Stress triggers eczema: Scientific discovery changes understanding of the disease

A recent study revealed that psychological stress not only affects mood, but also plays a direct role in exacerbating eczema, a common skin disease characterized by itching and inflammation.

According to the study, the relationship between stress and the appearance of eczema flare-ups is no longer just a clinical observation, but is now understood at a biological level, as researchers identified a specific network of nerve cells that are activated under the influence of stress and lead to an immune response in the skin.

This study was conducted by a research team at Fudan University in China, led by scientists specializing in neuroscience and immunology, and its results were recently published in the prestigious scientific journal Science, one of the world’s leading journals for publishing advanced medical and scientific research.

The researchers explained that these nerve cells transmit stress signals from the brain to the skin, where they stimulate the release of inflammatory proteins that call upon immune cells known as “eosinophils,” leading to increased inflammation and the appearance of symptoms such as redness and itching.

Stress: One of the most important motivators

The results showed that people with high levels of stress were more likely to experience more severe skin inflammation during eczema flare-ups, compared to those with lower stress levels.

Studies have shown that:

1. Many patients consider stress to be the biggest cause of eczema flare-ups.
2. People with high stress levels tend to have more severe skin inflammation.

The researchers also found that high stress levels are associated with an increase in certain immune cells in the body (eosinophils), which play a role in inflammation.

Experiments have shown that chronic stress, not just temporary stress, is the most prominent factor in triggering this response, which explains why the condition worsens in some patients during periods of continuous stress.

Experts believe these findings change the traditional understanding of the mind-body relationship, as they confirm that stress is “biologically embedded” in the skin’s immune response, and not just an external factor.