A MUM suffering from 'debilitating' eczema for decades said she thought about chopping her fingers off after an excruciating flare-up left her riddled with popping blisters.
Having battled with the condition since she was a baby, Ceira Lennon, 40, was starting to feel like she had her skin under control.
But an allergic reaction in February 2020 triggered a rare form of eczema which causes "excruciating popping blisters".
From a young age, Ceira strove to keep her condition at bay by avoiding certain products and activities.
She would often sit out pool parties and refrain from going to the beach in summer, as the water in both instances would cause her skin to flare up.
As a teen, her self-confidence took a hit and the mum-of-two said she used to “plaster” her face in make-up, so no one would notice her “oozing” skin.
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Soon after giving birth to her kids, now aged 11 and 9, her skin began to clear — until February 2022 when her fingers began to blister, bleed and pop.
Now, the 40-year-old is sharing her harrowing battle in a bid to help others and raise awareness of the “life-threatening” symptoms related to her condition.
“I’ve thought about chopping off my fingers or putting my hand in a fire, just so I can get rid of the blisters or burn off all the pain,” Ceira, from Glasgow, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“If left untreated, infections can take hold and cause gangrene or sepsis, which can be life-threatening.
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“It all started with a few blisters, where my skin started to peel and then unbearable itching took over and my skin kept ripping open.
"Soon, the blisters started popping and would crust over… then the painful cycle repeated.
“The pain is so excruciating, it’s like having a thousand paper cuts on the tips of your fingers all at once.
“I’m scared it’ll never go away and this condition has turned my whole life upside down – it’s been a year of total hell.”
CHEMICAL REACTION
As a teen, Ceira quickly learned her eczema was triggered when she suffered an allergic reaction to harsh chemicals, such as in washing powder and certain types of make-up.
In a bid to avoid her skin being irritated, her face swelling and her eyes stinging, she tried to only use select products and hydrocortisone, a steroid cream, to keep things at bay.
But then, while working in her business crafting keepsakes for weddings and funerals, she started to notice the aforementioned “excruciating” symptoms and knew that it was a reaction.
Ceira works with various materials in her job, including inks, cement and most commonly, epoxy resin, which has since been confirmed as an allergy of hers and the cause of the flare-up.
Despite using gloves and personal protection equipment, a product slipped through the net and a “nightmare” battle began.
In April 2022, she initially sought out medical advice and was given a prescription for a higher dosage steroid cream, but this was unsuccessful.
Ceira's symptoms began to take a toll on her daily life.
The mum said: “It’s taken all my independence away from me, as I’m unable to drive, put my keys in the door – even the shopkeeper has to take my card out for me."
She became unable to do “basic mum” tasks for her kids and her business began suffering too – this led Ceira to demand a second medical opinion.
Six months later, she received a confirmed diagnosis of pompholyx, a form of eczema characterised by blisters, which affects only the hands and feet.
Sadly, as there is no cure, she was prescribed more steroid creams and placed on a waiting list for treatment – but her condition continued to worsen.
Now, she’s suffered numerous infections, which have seen her become immune to antibiotics.
While she’s undergone phototherapy – a form of UVA light – her battle is far from over.
Ceira hopes she can help to raise awareness by sharing her story and that others going through a similar situation will find the root cause of this seemingly endless battle.
How to treat pompholyx
Pompholyx is a type of eczema that affects the hands and feet, which is usually long-term.
It causes itchy, fluid filled blisters that come and go, usually sticking around for two or three weeks at a time.
When the blisters go away, the skin may be dry, cracked and sore. Sometimes it might bleed.
The first symptom is often a burning or prickling feeling in the affected area.
Treatments include:
- moisturisers – used every day to stop the skin becoming dry
- steroid creams and ointments – used for a few weeks at a time to reduce irritation and soreness
- potassium permanganate solution – prescribed if the blisters leak fluid
- antibiotics – prescribed if the blisters become infected
Since your skin can get irritated easily, doing some of these things may help:
- wash your hands with warm – not hot or cold – water and use a moisturiser soap substitute instead of regular soap
- wear protective gloves (ideally with a cotton lining) when using chemicals like shampoos, cleansers and detergents
- wear socks, tights or stockings made from cotton or silk, rather than nylon
- wear shoes made from leather, rather than plastic or rubber
- avoid anything you think causes your symptoms, such as cleansers or detergents
You SHOULD NOT burst your blisters.
You should see a GP if you think you have pompholyx, if your blisters are very painful leak yellow or green pus or are covered in a yellow-brown crust, or about other skin changes you're worried about.
Source: NHS
The mum-of-two said: “I’m worried this will never go away, as I can’t see my skin healing, but I’ve just got to remain positive and live with it.
“I want to be better, I want to help myself and my kids, and I’m determined to get back to the work that I love.
“I go out daily covered head-to-toe with gloves, a hat and long-sleeved tops in a bid to not touch anything else I'm allergic to.
"It’s made me very self-conscious of what people think of me.
“I’m reluctant to keep using higher dosage steroid creams, as my skin is already so thin and damaged, but I’m trying to focus on getting better, so I’ll try anything.
“Hopefully something will finally fix it, but my advice to anyone is always to push for treatment and find the root cause as soon as possible.
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“Keep strong, it’s not going to be your entire life – don’t let this condition beat you.
“I’m living in hope that one day, I’ll be able to start living my life again.”
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