Eczema and mental health

More than just skin: eczema and mental health

It’s Eczema Awareness Week 3-10 May and it’s a cause very close to our hearts here at LaCorium Health HQ, home of Dermal Therapy. Our family – especially one of our children – have suffered from eczema for many years and I know that it’s a condition that needs to be managed on an ongoing basis. But it’s an issue that’s about #morethanjustskin. There’s an increasing awareness of the relationship between eczema and mental health. It’s an important topic to explore and raising awareness is just one of many things we can all do to support you to manage your eczema.

Eczema and your mental health

If you haven’t experienced eczema firsthand, you might dismiss it as just a bit of itchy skin. And you might even think it’s just something kids get. But eczema can affect anyone at any age. If you’ve suffered with it yourself, or lived with a loved that one has it, you probably understand that it can have a significant impact on your quality of life and take an emotional toll. It can hurt your hip pocket too, with sufferers spending thousands on remedies each year just for a bit of relief. That’s not something you do just for a bit of itchy skin.

Eczema can also impact your mental health, and the statistics are alarming. Research shows eczema sufferers are 44% more likely to exhibit suicidal ideation and 36% more likely to attempt suicide compared with patients without the condition. It also affects your sleep, which can impact your mental health. For severe eczema, 85% of sufferers say their eczema causes regular sleep disturbance. In more extreme cases, many people with eczema also restrict their lives to avoid being seen in public. But social isolation can also affect your mental health.

Mental health and your eczema

On the flip side, your mental health can also affect your eczema. Stress and tension can make your eczema worse, either triggering a flare-up or aggravating the current condition.
That makes it a vicious cycle, with stress triggering a flare up and suffering eczema impacting your mental health. Eczema and mental health issues are linked, so it’s important to do what you can to manage the stresses in your life and manage your eczema to reduce how it impacts you.

Relieve the symptoms of eczema with Dermal Therapy

If you’re an eczema sufferer, we offer a range of clinically formulated products to help you relieve, soothe and care for your skin. Dermal Therapy Eczema & Dermatitis Lotion is an everyday moisturiser specifically designed for sufferers of mild eczema and dermatitis. Formulated with oatmeal colloidal, it soothes and relieves itchy skin. It can be used with Dermal Therapy Eczema & Dermatitis Cream, which also includes calendula officinalis to relieve skin inflammation and aloe vera to support wound healing. Or for children, try our Little Bodies range, specially designed for babies and kids.

Remember, you’re not alone. About 800,000 Australians have eczema. If you’re experiencing mental health problems, please seek help. And when it comes to treating your eczema, it’s important to act promptly. Eczema can quickly worsen and lead to other problems, like infection. Ongoing management is the best prevention.

To learn more about eczema and how it can affect your mental health, check out the Eczema Awareness Week activities from the Eczema Association Australasia.