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Eczema and Stress: Are They Related? Learn to Calm Your Mind and Skin

As you read this, more than 32 million Americans are scratching their skin due to eczema.  According to the National Eczema Association, eczema affects at least 10% of people in the United States. Eczema is a skin disorder that is triggered by allergens and other irritants, infections, extreme weather temperatures, and the one that we can control – stress.

If you want to escape the onset of eczema, you have to protect yourself from what triggers it. In fact, this skin condition is called a psychodermatologic disorder because eczema and stress almost always go hand-in-hand. This is just a scientific way of saying that it is a physical disorder that is tied to your mental and emotional health.

There’s no denying it – stress is the root of most of our health problems.  It has even been linked to heart disease, for one, and many others. So, can stress cause eczema? Yes! And it makes perfect sense. The correlation between psychological wellbeing and skin health is so strong that there’s even a subspecialty in dermatology called psychodermatology.

Stress Induced Eczema – It’s a Thing!  

The connection between eczema and stress has long been established.  The scientific explanation behind this is that stress releases hormones that affect our immune system.  People with eczema actually have weak immune systems, which in turn causes inflammation of the skin, and can manifest into itchy rashes or worse, painful blisters.  Stress can also exacerbate the condition and cause your skin to flare up.

We all have our ways of coping with stress.  Some people are able to take life’s challenges (and changes) lightly while some have difficulty digesting it.

I know, I know.  Avoiding eczema from stress is easier said than done.  Sometimes it’s just easier applying a cream and avoiding the stress altogether. There is certainly nothing wrong with a little natural eczema cream to get some immediate relief, but the key to getting a handle on your eczema permanently is determining how you can avoid the onset of symptoms altogether.

Here are some tried and tested tips to calm your body and say goodbye to stress induced eczema:

Meditation / Prayer Time

Set aside some quiet time (like 15 minutes) every day to take stock of your life.  Lifting all your worries to a Higher Power will give you the serenity to cope with life’s challenges.

Try the Headspace app – it’s a great intro to meditation that will ease you in and get you hooked.

Spend Time with Others

Spend time with family, friends, and other support groups.  The conversations will surely distract you from scratching. And it is not only your skin that will be improved but your relationships too! For additional help, check out the National Eczema Association’s online support group here.

Read More: 8 Ways to Relieve Stress In Children With Eczema  

Self-Love

On the other hand, if there is anyone (or anything) in your life that is causing you stress, trying breaking away from that negative energy. Don’t feel guilty about it! It’s important to have some self-love too.

Prioritize and Delegate

If your list of to-do’s is getting too long and causing you much stress, learn to prioritize and delegate tasks.  You don’t have to do everything all at once, or by yourself for that matter.

Relax

Breathe deeply and find time to relax. You can even do this while taking your morning or afternoon walk.

Exercise

Exercise is very important in improving your mood and it will help you sweat your toxins away.

Your choice of exercise doesn’t have to high impact – like Zumba (Although that’s fun too!). For something calm, try yoga, which improves your mindfulness and concentration. A double win!

A Gentle Bath

Have a good, but not necessarily long, lukewarm bath.  It will relax you and soothe your itchy skin (if you use an oatmeal bath for eczema).  Just don’t forget to use a gentle natural soap and moisturize afterwards. Learn how to find the best eczema soap here.

Also, avoid rubbing your skin dry with a towel.  It will irritate your skin. Just pat it dry instead.

Sleep   

Often overlooked, but a great sleep can have a real effect on both your happiness and wellbeing.  Also, the right pajamas (made for eczema prone skin) can make all the difference in the world. Look for soft, comfortable eczema sleepwear for a good night’s sleep.

Alternative Medicine

Try alternative medicine such as acupuncture to relieve you from eczema caused by stress.  But, if you’re not feeling brave enough to go under the needles of acupuncture, then go for its hand counterpart, which is acupressure for eczema or reflexology.

A simple massage can also help relax your tense muscles.  Dim the lights and play some nature sounds while you’re at it for the ultimate spa experience.

Take a Vacation

A quick urban escape or brief weekend getaway will do and the change of scenery will do a lot of good for your senses. Just make sure your prep time and travel is stress free!

Start a Journal

If you have a knack for writing, then start a journal and write away.  This will help eliminate the negative thoughts that are causing you stress.

A gratitude journal or self exploration journal are great tools for those who need guidance to break into the world of journaling.

See a Professional

If the stress seems too much to handle and you cannot find solace in your immediate circle, try seeking professional advice.  The intervention could be what you need to heal your mind and your skin.

