I became an outcast because of eczema

In 2004, while in the first year of Bachelor’s in Guidance and Counselling at Kyambogo University, Christine Matama noticed something amiss with her skin. “It all started when I developed pimples on the left side of my face. A few days later, they spread to the right side before eventually moving to the scalp. I became concerned when the pimples started itching and spreading rapidly,” she says.
Not only were the pimples itchy, they would cause a burning sensation whenever she poured water on her body. She says sometimes, she felt as if someone was cutting her skin with a razor repeatedly.

Concerned, she went to see a dermatologist. At the clinic, Matama was tested for a number of infections including HIV/Aids.
“The results came back negative including the one for HIV,” Matama says, adding: “However, the dermatologist suspected that I had eczema, a skin condition accompanied with an allergic reaction.”
She says she was given medication and for a while, thanks to her adherence to the medication, the condition improved. However, in April 2005, the condition returned with a bang. This time round, she was getting itchy round patches (similar to psoriasis, another type of skin disease) on her entire body.

Second opinion
She consulted several other doctors, who all gave different diagnosis. For example, one doctor concluded she had psoriasis, a skin condition that causes itchy white patches that pile on the skin or other parts of the body. In the end, each doctor she visited ended up giving her different medication, which became costly.

Since she had run out of money, Matama visited the skin treatment unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital in June 2006. While she got free consultation services at the clinic, she had to buy the medication but despite receiving treatment, her condition kept getting worse.
“This time round, my entire skin was covered with a rash which often broke open and oozed a yellowish fluid,” she says, adding, “At some point, the rash turned into wounds that mostly affected my legs thereby rendering me immobile.”

The open wounds exposed Matama to bacterial infections which in the end resulted in several admissions to different health centres.

Lifestyle changes
Fed up, Matama sought help from Dr Fred Kambugu, a dermatologist at Kampala Skin Clinic in Wandegeya. Dr Kambugu confirmed that Matama had eczema and gave her medication which included steroids, anti-fungal creams and antibiotics. Secondly, he advised that Matama changes location to be able to rule out effects of temperature change; from a warm Kampala to a cooler Fort Portal, in Western Uganda, and later, have a change in clothes, from any other type to only wearing cotton clothing.
“I got rid of most of my dark clothes after learning that the dye within the garments can sometimes affect the skin. I opted for brighter colours,” she says.

In order to limit allergic reactions, Matama avoided using certain detergents and perfumes. Her doctor also mentioned that Eczema is triggered by dust and extreme weather conditions such as coldness and so, avoiding such conditions would provide a solution towards soothing the condition.

Treatment
Most importantly, Dr Kambugu advised Matama to get an Immunoglobulin G (IgG) test in order to measure the level of antibodies in the blood.
“In my case, it was discovered that I had low levels of IgG that predisposed me to chronic eczema. Its deficiency had made my immune system weak and the body susceptible to infections,” she says.
She was, therefore, put on a course of treatment to boost her IgG levels. The treatment would last for one year.

This helped a lot and Matama’s condition greatly improved. She was able to graduate in 2008. Later, in 2012, she enrolled for a Master of Science in Public Health from International Health Sciences University presently Clarke International University and graduated in 2015.

Social implications
On some occasions, Matama was sidelined by people because of her skin condition. “There were times people did not want to associate with me fearing that they too would get infected. Others made their own conclusions and started saying that I was suffering from different conditions among them syphilis, ringworm and Aids,” she says.

As she battled with the skin condition, Matama also lost all her hair. “My scalp was always itchy, and, in the process, I was always forced to scratch it. While doing so, the skin would peel off and a lot of dandruff would form,” she says.
On other occasions, the dandruff would surface even without scratching. Not even oiling or washing the hair would soothe the inflammation. As a result, Matama was sometimes self-conscious and deliberately kept her distance from people.

Coping mechanism
In order to deal with her condition, Matama opted to adhere to medication prescribed by Dr Kambugu and over time, her condition improved. For her hair, Matama says she always endeavours to wash it, especially after noticing any trace of dandruff or dead skin. And after washing, she applies olive oil, shea butter or coconut oil in order to soothe it and limit dryness. Most of the time, Matama prefers to leave the hair unplaited so as to let it breathe. She only plaits or styles it, especially for special events and functions.

Life today
Matama now organises sensitisation campaigns through which she educates communities about the skin condition. “The situation is under control now. In fact nowadays, I only seek medication after experiencing an allergic reaction. Otherwise, I am off medication at the moment,” she says.

Matama who works as a research study and communications coordinator at Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), Kampala has also written a book titled, Heroic Struggle; Coping with Chronic Illnesses-Personal Eczema Experiences which focuses on her personal journey but also draws lessons for chronically ill patients.

She hopes readers can learn a number of things on eczema and ways of dealing with other chronic illnesses after reading the book.
She advises other individuals battling eczema not to gamble with treatment by looking for solutions on Google but rather seek professional help from medical experts.

Expert’s view
Dr Fred Kambugu, senior consultant physician and dermatologist at Kampala Skin Clinic, says,

“Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a common, chronically relapsing inflammatory skin condition characterised by eczematous skin lesions and intense pruritus. Its prevalence is increasing affecting 15 per cent of children and two to 10 per cent of adults in developed countries.

Eczema maybe associated with bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis and food allergies termed as the Atopic March where eczema precedes the development of other allergic conditions. Eczema is also associated with non-atopic conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, impaired sleep, depression, anxiety and autism.

Some of the treatment options for eczema include barrier repair creams made with the intention of repairing the skin barrier, immunoglobulin treatment, and change in fabric wear, among other treatment options.”

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