In everyone’s life, their appearance makes the first impression

Hi! I am Poushali Bose, currently in 4^th year of B.Tech Biotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology; I would like to share my journey today with you all from a patient’s point of view. Nonetheless, it might be slightly different for a patient suffering from eczema, as this disease is a living nightmare and can really recur anytime and anywhere because of micro or macro stimulations leading to an increase in inflammation. Being a survivor of the same, I must say it has been really challenging for me as well as for my family!

I had my first episode of eczema when I was 6 months old. Initially, it began as small, localized lesions that subsequently spread all over my body, and then slowly and gradually, it began to persist for longer time periods, causing more itching accompanied by pain. Even a bit of sweat or some stimulus would be enough to trigger and aggravate my eczema. An important point to be kept in mind while talking about patients with eczema is that they either have very dry or very oily skin, which makes them more vulnerable and susceptible to the same. Sometimes, the itching can escalate up to a severity level that can cause the lesions to even bleed. Some patients may also showcase acute asthma associated with their eczema.

As I mentioned earlier, the appearance of an individual can be highly affected because of this disease. Patients might feel excluded from their normal social life due to the visible marks and spots on their skin, which may create a judgmental bias in the minds of their social circle that may compel them to treat the victims as untouchables. This can affect the victims’ mental state adversely, and therefore, they generally tend to be isolated by the people in society.

Further, the nature of my allergies was greatly affected by the type of clothes I used only cotton fabric would suit me, and synthetic ones would speed up the rate of inflammation, itching, and redness. Furthermore, I had to take good care to protect my skin from the sunlight, as that would also cause several hypersensitivity reactions.

Here, I have listed all the impacts I faced, but there was another battle that my parents fought for me to manage my eczema, and without my dermatologist, DR. Sandipan Dhar’s treatment, I guess I would never have recovered.

Their constant support and struggle have helped me to manage this devastating disease, and yes, it is not that one has to think that if they are diagnosed with the same, the world has come to an end. As, with endless perseverance to recover and to be a fighter, one can truly develop coping skills to deal with it. Of course, at times, one might be shattered and depressed by looking at oneself, and it is natural as everyone wants to look beautiful, but due to advancements in medical fields in today’s era, it’s much more easily diagnosable and treatable.

The only precaution is that the patient should have faith in the treatment and their doctor because when a patient recovers, nobody else is happier than the doctor who had put their heart and soul into it. Yet, another important aspect that has to be rather should be taken care of is this awareness among people; educating people on eczema/atopic dermatitis is essential as it is the prime need of the hour, or else every patient suffering from this would be would be affected to the core of their sentiments, no matter how much severe the disease may be, it can still be cured with proper and timely treatments.

People in society need to be made aware and educated about the fact that eczema is non-contagious and that these patients are to be treated as normally as possible instead of hurting their sentiments. In such times, one can only expect their peers, friends, colleagues, and family to be a bit more mature to eradicate these social stigmas. The patient suffering from eczema has to remember that life can really be harsh sometimes, but, in the end, one cannot visualize a rainbow without a little rain.

So here is my message to all those strong warriors out there, “stay strong, keep on grinding and keep on fighting! And trust me, in the end, it’s going to be worth it, and that feeling when you tell yourself that you made it till the end, even after all this, is the best feeling ever. Take care and wish you a speedy recovery.”