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RECOGNITION OF MATTHEW BOYON AND NATIONAL ECZEMA AWARENESS MONTH
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HON. CHRIS PAPPAS
of new hampshire
in the house of representatives
Friday, September 30, 2022
Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of my constituent, Matthew Boyon, and his family. Matthew is currently a student at Londonderry High School and has suffered from eczema his whole life. In honor of Matthew and the more than thirty-one million Americans with eczema, I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize October as National Eczema Awareness Month.
Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that causes itchiness, dry skin, rashes, scaly patches, blisters and skin infections. There are seven forms of eczema, including the most common and chronic form, atopic dermatitis, and no known cure. Adults and children with eczema are at risk for, and frequently also experience additional comorbid health conditions such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergies, and bacterial, viral and fungal skin infections.
Additionally, adolescents with atopic dermatitis are more likely to report suicidal ideation compared to their nonaffected counterparts and sleep disturbances reported in 67 percent of children with atopic dermatitis. Parents of children with atopic dermatitis are 4 to 8 times more likely to average fewer than 6 hours of sleep per night.
The impacts of living with eczema go beyond just health concerns. More than 66 percent of children with atopic dermatitis report being absent from school more than one day per year as a result of their illness and nearly forty percent of school-aged children and teens diagnosed with atopic dermatitis have experienced bullying due to their disease.
The economic impacts of eczema are also staggering. 5.9 million workdays are lost due to eczema annually and the annual economic burden of eczema, including direct medical costs, indirect costs from lost productivity, and quality of life impacts, is estimated at $5.3 billion.
On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's First Congressional District, I want to thank the Boyon family for bringing awareness to this condition and hope my fellow Americans will join me in recognizing National Eczema Awareness Month.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 159(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 159(2)
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