everyone wakes up in the middle of the night from time to time, but in my case, my skin keeps me up. in between sleep cycles, i get the insatiable urge to scratch my dry, itchy skin. it reaches a point that my bed sheets often get blood stains from how hard i scratch.
it’s not just dry skin that impacts my sleep — it’s atopic dermatitis, which is otherwise known as eczema, a chronic skin condition that causes inflammation and is characterized by irritation, itchiness and often swelling.
the canadian dermatology association
estimates that about 17 per cent of canadians have — or will, at some point in their lives, experience — eczema, which usually manifests as the presence of dry, itchy and scaly patches of skin. although it’s typically considered a trivial condition, as it often comes with many mild to moderate symptoms, its effects can run beyond simple physical implications.
it makes sense that eczema is typically associated with the visible manifestations of the inflammable skin condition. but, beneath the surface, there’s a hidden toll for people who have eczema that can severely impact their quality of life.
dr. sandy skotnicki, founder of the bay dermatology centre in toronto, notes that there are many implications associated with the skin condition — many of which we don’t often think about. “even if eczema doesn’t look that bad, there’s a lot happening under the surface that impacts the person’s quality of life.”
the eczema society of canada (esc) corroborates this hidden toll.
a previous survey
found that 82 per cent of respondents indicated their daily life is impacted by eczema. the survey highlighted sleep, anxiety and avoidance of social activities as the three most common areas that are affected by the disorder.
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