180: 23.3 Stress and its Manifestations

Illness. Acne. Anger.

These are some of the many manifestations of stress. Some family members of mine are even more unlucky in that the skin on their hands adopt the characteristic of peeling like cling film when approaching exam time.

I have noticed that in myself, it manifests in the flare up of my eczema. Sensitivities are unfortunately an inheritable family trait. Both my parents suffer from moderate to severe forms of sinusitis that has been passed down to all their offspring. We have our fair share of intolerances too - my sister is sensitive to dairy and prawns and my brother absolutely cannot have cocoa without falling sick (and yes, that means a lifetime avoiding chocolate). On the other hand, I am really sensitive to certain soaps and processed ingredients. For instance, after a few minutes of using Dove shower gel, an unsightly, red rash would appear madman spread across my body. I will be itchy for a few minutes to hours before symptoms die down.

And then there is the eczema on my legs. For as long as I remember, I have had terribly irritable skin on both my legs. When I was in primary school, I would constantly scratch the burning itch on my legs - so much so that sometimes I would bleed. Black scabs from old wounds on the clean canvas of skin on my legs was a normality. It was only a few years ago when I went to a dermatologist for something completely unrelated was when he officially diagnosed me with eczema.

I did know that when stressed, the itch in my legs would flare up - but up until then, I had no name for it. So I t was a relief to finally have an explanation for my symptoms. I got appropriate treatment an it calmed down. But like clockwork, as the stress piled up yesterday, it came back with avengence. My legs were burning under the duvet sheets - it was like there was a army of tiny ants burrowing through my skin. I scratched so vigorously that it left several painful raw marks that sting in the shower. The only relief was in slumber.