Eczema and Stress
Eczema is an inflammation of the skin that usually causes itching and is sometimes accompanied by scaling or blisters. Eczema can be divided into "contact" or "allergic" conditions.
Contact eczema is triggered by an environmental irritant, such as a chemical.
Allergic eczema results from a hypersensitive immune system overreacting to something - house dust mites, for example, which most people find harmless. Seborrhoeic eczema, where red, flaky patches develop on the face and scalp, tends to occur in areas where the sebaceous glands are numerous, and is caused by overproduction of the skin's natural oils.
The effects of stress
Many sufferers report that stress appears to exacerbate their condition. Whether or not this is actually the case is unknown, since it is hard for doctors to judge whether the stress pre-dated the eczema or was subsequently caused by the eczema. The timing of the stress is largely academic, however, because the important fact is that it exists, and hypnosis and relaxation have an important role to play in reducing a person's tendency to scratch, and alleviating their anxiety. Many eczema patients are children and they can find it very hard to control their urge to scratch the affected areas. For this reason hypnotherapy may have a particularly helpful role to play in childhood atrophic eczema.
Relieving the itching
Under hypnotherapy, direct suggestions can be made to reduce the symptoms of itching, anxiety, and insomnia. The suggestion can be made that as soon the patient's nails touch their skin, they will become aware and stop scratching, even if they are asleep. Relief of itching is one of the most important eczema treatments, as it breaks the itch-scratch cycle.
Patients can be trained to produce local anaesthesia in an area so that they feel no need to scratch. One method is to visualise the application of cool water to relieve the itching, and to then associate that sensation with the touch of the hand. The patient practises placing a hand over the itch and feels the same soothing and relief as they would from water.
If it is believed that the eczema is stress-related, then it would be worth looking for the cause of the anxiety and eliminating it.
For Hypnotherapy Birmingham and help with Eczema and Stress, call me on 0121 707 3588.