A recent study published by Winders et al in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology revealed that itching may impact the sleep of patients with eczema, according to a report from Healio. In the study, 81 participants were asked to use wearable digital health monitors for 1 week while they slept, and then took a survey after the trial period. The devices—capable of capturing the participants’ movements and recording their itching—observed a maximum of 32 minutes of itching per night among the participants and demonstrated that eczema may adversely affect sleep adequacy as well as affect other areas of life. Among the study participants, 90% of them said their skin was itchy and painful; 75% said they were self-conscious about their eczema; 65% said the condition influenced their choice of clothing; 51% said it influenced their social activities; and 35% said it influenced their sex lives. Although most of the participants found that the wearable device’s itch monitoring was useful in understanding their condition, the final survey revealed that only a third of them would discuss the results with their physicians.
May 25, 2023