Is Academic Stress Causing Your Eczema?

Feeling stressed because of an important exam next week? Or suffocated with endless past papers for the upcoming public exam? You are not alone! In fact, many students need to work hard to keep up with the demanding schoolwork which is closely related to academic stress. Some students may even face different eczema conditions when under stress. This article will discuss the typical bodily response to stress and relationship between eczema, stress and exercise. It will also include useful tips to stay motivated in exercising. 

How does our body respond to stress?

In human history, our body is developed evolutionarily to react to threats to protect ourselves from danger. Our body typically releases stress hormones to gradually ease the threat and restore inner balance. However, prolonged exposure to academic stress can lead to eczema flare ups. 

Academic stress brings about the inflamed and itchy skin which could also be seen as a stress reaction our body exhibits to cope with the acute situation. The response is triggered by a signaling system known as the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal (HPA) axis, aiming to produce hormones and mitigate stress. [1]

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The major hormone produced is called cortisol produced from the corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) in the pituitary. Cortisol is known to be a regulator of the immune system which causes an imbalance in our body system and hence leads to different stress-related responses. [2]

The response varies amongst different students. It can affect them both physically and mentally. Some common examples are restlessness, anxiety, and difficulty in communication. 

What is academic stress?

Academic stress is mental distress induced by academic-related demands which exceeds the student’s coping ability.[3] For instance, factors such as school projects, exams and fulfilling parental expectations can lead to student’s frustration and pressure.

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According to an interview conducted by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), more than half of secondary school students indicated a stress level of seven or above on a scale of ten [4]. The major factor of stress was related to highly competitive public exams.

Together with the limited space offerings in universities,  it is understandable why students feel stressed as everyone is fighting to get into their desired programmes in a renowned university. Although peer pressure was my motivation for study, it was also my main source of stress causing my skin to flare up and disrupt my sleep pattern . 

Relationship: academic stress and eczema

It is not surprising to see students with sudden eczema conditions such as unexpected flare ups and swollen skin. Research has shown that students with higher levels of stress show greater occurrence of eczema.[1] So don’t be too surprised if you find rashes on your skin, it may be due to eczema!

Academic-related stress can stimulate inflammatory proteins in our body to cause skin inflammation. Neuronal signals are sent from the brain to the skin to generate inflammatory stimuli. Mast cells on the skin then respond to the stimuli and work as an immune response modulator. [2]

Mast cells are responsible for inducing eczema related inflammatory outcomes. It increases the expression of CRH and hence increases the release of cortisol, leading to potential skin inflammation. Moreover, skin mast cells can increase the production of neurogenically inflammatory molecules such as TNF-alpha and immunoglobulin E (IgE)  are highly related to skin inflammation in eczema. [5]

The stimulation of specific molecules in the nervous system can prompt mast cells to release histamine and cause itching. In addition, skin mast cells are closely related to unmyelinated C- fibers which are unwrapped nerve fibers located on the skin. When the histamine binds to the receptors of the C- fibers, the individual will be provoked by the desire to scratch the inflamed skin. [2]

As increased scratching may lead to increased severity of eczema, some common ways to reduce histamine-induced itch is to lower body temperature. [2] However, this is only a short-term method. To solve the root of the problem, effective stress relieving methods are needed to limit the occurrence of eczema. 

Relieving Stress through Exercising

With the advancement of technology, students spend a great amount of time sitting in front of computers scrolling through social media rather than engaging in outdoor activities.

In fact, sitting is the new smoking. Research has shown that prolonged sitting can be more harmful to your health than smoking. Prolonged sitting is highly associated with increased risk of heart disease and type II diabetes which can be life threatening. [6] Don’t worry, exercise is the cure to prolong sitting!  

Exercising can stimulate the release of “happy hormones” which makes you feel less stressed and improves the condition of  eczema. Endorphins are the most common type of “happy hormones” which stimulates positivity. 

Regular basketball practices have made me feel relaxed and increased my effectiveness in work. Playing basketball allowed me to take a break and enjoy my time at the court. The routine also helped to ease my stress- induced eczema flare ups. 

Tips to self motivate in exercising

One way to self-motivate is to set exercising goals for the weekend. If you don’t have a habit of exercising, start by setting an achievable goal. Be easy on yourself and don’t overstress as it will discourage you from exercising. For example, start by aiming to run for 2 km. Then slowly progress by increasing the distance of running.

It is also important to reward yourself after your hard work of exercising. After completing the goal, you can enjoy a healthy fruit bar or spend half an hour watching TV. This can keep you motivated and make exercising less stressful. 

Another way is to  exercise with your friends. Engaging friends in workouts can make exercising more interesting. Friends can be your support and biggest encouragers during exercise. You will feel happier as you have companions in the journey of exercising.

In addition, you can enjoy group sports such as football and volleyball with your friends. This can enhance group bonding and you will feel more motivated and engaged in the sport. Sports will become more exciting when you have a taste of the solid team spirit! 

To conclude, studying can be stressful for students and may lead to cortisol-induced skin flare ups. Our body is constantly working to maintain inner balance and exercising is a great way to mitigate stress. Exercising can increase endorphin release and instills positivity. It is also an effective method to prevent the occurrence of eczema. 

References

1. Kwon, J.A., et al., Does stress increase the risk of atopic dermatitis in adolescents? results of the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS-VI). PloS one, 2013. 8(8): p. e67890-e67890.
2. Suárez, A.L., et al., Psychoneuroimmunology of psychological stress and atopic dermatitis: pathophysiologic and therapeutic updates. Acta dermato-venereologica, 2012. 92(1): p. 7.
3. Alsulami, S., et al., Perception of academic stress among Health Science Preparatory Program students in two Saudi universities. Advances in medical education and practice, 2018. 9: p. 159-164.
4. The Standard, Secondary school students are facing the most pressure in a decade, in The Standard. 2020, THe Standard Newspapers Publishing Ltd.: Hong Kong.
5. Peters, E.M., Stressed skin?–a molecular psychosomatic update on stress‐causes and effects in dermatologic diseases. JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft, 2016. 14(3): p. 233-252.
6. Vallance, J.K., et al., Evaluating the Evidence on Sitting, Smoking, and Health: Is Sitting Really the New Smoking? American journal of public health, 2018. 108(11): p. 1478-1482.