On the occasion of the tenth national day of atopic dermatitis, the French Eczema Association is mobilizing against the prejudices that “stick to the skin” of sufferers.
- Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, affects 10% of children under 2 years old and 2.5 million adults in France.
- However, these people are often victims of prejudices which “hurt, sometimes very badly”, points out the French Eczema Association.
- Some people, for example, wrongly think that it is dirty or even contagious.
More than 2.5 million adults are affected by eczema in France, a chronic itchy skin disease that develops in flare-ups. Children are also affected in large numbers, even more than adults, with around 10% of them having the condition before the age of two. To combat the many prejudices “as tenacious as they are devastating” linked to this skin disease, the French Eczema Association deconstructs them in 12 points.
Too many preconceived ideas about eczema
These prejudices “hurt, sometimes very badly, to children as well as adults“, the association emphasizes. Among these preconceived ideas it notes:
-”eczema is three small spots, in two days, it’s over” : FAKE
-”eczema is contagious (like prejudices)” : FAKE
-“Eczema necessarily disappears as you grow up” : FAKE
-”“Eczema affects more or less all children at birth.” : FAKE
-”eczema only affects children” : FAKE
-”eczema is dirty” : FAKE
-”eczema is in the head” : FAKE
-”eczema is never serious” : FAKE
-”eczema is cured in the sun” : FAKE
-”eczema goes away on its own” : FAKE
-”Eczema is not a disease, it is an allergy“: FAKE
-”Eczema is incompatible with sport” : FAKE
Atopic dermatitis: sport is recommended “but with precautions”
Regarding sport, dermatologist Pr Khaled Ezzedine explains that the practice is well advised for people suffering from eczema, “but with precautions“. Indeed, the heat generated by the effort can trigger or aggravate an attack.Atopic, dry and fragile skin, in contact with the acidity of sweat, can become irritated with itching and burning sensations that can become unbearable, explains the specialist. There is also the friction of clothing due to movement, contact with certain materials, poorly ventilated gyms. Similarly, outdoor sports activities during pollen season can also trigger or worsen an outbreak of atopic eczema.”
But outside of periods of severe flare-ups, sport helps combat eczema, particularly because it helps reduce the patient’s anxiety.Sport also helps to maintain your body and improve the quality of your sleep, while strengthening your immune defenses.”
