What is Eczema?
Eczema is a type of dermatitis, specifically atopic dermatitis. People with this chronic skin condition experience dry, itchy, and rashes on the skin. This can appear anywhere on the body and is not contagious through contact. Eczema is most common in children, however can occur in any age group. Depending on one’s skin tone, an Eczema rash can result in a different colored rash. In fact, if you actually have a dark skin tone, an Eczema rash could be brown, gray, or purple (McIntosh, 2023). For in hand Eczema, some symptoms to look out for include vesicles, scaling, fissures, or itch and pain in the hand(s) (Hassan, 2024). An estimated 31.6 million people in the US are affected by at least one form of eczema.
Causes
Eczema can be caused by genetics, exposure to the environment, and an overactive immune system. Genetically speaking, a protein called “filaggrin” is needed in the body for skin moisture (Ballard, 2022). People who are born with or develop Eczema at a young age typically have a “filaggrin” deficiency, which causes drier and itchier skin (Ballard, 2022). On the other hand, the environment can sometimes negatively impact how the body reacts to certain stimuli. Lastly, an overactive immune system can also result in the development of Eczema, where the immune system unnecessarily fights foreign and natural molecules, to become more dry and itchy (Ballard, 2022). Over time, this will also increase the risk of Eczema.
Symptoms
- Itchiness
- Redness
- Dry and cracked skin
- Swollen skin with rash
What is Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial Fibrillation is the most common type of Arrhythmia and is found common among individuals over the age of 60. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), 158,000 people die because of Atrial Fibrillation each year. People with this disorder experience an irregular, most commonly a faster heartbeat ranging from 100 to 175 beats per minute. Atrial Fibrillation is also known to escalate the risk of stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related concerns. People who have Eczema have a 20% higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation compared to those without the condition.
Causes
- family history
- other medical conditions
- heart surgery
- heart structural problems
Atrial Fibrillation is an irregular, but most commonly a faster heartbeat, with a heart rate up to 100 to 175 bpm (Atrial Fibrillation, 2024b). This condition escalates the risk of stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related conditions (Atrial Fibrillation, 2024b). Normally, the electrical signal within the heart is sent from the sinus node in a normal heartbeat. Individuals experiencing atrial fibrillation have electrical signals sent from different parts of the heart, increasing the overall heart rate. Causes of atrial fibrillation include family history, heart structural abnormalities, and heart surgery (Schantz-Feld, 2024). With the increase of age, the risk for atrial fibrillation also increases. The risk of atrial fibrillation also increases with diabetes, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and smoking (About Atrial Fibrillation, 2024). Symptoms of this condition include palpitation, shortness of breath, chest pain, etc (About Atrial Fibrillation, 2024). Over the years, more people have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, where in 2010 it was 33.5 million but rose to 59 million in 2019, globally (Linz, 2024). The number of deaths due to atrial fibrillation also increased significantly, with a median death of 117,038 in 1990 to 315,337 deaths, globally (Linz, 2024).
Symptoms
- palpitations
- dizziness
- fatigue
- shortness of breath
- weakness
Atrial Fibrillation leads to an abnormal heart flow within the heart chamber, decreasing the heart’s pumping blood ability and increasing blood clots in the atria (Nesheiwat, 2023). Over time, the abnormal pumping of the blood with blood clots within the vein would weaken the heart muscles, leading to heart failure. Individuals with AFib could also experience strokes which include ischemic stroke, where the blood clots within the veins could get pumped into the brain, and heart failure when the body doesn’t get enough blood pumped to meet the body’s needs (Dorian, n.d.). Overall, Atrial Fibrillation weakens the body’s functions due to the complications it creates, but it can be controlled and managed with proper care.
