Patient/caregiver was educated on complications of eczema as follows:
- Chronic itchy skin: Eczema activation can result in chronic inflammatory skin rash, appearing as brownish red patches with intense itching, especially involving skin on the extremities, eyelids, neck, and upper chest. Individuals can also present with small blisters on the affected skin, which can burst open leaking fluid, leaving sore skin. Also, the persistent itching and scratching can leave the skin raw and sensitive.
- Secondary infections: The chronically irritated skin with open sores could be secondarily infected with bacteria and viruses. Infection with bacteria, such as, staphylococcus and streptococcus, can result in complications like fever, foul smelling drainage, swollen and sore skin. Infection with viruses such as herpes can result in development of cold sores or fever blisters and individuals present with present with small fluid-filled blisters in patches, which can be highly contagious.
- Sleep disturbance: The irritated skin and itching sensation can keep an individual awake for significant part of the night, thus affecting the quality of sleep hours.
- Cosmetic issues: Repeated eczema activation with irritated skin, especially involving the facial area can result in cosmetic problems and issues with low self-esteem, thus affecting social & personal life.
- Vision problems: Eczema involving skin around the eyes can result in severe itching of skin on the eyelids with inflammation, watering of eyes, and conjunctivitis, thus affecting vision.
