Scientists at the University of Texas, Austin have recently created a new technology to help you keep track of the itching caused by eczema. The device is a soft, wearable sensor that could even help you figure out why you or your child has this skin condition.
Itching is one of the most irritating symptoms of eczema, a skin condition that affects 10% to 20% of people in the developed world. Itching can be so bad that it can cause sleep loss and interfere with your daily life. Other symptoms include inflammation and a red rash.
In one study, 60% of children with eczema reported consistent problems sleeping. People with severe cases can lose up to one night’s worth of sleep a week due to the irritation caused by itching.
Itching is a difficult symptom to track and describe in exact amounts. Researchers created a wearable wireless sensor to track how frequently eczema patients felt the need to scratch.
The flexible skin patch fits onto your arm and uses algorithms to decide when you’re making a scratching motion. It can detect the motion, whether it comes from your elbow or your wrist, with 99% accuracy.
The scratching data that the device collects has a number of potential uses. It can track how severe your eczema is and whether or not a treatment is working.
Since itchiness is one of the most trying eczema symptoms, it’s important for researchers and your doctor to know if a medication, ointment, or bathing routine is changing how much you or your child itches.
Importantly, if you use it at the beginning of the diagnosis, the technique can help you discover why you or your child has eczema. There are a number of different eczema triggers, from allergens like pollen and certain foods to rough clothing and scented soaps. With this device, you could track exactly how much the itchiness changes when potential causes are removed.
This could be very useful for diagnosing food allergies. Over 30% of children with eczema also have a food allergy. The problem is that there’s a high rate of false positives in tests for these allergens. This could lead you to limit your own or your child’s diet when you don’t have to. With this device, you and your doctor could know if cutting out a certain food item actually cuts down on itchiness.
The data from this device will help researchers, doctors, and patients alike understand this important eczema symptom.
