Eczema Awareness Month To Begin With The Fifth Itching For A Cure Walk

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Eczema Association (NEA) is organizing the fifth Itching for a Cure walk fundraiser on Sunday, October 11 at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). This year's Itching for a Cure walk will take place during Eczema Awareness Month.  The goal is to raise more than $200,000.  

"The National Eczema Association is proud to have a dedicated month in October to raise eczema awareness, but the truth is, we need more than a month," said Julie Block, CEO, National Eczema Association.  "We must break through the eczema stereotypes, and create an empowered community that takes action to create a better life for themselves and their loved ones."

More than 30 million Americans, many of them children, suffer from eczema (or atopic dermatitis), an incurable and non-contagious skin disease.  People with eczema experience constant itch and flares of inflammation. The uncontrollable itch interferes with sleep and participation in everyday life activities.  Eczema is associated with asthma, allergies, and mental health conditions.

"Through my work at the Rady Children's Hospital Eczema Center, and as a Scientific Advisory Committee member for NEA, I've seen the tremendous physical and emotional effects eczema can manifest in children, and their families," said Lawrence Eichenfield, MD, Chief of Pediatric and Adolescent Dermatology at Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center. "There are currently more than 40 eczema treatments in the research pipeline, but many of these trials and opportunities with medications aren't yet available for children. Itching for a Cure gives kids, their families, and people with eczema of all ages the chance to meet, share and feel accepted, while taking action to create more disease awareness and to advance eczema research."

For more information about Itching for a Cure and the National Eczema Association, please visit www.ItchingForACure.org.

About the National Eczema Association
The National Eczema Association (NEA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to improve the health and quality of life for individuals with atopic dermatitis/eczema through research, support, and education. The National Eczema Association (NEA) was founded in 1988. NEA is governed by a Board of Directors and guided by a Scientific Advisory Committee comprised of physicians and scientists who donate their time and expertise. NEA is entirely supported through individual and corporate contributions. www.nationaleczema.org

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SOURCE National Eczema Association