Tracking stress-induced eczema symptoms along with possible triggers can help you better manage this common skin condition.
Eczema is a common skin condition affecting about 10% (31.6 million) of people in the United States. The most prevalent form is known as atopic dermatitis. While there’s no single known cause, it’s thought that a combination of your genes, environment, and immune system changes may play a role.
Once you have eczema, periods of symptoms called flares can occur from certain triggers. Stress is one possible (and common) trigger of eczema symptoms. Researchers have traced the connections between eczema flare-ups and stress to cortisol.
When you’re stressed, your body enters a “fight or flight” mode, which can result in excess cortisol in the body. This can then increase inflammation and subsequent eczema flares.
Stress management is linked with improved eczema symptoms overall. By decreasing stress, you may be able to control excess cortisol, which can contribute to eczema-inducing inflammation.
What’s more, people with eczema are more likely to have anxiety and depression compared with those who have other certain chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It’s estimated that at least 30% of people with eczema live with these mental health conditions.
It can be challenging to determine how stress causes your eczema symptoms and which triggers affect your skin the most. By logging and tracking possible triggers, you can help make progress toward better eczema management.
Read on to learn how to get started.
Once you’ve decided to track your stress triggers for eczema, the first step is to create a log. This can be a traditional paper log, such as a writing journal or notebook.
If you prefer a more technical method, you can create a spreadsheet or use a digital app such as EczemaWise.
There’s no right or wrong tracking format. You should choose whichever format you think you can stick with for the long term.
Stress is a natural part of life, but certain situations, events, and circumstances might increase your eczema symptoms more than others.
For example, you may find that you have skin flares when you have important school or work deadlines, get into a disagreement with someone, or are having trouble accomplishing everything on your daily to-do list.
Major life events are also common eczema stress triggers. Examples include getting married or divorced, moving to a new area, or starting a new job.
Given that the sources of stress are highly individual, it can be challenging to determine which ones might trigger your eczema.
Once you have a journal or app, you might consider writing down all your potential stressors. Be sure to write down the date and the approximate time, too.
Then, note whether you experienced eczema flares around the same time. Over time, you may start to notice patterns that can help you better manage such triggers.
In addition to jotting down possible stress triggers, it’s crucial to note any important external factors that might make them worse. These can include other possible triggers of eczema, such as:
- dry weather or low humidity
- extremely cold or hot weather
- sweat
- taking hot baths or showers
- allergens, such as pollen, animal dander, or mold
- dietary changes or certain foods
- drinking alcohol
- new skin care products
- exposure to possible irritants, such as chemicals and fragrances
- lack of sleep the night before your symptoms started
- respiratory viruses
After noting your stress triggers, any external circumstances, and your symptoms, consider rating your overall stress level for each event. You can rate the stress level on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest stress level possible.
Also, since stress can increase after eczema symptoms occur, you might consider rating your levels at this point, too.
It’s crucial to also note any subsequent eczema symptoms in as much detail as possible. This can include:
- red, brown, or purple rashes, depending on skin tone
- itchiness
- dryness
- weeping or oozing
- cracking or bleeding skin
- crusting or skin scales
Detail exactly where your eczema occurred on your body. Also, describe the severity of your symptoms. Note whether the symptoms were mild and barely noticeable or perhaps so severe that they became a distraction during the day and kept you up at night.
Describing eczema symptoms and their severity in relation to stress can also help you determine which triggers may cause the most severe flares for you.
When done regularly, coping strategies may help you feel less stressed and experience fewer eczema flares. These can include any activity that helps you relax, including:
- deep breathing
- meditation
- yoga
- a walk or jog
- reading a book
- self-massage
- journaling
- creating art
When tracking stress triggers for eczema, it’s also crucial to note the effectiveness of these coping strategies. For example, while meditation might help some people, others might find going for a walk more helpful at the moment.
With each coping strategy tried, consider circling back to your stress levels and symptoms. Note whether you feel better, have less itchiness, or if you observe no changes at all.
Finding the right coping strategies is highly individual, and tracking them can help you understand what works and what does not work for you.
Continue logging your stressors, symptoms, and coping strategies until your next appointment with a dermatologist or other medical professional. Then, share your findings with them.
Sharing your log with a healthcare professional can provide them with valuable information so they can help formulate a more effective eczema treatment plan overall.
Stress management is just one way you can help reduce your eczema symptoms and improve your overall quality of life.
While decreasing stress doesn’t eliminate eczema entirely, you may find that identifying your personal stress triggers can help with your symptoms overall.
Once you have logged and tracked your stress triggers for a few weeks, consider whether there are any notable patterns. This information is also important to share with a doctor so you can create the best eczema treatment plan tailored to your needs.