New research by the National Eczema Society has revealed 80% cent of newly diagnosed work-related skin problems are due to hand eczema.
Approximately six million people in theUKsuffer from hand eczema, which is characterised by swollen, cracked and blistered skin.
Alexandra Gray, 33, is a teacher from Ashbourne in Derbyshire and suffers from severe hand eczema that is linked to stress.
Alexandra says:
“There is no doubt that my hand eczema is linked to stress.
I always had very dry hands even as a girl, but my hands started getting really cracked, red and swollen when I became a teacher. Teaching is a wonderful occupation but there is no doubt that it’s very stressfull.
When I was working flat out mid term my hands would flare up and become really red, itchy and blistered. Sometimes they cracked open on the knuckels, which was complete agony and looked dreadful. My fingers would swell up like sausages so that I couldn’t even wear my wedding ring. The children I taught would often ask me what was wrong with my hands. I found it hard to sleep through the night as my hands were so painful and they swelled at night and itched like mad.
Last year I was a bridesmaide as my friend’s wedding, my hands were so red I had to take my nail varnish off as it was the same colour as my hands and looked peculiar. In the wedding photos afterwards I was horrified how awful my hands looked, I felt they ruined the lovely picture. I wish I’d worn gloves.
During the school summer holidays my hands would get better when I relaxed, but as soon as I returned to work they would flare up again.
I used to wash my hands all the time with soap to try and wash away the problem, I was like Lady Macbeth. I’d sometimes wash my hands up to ten times a day. But after a while I realised this was actualy making them worse. I then switched to a natural sea salt and olive oil scrub which was better but still made my hands very dry.
[quote] I tried all sorts of creams, but most emoliants from the chemists had parafin in and they would make my hands flare up even more and were agony on my skin.[/quote]
My hands get a lot worse at the change of seasons and paricularly during the winter, as the air is drier. Sometimes in winter my cracked fingers get so bad that if I don’t treat them really quickly then they start to bleed.
After stoping teaching full time my hands improved due to the reduction in stress. I do some supply teahcing now and then, and if I do more than a few days in a row then I feel my hands starting to itch again.
I’ve just sarted running a bed & breakfast and my hands took a turn for the worse again due to all the extra housework. I’ve discovered I’m virtually allergic to cleaning as my hands react to all cleaning chemicals and I can’t wear rubber gloves without wearing a special cotton insert as they irritate my hands. Luckily my husband is a brilliant cleaner so he does a lot of the housework while I do the cooking! But I feel bad asking him to help me so much when he is working, my hands make me feel less effective as they make everything harder and more painful.
It was my Granny who read about Cardiospermum Gel in a magazine and gave me the cutting. The article was an interview with a lady with hand eczema who had tried it after all other products had failed and it worked for her so I thought I may as well give it a go.
The gel cooled my hands immediately and stopped them itching. After about a month of using the gel I no longer had blisters, sore patches or weeping skin and the redness had drastically reduced. I was delighted.
Now after six months of using the gel I can sleep through the night for the first time in years and I rarely get cracks in my fingers. I use the gel every day now and my hands look healthy and clear, its been a miracle for me.
