Eczema hurts more than the skin

Preet Bhogal still remembers being taunted in school for his inflamed skin. The Nova Scotia native would always wear long-sleeved shirts to cover his arms and tried to shrug off jeers about the flare-ups on his hands, but the words still hurt.

"My eczema covered just about my whole body," says the 33-year-old, who has lived with the skin condition since he was a baby. "It definitely affected my self image, self esteem, mental health."

While the physical severity of Bhogal's eczema improved with a combination of age and a strict care regime, its emotional impact continued to be felt in subtle ways. He didn't wear short-sleeved T-shirts until he was in his 20s, doesn't know how to swim because his eczema was exacerbated by pool water, and he vividly recalls how concerned some of his peers were about catching the skin condition that isn't contagious.

As the rates of those who experience the condition appear to be on the rise, Bhogal and advocates for those with the skin disease hope having conversations about eczema will help demystify the condition and make it easier to deal with.

"There's often a lack of awareness of the issues that it causes," says Bhogal, who is now a board member with the Canadian Skin Patient Alliance.

"I would like for people to just know that it exists and for people to not be afraid to talk about it."

While official statistics are rare, a number of doctors and patient support groups estimate about 20 per cent of Canadians will experience eczema at some point in their lives.

"When you talk about 20 per cent, that's huge," says Dr. Catherine McCuaig, a pediatric dermatologist at the Sainte-Justine children's hospital in Montreal.

Eczema exists in different forms and is most often experienced in childhood. One of the most common forms is atopic dermatitis, a hereditary condition which results in red, itchy and swollen skin which can have fluid-filled bumps that ooze and crust.

Another common form is contact dermatitis - where skin is inflamed from contact with an allergen, like poison ivy, or repeated exposure to an irritant. Other versions of eczema include a form associated with varicose veins and another related to dry skin.

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Eczema hurts more than the skin