Raise Your Voice, It's Eczema Awareness Month!

October is in full swing! Everything is falling — the temperature, leaves, and even my electric bill. These are all great things to be excited for along with football, cider mills, and Halloween (the list is honestly endless), but this year, I’ve been especially excited about the fact that it’s currently Eczema Awareness Month. There are 31.6 million American’s with this burdensome disease, but despite a large number of patients, there seems to be a lack of general knowledge about the condition. This year, I implore my fellow #EczemaWarriors to raise their voices and shed some light on AD. Below, I’ve highlighted some actions that we can collectively take to #unhideECZEMA once and for all.

Make a donation to eczema-related organizations

In my opinion, one of the major bottlenecks preventing us from finding a cure for eczema is that research for the condition has been underfunded for years. Thanks to the efforts of non-profits like the National Eczema Association (NEA), this has changed over the last decade. When I was a kid, there was only one real treatment option available to me. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-20’s that a truly ground-breaking medication became available. This October, consider donating to one of the many organizations that provide research funding so that we can have the opportunity for a much brighter (and more clear) future!

Post about eczema on social media

In the history of planet earth, there has never been a news-sharing medium that has been as prolific as social media. Currently, around seven-in-ten Americans use social—with many of them doing so daily. Take advantage of this wonderful tool and leverage the social media platform of your choice to raise awareness about AD. This can be done in a variety of ways: you can share an article (like this one), share your own experiences in a post, comment on others, or even add a frame to your profile picture!

Write a blog post about your eczema

Just as I’m doing here on AtopicDermatitis.net, I encourage you to raise some awareness about eczema through your websites. If you don’t have one of your own, don’t worry! There are plenty of sites on the web that would love for you to write a guest blog to be shared with their visitors. If this is the route you’d like to take, I recommend reaching out to the organization of your choice to confirm they’re okay with the idea before writing away!

Have open conversations about eczema

Many folks out there have questions about eczema but don’t know someone with the disease, are afraid to ask a patient they know, or simply do not know of an online resource where they can obtain the quality information they’re searching for. Make yourself an open book! Invite your circle to ask away. This can be done AMA (Ask Me Anything) style online, in person, or you can reach out directly via a phone call, text, or email.

As you can see, there are many different avenues for raising awareness during National Eczema Awareness Month. Try one, try them all, or even get creative and find a new one of your own!