患有湿疹的人希望你能知道这些事

It's not "just a rash." Here's what it's really like to live with this chronic skin condition.

湿疹并不只是"皮疹"，患有这种慢性皮肤病的真实生活是什么样的呢？

What do you think when you imagine eczema? A red rash, dry skin? Or perhaps even an issue that mostly impacts kids? But what many people don't realize is that eczema can be a painful, devastating condition. According to the National Eczema Association, 30 million people in the United States are currently living with some form of eczema. There are different types of eczema, so there's no one-size-fits-all treatment plan. The most common type is atopic dermatitis, which can occur in people from allergy-prone families, and is related to an underlying immune reaction that affects the skin.

当你想象湿疹时，你想到的是什么？红疹子，干皮肤？亦或是主要影响孩子的疾病？但很多人都没有意识到患有湿疹是件十分痛苦、绝望的事情。据美国国家湿疹协会表示，目前，美国有三千万人患有各种各样的湿疹。湿疹类型多种多样，所以没有全能的治疗方法。最常见的就是特应性皮炎，过敏家庭的人群会患有这类湿疹，这与影响皮肤的潜在免疫反应相关。

People with the condition can experience flare-ups at any time-sometimes for no reason at all-although eating the wrong foods, coming into contact with an irritating substance, or experiencing a bit too much stress can increase the likelihood. What's more, the symptoms often go beyond red, dry, itchy skin; eczema can disturb your sleep, impact relationships, and wreak havoc on all parts of a person's life. Chances are, you already know someone with eczema. Here's what they want you to know about their day-to-day struggles.

患有湿疹的人随时都有可能发作--有时候什么原因都没有--尽管吃错食物、接触刺激性物质或承受的压力有点大都有可能增加发作的可能性。此外，湿疹的症状远不止于皮肤红、干、痒，而且还包括睡眠、恋情受到影响、整个人的生活都遭到严重破坏。很有可能你已经认识了一些患有湿疹的人。他们想让你知道这些他们日日所做的争斗。

Eczema is not "just a rash"

湿疹不只是"皮疹"

"I've been going through a particularly rough flare-up of my eczema for the past several months. I think the biggest misconception about the condition is that it's 'just a rash.' I feel like people don't take it seriously; even when I look up research on it, most is just targeted to children."

"过去几个月，我湿疹发作的厉害。我想有关湿疹的最大误解就是这只是个'皮疹'。我感觉人们没有把它当回事；甚至当我搜索有关湿疹的研究时，大多数也都只是针对孩子的。"

The condition is more than just cosmetic

湿疹不仅仅是表面的

"In very bad cases or flare-ups, I can't sleep and have no appetite... Physically, people don't understand just how bad it can get. I can barely move my arms because every motion reopens a raw crack in the skin."

"在非常糟糕的情况下或发作的时候，我完全睡不着觉，而且毫无胃口……人们并不了解湿疹能给身体带来多糟的影响。我几乎动不了膀子，因为每动一次，皮肤都会裂出一个新口子。"

Dry, itching skin can keep you up at night

干而痒的皮肤会让你一整晚都睡不着

"Eczema is the breakdown of the barriers that protect your skin. Sufferers of allergies may know what the rash feels like. Also, since your skin barrier can't really hold in moisture, dry, itchy skin is a constant battle. The discomfort of the itching and dry skin can lead to poor sleep, since you may, even subconsciously, scratch all night in bed."

"保护皮肤的屏障被分解就会产生湿疹。过敏患者可能知道患皮疹的感觉。此外，既然保护皮肤的屏障不能真正地保持湿润，那么干而痒的皮肤就是一场持久战。干而痒的皮肤带来的不适感会让你睡眠变差，因为你可能会潜意识的在床上挠一整晚。"