You know when something is so stressful, sometimes we say it’s bad for our heart? Add eczema to that list.
Dermatologists Jonathan Silverberg and Philip Greenland looked at data for 27,157 and 34,525 adults aged 18 to 85 years from the 2010 and 2012 National Health Interview Survey. After the analysis, they noted that adults with eczema are likely to:
Smoke more (100 cigarettes in lifetime and still smoking)
Drink more (12 drinks annually and still drinking)
Have higher cholesterol
Exercise less
Weigh more, measured by BMI of more than 35
Be at risk of hypertension (2 related consultation visits)
Be at risk of lifetime prediabetes
Have sleep disturbances, resulting in fatigue, daytime sleepiness or insomnia
This is a data analysis, meaning having eczema does not cause you to have a heart attack. However, it is a reminder that we have to be even more vigilant at taking care of our health and not letting eczema literally take over our life.
If sweat triggers your child’s eczema, opt for other less sweaty exercise or find a setting that allows for showering and moisturizing after (sweat residue irritates skin for some). Keeping fit helps reduce obesity and likely improve sleep. When you’re making an effort to be healthy, it is less likely you will eat poorly, drink and smoke. Choose a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, cut back tans fat and sugar, quit smoking and you’d reduce risk of diseases by 80%.
Eczema is bad for our skin, but not let it be bad for our heart or our life.
For encouraging stories of eczema sufferers around the world, read
the weekly stories shared in 2013.