Whichever method you choose to relieve your stress, you need to find something you enjoy doing.  Do you enjoy getting immersed in a film or book? Do you prefer spending time with friends? It’s really up to you to discover what will make you mentally strong.  The bottomline – stress management is an integral part of treating eczema.  Manage your stress and you’ll be able to manage your eczema as well.

Planning to have a baby?

If you are planning to get pregnant, or already are, you should avoid stress, as a recent study [1] showed that stress prior and during pregnancy leads to eczema in infants.  So it’s not just YOUR skin that’s affected – your unborn child’s skin is affected too!

One Last Story…

To part, let me share with you this story of Bronya Humphreys [2], a 20-year old mom from England.  She transformed her eczema into works of art with the use of make-up. She fought depression by not wallowing in self-pity and instead decided to accept her eczema. Accepting, embracing, and even celebrating her skin disease has enabled her to convert it into something that gives inspiration.

Learn more about the Power of Trust & Acceptance and the Impact on Eczema.

It’s true – you are not your skin condition.  Accepting your eczema will not only make it easier to treat, but in time you will be able to live comfortably in your own skin.

Do you suffer from stress induced eczema? Let us know in the comments below!

Resources:

  1. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/040317/pre-pregnancy-stress-level-may-lead-to-eczema-in-future-child.html
  2. https://food.ndtv.com/health/pre-pregnancy-stress-may-lead-to-eczema-in-infants-1666091
  3. https://www.oddnaari.in/life/story/this-woman-transforms-her-eczema-into-pieces-of-art-using-make-up-127156-2018-02-05

About the Author

Saif is a Wellness Writer and Digital Marketing Expert at Healthy-Finds.com, a company committed to imparting the knowledge and access that people need for a long and healthy life.  He usually loves to hangouts with rankings and work but when he is not working, he travels most of the time.

The post Eczema and Stress: Are They Related? Learn to Calm Your Mind and Skin appeared first on itchylittleworld.com.

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IBS – dietary advice to calm your gut – book

Our new book IBS dietary advice to calm your gut was published last week. We wrote the book to provide information about diet and living well with IBS.  [Look at talkhealth‘s freebies page with a chance to win a copy of the book (closes 14.12.17)  and also look in the review section to see latest reviews.]

One of the most important facts I tell people who are newly diagnosed with IBS might surprise you, as it is not diet related. The importance of learning as much as you can about IBS and the different treatments that can help, should never be underestimated. Knowledge is power, so people say.

Receiving a diagnosis of IBS is challenging, but it is worthwhile having this diagnosis, however as a diagnosis often described as ‘a diagnosis of exclusion’, you might not feel it is. A few tests to rule out some diseases with similar symptoms are all that are usually needed to diagnose IBS and then doctors can be very confident that a person has it.

IBS is a long-term condition, which has no specific cure. You might then be wondering, how is having this diagnosis possibly worthwhile? Well, knowing what you are dealing with allows the person to start their own recovery by addressing symptom improvement – this is the mainstay in treatment and many people who have had recovery of symptoms have done so by finding their own path to it. If, however you have been told ‘I don’t know what is wrong’ or ‘I cannot medically explain this’ by your healthcare provider, this can leave a person confused and ‘stuck’ in seeking answers for their symptoms and seeking a diagnosis, whilst symptoms sadly continue. My friend and IBS Network Trustee Vicky Grant has said that this diagnosis takes you on a journey of discovery, a journey of knowing about yourself and what is likely to help you with your symptoms. Vicky would describe herself as recovered and her help was crucial in writing our book.

So, IBS is very individual condition and the person that knows best what will work is you, but you need to have the knowledge of what works to be able and confident to apply it. My response to this need was to write the book with my co-author Alex Gazzola to help people learn about how the gut works, what happens when it doesn’t work as well when you have IBS, what dietary and other lifestyle interventions might work – and perhaps more crucially, those that are unlikely to work and the reasons why. It also discusses access and how to work alongside healthcare providers in your journey to learning more about your IBS. The books main focus is diet, but also living well with IBS too and therefore covers other aspects such as emotional well-being, physical well-being and very practical matters such as eating out, travel and something we are not often taught – how to use the toilet properly!

To gain more confidence, being around others who are in the same situation can give much needed reassurance and support. The IBS Network offers such as service and accessing support groups or joining as a member can provide the support people might need on their personal journey to explore recovery. https://www.theibsnetwork.org/ I encourage others to join and also support the charity that is providing real help for people living with IBS.

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