NEA's Eczema Awareness Month Engages and Empowers the Eczema Community to Unhide the Realities of this Chronic Inflammatory Skin Disease that Burdens Over 31 Million Adults and Children in the US

NOVATO, Calif., Oct. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Often referred to as "the itch that rashes," eczema is a life-altering, non-contagious inflammatory skin disease that burdens 31.6 million adults and children in the United States (10.1% of the population),^{1, 2}   reports the National Eczema Association (NEA), in recognition of October's Eczema Awareness Month.

This year's month-long stakeholder engagement efforts focus on providing education, support and resources for people living with eczema through NEA's ongoing #UnhideECZEMA campaign, and heightening awareness/self-awareness of the eczema experience through #GetEczemaWise, an empowering campaign.

People of all races, ages, and skin types suffer from eczema, which refers to a group of chronic and acute symptoms that typically cause skin itch, sleep disturbance, inflammation, and/or a rash-like appearance. There are seven different types of eczema and it is possible to have more than one type. ³

Eczema has the highest effect on disability-associated life years for patients with skin diseases worldwide.⁴  The disease burden of eczema includes various painful and often debilitating physical, mental and emotional effects, as conveyed in NEA's Eczema Awareness Month video.

Eczema Facts

• A recent study of adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD), the most common form of eczema, found that 70.5% reported severe, unbearable itch in the past two weeks, 85.8% reported daily itch, and 62.8% reported itching at least 12 hours per day. ⁵
• Children and adolescents with AD are two to six times more likely to have depression, anxiety or conduct disorder than children without AD. ^{6, 7} 
• Recent studies have suggested people with AD are up to 44% more likely to exhibit suicidal ideation, and 36% are more likely to attempt suicide. ^8,9,10,11,12
• One in four children and teens with AD have experienced bullying because of their disease. ^12,13
• Nearly 5.9 million workdays annually are lost due to eczema in the United States. ¹⁴
• The annual economic burden of eczema, including direct medical costs, indirect costs from lost productivity, and quality of life impacts, is conservatively estimated at $5.3 billion.¹⁵

Learn more eczema facts:  https://nationaleczema.org/research/eczema-facts/

At a time when eczema sufferers face additional challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, the eczema community has reason to see hope on the horizon. "We are in the midst of an unprecedented era of discovery and promise for the future of eczema, thanks to new medications in the pipeline, scientific research underway, and evolving insights into the lived experience and treatment preferences that can advance innovative and targeted therapies for this burdensome skin disease," comments Julie Block, NEA President and CEO.

NEA's Eczema Awareness Month 2020 is supported in part by the following sponsors: Sanofi Genzyme/Regeneron; AbbVie; Eli Lilly; Water Wipes; Baby Dove; CeraVe, and Dermavant.

About National Eczema Association (NEA)
Founded in 1988, NEA is the largest, 501(c)(3) non-profit, US patient advocacy organization serving people affected by eczema.  NEA's mission is to improve the health and quality of life for individuals with eczema through research, support, and education.  For more on NEA, visit: https://nationaleczema.org.   

References

1. Hanifin JM, Reed ML, Eczema Prevalence and Impact Working Group. A population-based survey of eczema prevalence in the United States. Dermatitis. 2007;18(2):82-91.
2. Silverberg JI, Hanifin JM. Adult eczema prevalence and associations with asthma and other health and demographic factors: a US population-based study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013;132(5):1132-1138.
3. More Than Skin Deep Collaborative. (2020). Understanding the Lived Experience of Eczema:  The "Voice of the Patient" Report on the Eczema Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting.  Retrieved from http://www.morethanskindeep-eczema.org/
4. Karimkhani C, Dellavalle RP, Coffeng LE, et al. Global Skin Disease Morbidity and Mortality: An Update From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. JAMA Dermatol. 2017;153(5):406-412.
5. Simpson EL, Bieber T, Eckert L, et al. Patient burden of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD): Insights from a phase 2b clinical trial of dupilumab in adults. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016;74(3):491-498
6. Yaghmaie P, Koudelka CW, Simpson EL. Mental health comorbidity in patients with atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013;131(2):428-433.
7. Garg N, Silverberg JI. Association between childhood allergic disease, psychological comorbidity, and injury requiring medical attention. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2014;112(6):525-532.
8. Sandhu JK, Wu KK, Bui TL, Armstrong AW. Association Between Atopic Dermatitis and Suicidality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Dermatol. 2019;155(2):178-187.
9. Patel KR, Immaneni S, Singam V, Rastogi S, Silverberg JI. Association between atopic dermatitis, depression, and suicidal ideation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019;80(2):402-410.
10. Ronnstad ATM, Halling-Overgaard AS, Hamann CR, Skov L, Egeberg A, Thyssen JP. Association of atopic dermatitis with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in children and adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;79(3):448-456 e430.
11. Drucker AM, Thiruchelvam D, Redelmeier DA. Eczema and subsequent suicide: a matched case-control study. BMJ Open. 2018;8(11):e023776.
12. Halvorsen JA, Lien L, Dalgard F, Bjertness E, Stern RS. Suicidal ideation, mental health problems, and social function in adolescents with eczema: a population-based study. J Invest Dermatol. 2014;134(7):1847-1854.
13. Magin P, Adams J, Heading G, Pond D, Smith W. Experiences of appearance-related teasing and bullying in skin diseases and their psychological sequelae: results of a qualitative study. Scand J Caring Sci. 2008;22(3):430-436.
14. Silverberg JI. Health Care Utilization, Patient Costs, and Access to Care in US Adults With Eczema: A Population-Based Study. JAMA Dermatol. 2015;151(7):743-752.
15. Drucker AM, Wang AR, Li WQ, Sevetson E, Block JK, Qureshi AA. The Burden of Atopic Dermatitis: Summary of a Report for the National Eczema Association. J Invest Dermatol. 2017;137(1):26-30.

SOURCE National Eczema Association

Related Links

http://nationaleczema.org