Pre-teen dancer allergic to tears and sweat due to eczema

Weird But True

By Madeleine Achenza, News.com.au

An 11-year-old dancer has developed a painful skin condition that makes her allergic to her own tears and sweat, and excruciatingly painful to continue her favorite sport.

Summah Williams was hospitalized at the end of 2022 after her skin dried out into cracks and became red and inflamed beneath a layer of shedding skin.

At first, her mother Karyn Zimny, 47, thought she had a bad sunburn but grew increasingly concerned when she noticed her normally healthy daughter shivering in the heat and itching at her skin through the night.

“When we went to hospital, she had a staph infection and when she was on antibiotics, her whole face and body shed like a snake from head to toe, the bath would be full of skin,” she said.

She was diagnosed with eczema and has developed an allergy of sorts to her own tears and sweat.

“[It’s] heartbreaking as she loves dancing,” Zimny said.

“When she looks at all her other dance friends, she gets upset and asks, ‘Why can’t I have skin like them?’ It’s heartbreaking.”

Summah is currently trialling a new injection treatment called Dupixent, but is still getting terribly painful facial flares.

Australian children have one of the highest incidences of eczema in the world and the extreme heat of this summer is putting more children at risk.

Australian-made skincare brand MooGoo’s chief executive Melody Livingstone says their brand has been inundated with worried parents asking what they can do to ease their children’s skin.

“We can hardly keep up with demand,” she said.

“Our Irritable Skin Balm eczema cream has seen over 70 per cent sales growth since last year, and orders are double what they were this time last year.”

The Eczema Association of Australia says eczema is impacting up to 30 per cent of children and 10 per cent of adults to varying degrees, with many attributing weather as a main cause for flare-ups.

There is currently no cure for eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis, so keeping the symptoms under control is critical for those living with the disease.

How to help manage eczema and skin irritation

• Avoid harsh soaps, foaming agents, fragrances and preservatives in skincare
• Keep skin moist and apply fragrance-free products straight after bathing
• Check washing detergent for sulphates and other skin irritants
• Reduce the heat of showers and baths, as it can strip natural oils from skin and further irritate it
• Reduce or avoid sugar and yeast and eat oily fish, vitamin A and E rich foods and omega-3 rich • • foods like flaxseeds and walnuts
• Use a probiotic that contains the lactobacillus rhamnosus strain
• Keep a food diary and note when flare-ups occur
• Consult with a healthcare professional to identify any environmental, dietary or other allergens that may be contributing to your skin problem