This is a fictional patient. For illustrative purposes only.
FINDING THE RIGHT
SUPPORT AND TOOLS
IT’S POSSIBLE TO FEEL OVERWHELMED BY LOTS OF NEW INFORMATION OR THINGS THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE DONE TO MANAGE SYMPTOMS
This Chronic Hand Eczema Guide has been developed to help you understand more about the disease and its treatments, and includes a symptom diary. Taking this with you to any appointments can help you remember and feel confident about what you’d like to speak about.
It’s important to remember that if Chronic Hand Eczema is impacting you, it’s worth talking to your Doctor, GP or Dermatologist, as they will be able to provide ongoing support.1–3
Staying with the same healthcare team throughout a management journey can be helpful for different reasons:
- They understand your medical and treatment history and so can help make sure you get the right care based on this4–6
- They might be able to help with finding what works for you and be able to manage your care in a way that suits you4–6
- They can provide ongoing support, including referrals to dedicated specialist services (for support with things like anxiety or depression if needed)1,7
FOR INFORMATION ON MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES,
DOWNLOAD THE CHRONIC HAND ECZEMA GUIDE TO TAKE WITH YOU TO YOUR FIRST OR FUTURE VISITS TO THE DERMATOLOGIST
“SOMETIMES WITH YOUR ECZEMA YOU WANT TO JUST RANT ABOUT IT. MY FRIENDS ARE MY SUPPORT SYSTEM, AND THEY’LL LISTEN”
Emma, a real patient with CHE
Building a supportive community
You might like to speak to people living with Chronic Hand Eczema to hear more about how they have adapted to life with the disease. There are challenges that can come with living with CHE, but you don’t have to experience it alone.
-
Patient Support Organisations such as Eczema Support Australia
- You can also hear from Emma, a real patient who lives with Chronic Hand Eczema
Talking about Chronic Hand Eczema
Three tips for talking with friends and family
Many people report Chronic Hand Eczema having an impact on their relationships, or even leading to tension or disagreements in some cases. It can be something that’s especially hard if you feel like some of the people around don’t understand what it’s like to live with something like Chronic Hand Eczema.1
Some things you could try:
1. Start by explaining some of the specific symptoms you’re dealing with, as some of these may be ‘invisible’ to others
Explain things like any impact to work or studying, daily routine, hobbies1,7 and sleep.7,8
(Pages 10 & 11 of the Chronic Hand Eczema Guide may help with this)
2. Address any misconceptions about the disease1,9–11
- Giving details of some of the things that might lead to Chronic Hand Eczema could support this, as well as explaining that it is not contagious3,12
(Page 3 of the Chronic Hand Eczema Guide could be useful here) - You might also like to share that the disease needs appropriate treatment, usually from a dermatologist3,13
(Page 7 of the Chronic Hand Eczema Guide has more on treatments)
3. Make it clear what support looks like for you
Outline the things that would help you feel supported. This could be anything from an understanding of why you might need to avoid certain activities like household cleaning tasks that involve products that could be triggers,2 to planning social activities in which you feel comfortable participating.1
Emma is a real patient who lives with Chronic Hand Eczema – she shares how she deals with the challenge of not feeling heard, and how she found the right support for her
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WHAT IS CHRONIC HAND ECZEMA?
