, red skin of the lower legs. Although the presence of eczema does not typically indicate an underlying concern, if your eczema is not responding to treatments as expected, it is best to bring it up with your dermatologist.
How Does Stress Factor In Eczema
Anyone with a job, family and other responsibilities are no strangers to stress. Its as common as the flu. With daily deadlines and dramas, that nagging feeling of worry is the norm.
Stress has physical, mental, and emotional signs such as impaired concentration and excess worries. Apart from the unpleasant feelings, stress can also manifest physically. Most external reactions include muscle tension, racing heart rates, trembling, and sweating. Internally, stress suppresses immune responses and triggers hormone releases.
It may also result in flare-ups in people with eczema.
You May Like: How Do You Stop Stressing Over Everything
When Is It Time To Visit A Dermatologist
If your stress-related acne breakouts or chronic skin condition flareups arent improving after a few days, are very painful, or cause serious difficulty in your daily activity, its time to call U.S. Dermatology Partners. As part of our ongoing commitment to help our patients and communities stay healthy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, were still offering quick, easy teledermatology sessions, so you dont even need to leave home or add any extra stress to your schedule to talk to us. Simply get in touch with our team or request an online appointment using our scheduling request form. Then, sit down with your computer, phone, or tablet to chat with our dermatologists about your concerns and start feeling better right away.
Find a location near me
Sign Up for Our Newsletter!
Get the latest updates on news, specials and skin care information.
Recommended Reading: Why Does Eczema Come And Go
How To Manage Your Stress
Stress can lead to an eczema attack. After all, stress can be a triggering factor. Try to find out what situations are causing you stress and, when possible, avoid them by making changes to your routine or lifestyle. Otherwise, learn to better control your stress using breathing or relaxation techniques, for example.
Also Check: How To Relax Your Mind And Body From Stress
Skin Conditions Worsened By Stress
Acne, eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis can all worsen during periods of stress or anxiety. It may trigger your body to release high levels of cortisol.
Cortisol can disrupt the skin barrier , leading to dry and flaky skin. At the same time, it can lead to an increase in sebum, a skin oil that contributes to acne.
Stress also causes increased inflammation in your body and skin. This inflammation can lead to acne, hives, and skin rashes like psoriasis or eczema.
In addition to the effects of stress itself, stress can lead to poor food choices and poor sleep, which affect the skin and prevent healing. Eating a diet high in sugar and high-glycemic index foods, like pasta and white bread, can eventually cause acne outbreaks.
Some people also respond to stress and anxiety by picking or scratching their skin. This can lead to sores and cuts.
Even though stress can make many rashes and skin conditions worse, there are effective treatments for these conditions. If you have a rash or a skin condition worsened by stress or anxiety, see a dermatologist. They can prescribe topical or oral medications. A mental health professional can help you manage your stress and anxiety.
What Is The Connection Between Stress And Eczema
Doctors have long known that stress isnt good for your health. What is stress not connected to? says Dr. Hussain. Many chronic medical conditions and mental health conditions are affected by stress. This includes skin conditions like eczema. The more stressed you are, you do tend to get worse eczema breakouts. Theres a connection there.
Whats challenging is that stress can be difficult to measure. Stress isnt quantifiable its not something we can do a test for like we do for diabetes or blood pressure, says Dr. Hussain. But stress affects pretty much everything in your body, including how quickly you heal after surgery or how quickly you respond to medication. Its very subjective.
However, doctors do know the link between stress and eczema has something to do with hormones. The feel-good hormones, your endorphins, tend to be suppressed when youre in a state of stress, says Dr. Hussain. When youre in a fight-or-flight mode, your heart rate tends to go up, your blood pressures going to respond accordingly, and your body is going to release other hormones.
When youre stressed out, these hormones protect you. However, being in fight-or-flight mode constantly can be detrimental to your health, Dr. Hussain notes. Its definitely not good for you. And thats when you can get an eczema outbreak.
Read Also: How To Stop Hair Loss Due To Stress
Can Your Gut Health Play A Role In Stress Rash
When it comes to stress rash, Felton believes the gut plays a part. We know that stress can disrupt the connection between the brain and the skin, but the gut also plays an important role. The skin, mind, and gut work in synergy so if one of them is unbalanced it will show and it is very likely to show in the form of inflammation, she tells WH.
Our gut microbiome is composed of bacteria, viruses, and fungi which all play a key role in the body. They protect us against foreign invasions such as toxins, but most importantly boost and support our immune system. An unbalanced gut flora will not have the ability to fight against the development of autoimmune disorders and inflammation.
You May Like: Best Allergy Medicine For Eczema
