Scratching for answers

Eczema is a debilitating and hard-to-treat condition that seems to be more prevalent.

- Nicky Pellegrino

Rates of eczema appear to be rising and new research suggests 6% of children and teens have current eczema symptoms. The latest study, published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy, analysed data from 14 countries and found that in most places the skin condition is a significant public health problem.

Cheryl Talent, president of the Eczema Association of Australasia, says part of the reason for an increase in cases is that doctors are getting better at diagnosing it, particularly in patients with darker skins.

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is a recurring inflammatory condition that causes dry, itchy, scaly, inflamed skin. It tends to flare up at certain times and, although it can occur at any age, often develops in childhood.

"It looks red on paler skins and is easy to diagnose," says Talent. "But in people of colour, it can be a darker brown or grey and is harder to identify. As a result, it has gone undiagnosed in a lot of these people."

Although genes play a role in predisposition to eczema, and some sufferers also have asthma and/or hay fever, there is evidence that a variety of environmental factors can also influence it, from the pollution in our cities to rising temperatures and higher pollen counts caused by climate change. And lots of things can trigger a flare-up, including irritants in soaps and detergents, common foods and stress - in fact, 57% of New Zealanders surveyed by the association identified stress as one of their biggest triggers.

Talent started volunteering for the Eczema Association after moving from Victoria to Brisbane in her thirties. "My eczema went off the scale, she says. "I had such a severe flare-up, I couldn't work. Being involved really helped me get on top of my own eczema."

Her focus now is on helping other sufferers find treatments that work for them, and that can be a challenge.